"Duet" photo by Daria Isaeva
We have a winner! I told that Daria could do better - and she did.
Daria wasn't just clicking her camera buttons all season, she was clearly striving to fulfill the photographer's challange and picture Andrei and the hand as beautifully as possible. Also, a good photo of a skater requires not only talent, but also experience and time spent watching the skater. What didn't work at the beginning of the season, worked at the end. Nothing in the world is perfect, but no one is stopping us from getting better all the time, right?
This photo is slightly different from the "almost got it" photo that was placed in 4th place, but this time nothing makes me question the veracity of the emotions portrayed. Andrei in the moment isn't distracted by other actions, he's totally immersed in playing out the story (how he even manages to cram the quads and trixels into his ice performance is still a mystery to me). He seems to be just staring sorrowfully at his palm, but thanks to the skill of the actor and the skill of the photographer, I get the feeling that the hand is responding to him, they are in dialogue. This is the best photo of Red Hand at last season in my opinion.