Mike Tyson has long been a boxing legend, and for this week’s podcast we speak with the photographer who was there from the very start. Lori Grinker was just a student with a semester-long assignment when she first met Tyson as a 13-year-old kid under the tutelage of famed boxing trainer Cus D’Amato. Grinker’s inside access over the next decade offers an intimate portrait of Tyson that few others have seen, and is now published in the book Mike Tyson. Listen in as Grinker describes how she learned on the job as the only woman ringside, transforming from student to pro in step with Tyson’s meteoric rise. She also weighs in about gear choices, making distinctions between photographing with reflex cameras and rangefinders, and sharing thoughts on shooting black and while film vs digital captures in monochrome mode. Listen in to learn how she juggled documentary coverage with celebrity reportage and sports photography in what was truly a wild ride.

Guest: Lori Grinker

Photographs © Lori Grinker, Courtesy of Contact Press Images
This episode is sponsored by Audio Technica

For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/ringside-access-lori-grinker-captures-mike-tysons-rise

Guest Bio: Lori Grinker is an award-winning photographer whose work straddles documentary and fine art. Internationally published and exhibited, her long-term, non-linear projects often mix photography with video, audio recording, text, installation, books, and collage. The recipient of many awards and the author of three books, Grinker is a dedicated educator for both University programs and private workshops. She is a senior member of Contact Press Images and is represented by ClampArt Gallery in New York City.

Stay Connected:
Personal Website: www.lorigrinker.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lgrinker
Twitter: twitter.com/lgrinker
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lorigrinker/

Episode Timeline

2:02: Grinker’s photojournalism class assignment, and shifting focus to Mike Tyson
4:40: Tyson’s dedicated study under legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato
7:26: The trajectory of Grinker’s photos—from school project to documenting Tyson’s daily life to published news stories

9:04: The learning curve from daily life to photographing ringside
11:55: Enlisting Tyson’s help to get paid by Don King
13:02: Robin Givens, her mother the publicist, and control over Grinker’s pictures

15:34: Tyson’s interest in seeing himself in pictures
17:04: Grinker’s embedded access and hurdles of Tyson’s rise to fame
20:12: Grinker’s experiences in dealing with a no-show photo subject
21:44: Working with photo agencies and joining Contact Press Images
24:36: The benefits to Grinker’s agency support: Canon camera gear, exhibitions, and books

24:58: Grinker’s advice for photographers seeking agency representation

26:26: The importance of owning the rights to your pictures and registering the copyright

28:10: Episode break

28:42: Lori Grinker’s photo gear: From Nikkormat to Leica to Canon and beyond
29:50: Grinker’s first experience with digital—embedded on a ship the during Iraqi invasion
30:36: Learning to use flash and shooting with black-and-white film
31:41: Making the switch to color film for photo assignments
32:00: Comparing the shooting style of reflex cameras and rangefinders
34:52: Grinker’s thoughts on teaching students depth of field
35:32: Learning by doing and Grinker’s earliest teachers
36:52: Grain vs pixels: shooting black-and-white film vs digital in black and white mode
40:50: Film type, Kodak chemistry, and printing with Agfa Portriga paper
42:02: Printing gelatin silver prints for upcoming ClampArt exhibit
44:08: Grinker’s Mike Tyson book and the 2014 book contract
45:12: Reconnecting with Tyson for Spike Lee’s Broadway production

48:18: Choosing a book designer, going through the pictures, making a huge book, and then cuts

49:44: What does Mike Tyson think of the finished book?

50:32: It’s more a photo book than a sports book—a time capsule, a slice of pop culture

52:30: Lori Grinker’s upcoming events—book launch and ClampArt exhibit

54:34: Grinker’s website and social media contacts