From Swim Coach To Swimming Photographer!

Hello and welcome to my very first blog post!

At a time where everything is happening fast paced on the GRAM with bingeable video content, I decided to slow it down and start a blog to share more of the story that is going on behind the scenes at Malaper Photography, how I got into sports photography, some useful photography tips, what type of equipment I use, a short recap of events I will be covering and much more.

In 2 words: stay tuned, more is coming here! 👀

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From coaching swimming to a transition behind the lens photographing it:

If you don't know me already, my name is Mickaël, I come from a town called Rennes in Brittany, France. I picked up my first professional camera (a full frame Canon Eos R) in 2020 - but long before I turned to photographing it, my journey with swimming started years ago.

In fact, I began teaching and coaching that sport way back in 2010, nearby Rennes, alongside my studies of sport sciences at Uni.

Over more than a decade, I have worn many hats in the aquatics world:

• Swimming Teacher & Coach

  Guiding swimmers of all ages and abilities through strokes, turns, and the nitty-gritty technique details. I coached squad swimmers and taught children in a few swim schools in France and in the UK after moving to Bristol in 2017.

• Aqua Gym / Aquatic Aerobics Instructor (not my favourite bit of it I have to say!)

  This is a big thing in France that both private and council ran swimming pools operate. I was crafting fun, high‑energy workouts that blend fitness and water buoyancy to build strength and maintain joints mobility for participants.

  
  

• Swimming technique Video‑Analysis Specialist

  Using underwater filming techniques, I used videos recordings to analyse technique and give athletes clear, actionable feedback on every kick and pull.

  
  

  

• French Swimming Federation experience

  I studied sports sciences and graduated in 2015 from a master’s degree at the University of Rennes where I specialised in the biomechanical analysis of swimming metrics connected with propulsion efficiency in freestyle and starts. I was an intern at the French swimming federation from 2013 to 2015 and I worked on problematic that involved measuring data of starts (angle of entry, distance of entry, velocity off the block vs at the entry...) during competitions based on video recordings.

All these experiences taught me two priceless lessons: the technical finesse of the sport, and the deep human connections there are behind every swimmer’s career on the path to success (coach, family, squad mates, education…).

Throughout my career as a coach and teacher, I have worked alongside all levels of swimmers from baby swimmers to Olympic-level athletes. I have seen first-hand how essential water safety is at the very beginning of the journey, and how those early foundations can open the door to incredible opportunities later in life.

Now that I moved behind the lens, I feel obliged to carry on that legacy and by capturing the multifaceted disciplines of the aquatics, I hope that it can inspire more people to gain interest and get involved in these sports!

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How did the transition to Photography happen?

A few years back in what now seems like an eternity, most countries in the world went into lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At this time I had a lot of time and, in addition to bake a lot of Sourdough loaves, I picked my DSLR camera (a Canon Eos 750D) back again and started experimenting different genres of photography (food, product, landscape, portrait,...) and by the end of Lockdown ended up investing in my first  full frame camera kit, a Canon Eos R and an EF24-70mm f2.8L II USM. When lockdown rules eased up, I was able to resume coaching swimming in my local club in Bristol, and this is when my photography world and coaching world collided.

I started photographing a few internal meets, then went on photographing the local county swimming championships in 2022 and started collaborating with the English Schools’ Swimming Association on their events that year.

After that I went on working with other event organisers (the Arena League for their finals, Swim England West Midlands for their summer and winter regional championships, and SwimGainz Junior development league).

I have enjoyed the challenge of combining my knowledge of swimming with the technical precision needed for photography (ISO, shutter speeds, burst‑mode autofocus) with the storytelling I had loved as a coach. I wanted to freeze those split‑second moments:

• The athlete’s focus as they prepare to dive

• The bubble of water over the head of a swimmer before they burst out of the water when they breakout

• The water droplets as hands slice through the surface

• The power and effort that goes into every stroke a swimmer takes

• The triumphant celebration, arms raised or at times more discreet, after a tough race culminating in winning a final or achieving a new personal best

Swimmers dedicate countless hours - early‑morning sets, holiday training camps, weekend meets - to perfect their technique, endurance, explosivity and the many skills they need to perform in this discipline to really nail down every phase of a race to near perfection.

Yet so often, as they race, there is no one on pool deck whose sole mission is to capture the emotion and energy of those efforts.

That’s where I come in!

What Drives Me:

• Adaptability

Having worked in two countries and multiple roles, I thrive on change and challenges. Whether it’s adjusting to different pool setups, unpredictable lighting (which let’s be honest is a very common thing in most swimming pools), or the unique flow of each event (Relays Vs Individual races for example), I’m always ready to pivot and deliver.

• Insight

My background in coaching gives me an edge: I know exactly when to anticipate the pop of a dive start, the inhale before a flip turn, or the surge of effort on the home stretch.

• Storytelling

Beyond technical perfection, I’m dedicated to capturing the human side of sport - the focus, the camaraderie, the sheer joy of achievement.

• How do I bring swimming photography to the next level?

I have a background of beach lifeguard on the French coast of Brittany and have done a lot of snorkelling and free-diving connected to spearfishing over summer seasons. In short, I love being underwater and hold my breath!

Connect the above and add a camera in a waterproof housing to the mix and you get stunning images of swimming action from a perspective rarely seen. Swimmers captured in their environment showcasing the intensity of their effort.

Curious to see more of my work, go and check out my underwater photography portfolio.

What will come Next here?

Over the coming weeks and month, this blog will be your go‑to source for:

• Photography tips: How to set your gear up to capture fast moving action, where to position yourself to photograph specific races, the equipment I use, and examples of editing workflows.

• Behind‑the‑Scenes Stories: Real recaps from the meets, galas I cover - showing you how a shoot comes together, from setup to final gallery.

• Equipment Athlete & Coach Spotlights:

  Interviews and photo essays celebrating the people who make aquatics such a special community.

  
  

I’m so excited to build this space into a vibrant corner of the internet for swimmers, coaches, clubs, and event organisers alike interested by the adventures of capturing images of the aquatic sports.

Thank you for joining me on this journey—whether you’re here to learn, to share, to read a story, or simply to admire a great action shot!

Feel free to leave a comment below with questions you’d like me to tackle in future posts. And if you’re organising an event or simply want to chat about what it takes to tell your aquatics story in pictures, you can always reach me at malaper.photography@gmail.com or on Instagram [@Malaper_Photography_Sports].

Here’s to many more posts (and many more powerful moments frozen in time)!

Swimmingly, Mickaël!