Athletics Photography

Photographing Performance: On the Road to Paris with Desiree Henry

From training camp in Texas to the finish line at the London Diamond League. Documenting elite performance and the trust required to tell that story.

Katherine Lucas

Photographer

July 2025

5 min read

Elite Sport is Built on Precision

So is trust.

I first photographed Desiree Henry during a training camp in Texas, deep in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games. These moments, far from the stadium lights, are where the real work happens. Long sessions, quiet focus, repetition, and recovery. For an athlete at this level, the training environment is more than just a workspace. It's a safe space.

That was the starting point. Even if it wasn't written down or fully communicated, just create imagery that respected the process. Photographs that felt honest, unobtrusive, and intentional. Images that highlighted the discipline behind elite performance without disrupting it.

Olympic sprinter Desiree Henry training at high-performance camp in Texas preparing for Paris 2024 Olympics

Behind-the-scenes athletics photography capturing training intensity and focus of Team GB sprinter

"As a professional Olympic athlete my safe space is so important. And having Katherine come into that space not only complements it but also helps to highlight my hard work as an athlete in such a beautiful, artistic way."
— Desiree Henry

Understanding the Rhythm

Photographing high-performance athletes requires more than technical skill. It requires understanding the rhythm of training, knowing when to step in and when to disappear, and recognising that every moment doesn't need to be forced. My approach is shaped by experience, not only as a photographer, but as someone who has competed in the sport myself.

When I moved to London I built a network within elite track and field that allows me to work inside environments where trust is essential. Being a fan of the sport helps. Having lived it makes the difference. It means I understand what's at stake, what the work demands, and how much these spaces need to be protected.

Team Great Britain women's 4x100m relay team crossing finish line at London Diamond League with world-leading time, Desiree Henry third leg

From Training to the Finish Line

In 2025, I found myself in a very different position, standing at the finish line as Team Great Britain ran a then world-leading time in the 4x100m. Desiree was third leg. From training camp to championship racing, photographing both sides of the journey offered a rare, full-circle perspective on performance at the highest level.

This is the kind of storytelling I'm most drawn to: documenting preparation as much as outcome. Because medals and records are built long before race day, and the images that resonate most are often made in the quiet moments no one else sees.

Honouring the Process

If you're an athlete, coach, or brand working in elite sport and looking for photography that honours the process as much as the result, this is exactly the space I work best in.