Each week, the BFP’s chief photographer Anita Ross Marshall chooses some of her favourite pictures from the archive and tells the story behind capturing the perfect image.

She writes: “All sport has its own rhythm. That movement may differ greatly from the grace of ice skating to the brute force of rugby, but there is always a physical peak, and it is there that the best action images live.

“The skill is not just understanding how your camera can capture that moment, but learning to see, recognise and read those rhythms.

“This is because to capture that peak, you have to be ahead of it. After all, in the blink of an eye, it will be gone forever.”

  • Image: Superstars sport event for charity
  • Camera data: Canon EOS 1D Mark 3, Lens 70-200mm 2.8 IS USM, focal length 125mm, 1/500sec, f4.5, ISO 500