Fencing Sport Photography

A good selection of fencing photos is now in my Commercial Photography website..

Some people may know that I do work as a photographer for the last 24 yrs. Most of my work are with brands, agencies, fitness and now in Sports .. Most photographers in commercial would probably retire to photographing family, pets and babies. but I have no desire or the patience for subjects that put me to sleep.

For the selection of photos, you can visit the page.

My audience are predominately Brands, Creative / or Modeling Agencies in Australia and Europe.. Dance Companies (ballet or contemporary).. Film Directors, Fitness and Sports.

Feel free to browse around.. Fencing is under Sports.. also in tearsheet are some of my published work over the years.

Anyhooo See you at nationals..

I won't be shooting AFC 4.

Ed Chiu Photo – photographer and director

Cheelyn Wang vs Kat Egan
This is one of my personal fave shot because the way both fencers' feet were doing funny stuff as captured .. .. kat on air like she is riding an invisible gliding board from Back to the Future (if you know that movie where Michael J Fox is on a gliding board).. also Cheelyn .. and she mentioned she was about to jump / lunge forward but the way I captured it, she was about to do a moonwalk..

I think the mess in the background ruined the shot if there are no bags, chairs etc then it would enter top 10

Adam Reynolds vs. someone

This is clean, nuff said..

I think what made this excluded from top 10 is because it is not straight.. if i was to go for 'clean' then the piste, etc also needs to be aligned and parallel. It is difficult for comps because things move . obviously but i love the lighting down here and you can see through their masks..if i had a longer lens. ie 400mm then I can show their expressions.. Watch this Space..

Lucas Webber vs someone..

I had this for top 10 but I took it out after I realised he was wearing different country lame and breeches.. For the sake of a photography sports award it would be a conflict .. otherwise it is quirky.

Geoff Webber shot the same bout from the front and after I showed him this shot, he said he had the front view.. I think our photos together can make a great 3D figure of Lucas for this leg up shot.

but how lucky is he..??? two professional photographers shooting him for this comp.. we are the only pro tog in the comp, he only shoots Lucas. so no one else has this privilege

alex brown vs yoongi shim at nationals..

I actually love this shot bc it's dramatic as it should (for sabre) . Also bc both fencers clenched onto their points with their own fist. this was a shot selected in top 10 but I had to bump it for another action shot.

Never a dull moment shooting sabre.. esp during semi onwards.. when you can filter out the scream it's the body language that matters on photos.

NSW Foil Sophia Glasson with her coach Mostafa Nehad...

This was a top favourite at the End of year poll.. i think if i had photographed the coach's jacket a bit lower to include the word Coach then it makes more sense (outside our community).. but this angle, the perspective and intention of the shot works well.. but def not enough details to convey the message.

From judges pov this does not make sense

I shot this at CrossXSwords Winter Fusion camp actually. I think the fencer is Jenny, I kind of recognise her lunge.. the coach is Henry..

I shot this it using shutter drag technique, I often drag when I photograph night architecture around Melbourne,. I am very random I lurk around town but lately a lot less bc of the machete attacks in Melb. sad but true.

This was one of top 10 but I ditched it in the end bc of the setting, I was not if non comp are allowed in the sports award.

I can use this technique in comps if there's a clear way at the venue. But i love how all the lines and alignment and also her lunge .. all worked out you can see the tip of her epee just hit Henry's arm.

Another year of fencing photography in Australia done! While fencers have rounded up their 2025 comps, I have been busy rating photos that I have shot across AFC and Nationals shot between November 1 2024 to 1 Nov 2025 (that is the date range for the photography awards.), shot at Fencing Victoria and Fencing NSW

For people who have not been following my work since the start ( June 2022.. ) one of my fencing photos was selected as one of 40 finalist in Martial Arts at World Sport Photography Awards. It was the first ever fencing photos selected for this award, but also it was my first 6 months shooting the sport. I think my 20 years of full-time commercial photography experience contributes to how I work and the way I learn, therefore I came to the sport with advanced technical knowledge on top of talking to fencers about the sport have helped.

This is my 4th year entering this photo awards, but I don't think winning is highly important, because you never know what they look for. However, photographers don't shoot for awards, who needs the pressure? Not every photo should be a masterpiece. --- not even my photos for paying clients.. even if I am a perfectionist, somehow you just have to let it go and get paid.

For these 10 shots I went through a tedious selection process, with help from a lot of fencers and coaches voting in my annual poll back in October. For the context of this award I went with more action shots and one journalistic b/w shot. There are other great shots and we can only submit 10 best. I had to swap out 3 in the end at the risk of disqualification bc they were not comp events.

Regardless of outcomes, at least these photos have a life of their own.. being viewed by many top international judges in sport and news media.

I will post some of the shots that could have been selected after this.

Photographer: Ed Chiu .photography
Training Session 練習会
Fencers at Hokkaido Fencing Assoc
Kitagas Arena Sapporo 46, Sapporo, Hokkaido Japan
16.09.25

Japanese translation by Katsuki Yamanaka

日本でフェンシングを撮影するのは、今回が初めてです
そして、一部の選手にとっても、フェンシング姿を写真に収められるのは初めての経験となりました。

This photo session was unplanned, but I am very spontaneous and unapologetic when it comes to ceasing opportunities. I received royal treatment as a photographer, a reception that is rather rare in Australia especially in the last few months at fencing comps and events.

Partial being different culture - Japanese are indeed more polite, acknowledge my presence, appreciative and respect my hard work as a professional photographer.

I was on my 9 day vacation in Hokkaido last week and I got in touch with Jun Yamash*ta for the last leg of my trip in Sapporo . We arranged to catch up at his training session at Hokkaido Fencing Assoc.

I asked Jun if I could photograph him training. Then ideas came about when he introduced me to his coach and master coach at the club. Some of the kids would have never been photographed professionally in fencing, which inspired me to shoot this session.

Hokkaido Fencing Assoc trains Foil and Sabre and half of the hall is divided to Kids and Youth/ Adults.

Throughout the night I had kids and parents thanking me for the photography - which is an endearing and pleasant surprise since I don’t get this reception in Australia. I tried to engage with some students with my nods, smile and 3 Japanese phrases that I know and they tried their best speaking English which is great to see.

Jun introduced me to several young champion fencers in the Japan circuit. Also a master coach who is 94yo, still coaching the fencers, which is envious to see.

After the training, Jun and I went to Tanuki (next to Susukino in Sapporo) for a light meal.

I hope to do this again. I started a Menu / page for Japan Fencing. WATCH THIS SPACE.

#日本フェンシング部 #フェンシング #サーブル