Discover how Ross Cooke reveals the raw emotion and untold stories behind iconic sporting moments.

Ross Cooke’s photos illuminate the Las Vegas skyline on towering billboards; reflections flashing on the drivers’ visors as they race past. 

Jagged streaks of electric colour strobe as the pack of F1 drivers churn and a tang of burnt rubber hangs in the breeze. 

On the final straight, the chequered flag waves. George Russell’s Mercedes tires brush the finish line, unleashing a tidal wave of cheers. 

Ross crouches, tightening his grip on the camera; through the viewfinder the chaotic world of sport sharpens into moments of clarity. 

Champagne bursts over Russell. Click. He dives into a pool of his closest friends and colleagues. Click. A moment of tenderness is revealed as he leans in to kiss his girlfriend. Click. 

In a genre often dominated by speed and spectacle where others chase the blur of motion, Ross captures the stillness and humanity beneath it all.

Ross contributes to a season full of history. He preserves the heartbeat of sport and freezes emotions that speak to anyone who has worked hard for something and achieved it.

That night he immortalised a powerful symbol of victory as he captured an intimate moment of love shared between Russell and his girlfriend. 

Like the photo of the sailor’s kiss in 1945, Ross froze an unfiltered celebration that came after years of commitment and determination. 

“It somewhat felt like a closing movie scene but at the heart of it was an athlete overjoyed with the emotion of winning,” says Ross.

“I think it reveals how much it all means to them as athletes. They put their heart and soul into winning and when it pays off it’s there for all to see.” 

Back from Las Vegas Ross sits in his home, surrounded by memorabilia of a life spent capturing moments. Amongst the signed F1 helmets and magazines that he’s featured in, is a photo of him playing football with his friends.

A small laugh sneaks out just as he starts to talk about it. In our previous interviews he was quiet and reserved. Now, with a vibrant energy, he’s going into detail about how he was issued a yellow card during that game. 

“Or was it red?” He adds.

It turns out that it was only a yellow card. He was defending his friend but arguing with the referee. He revealed his passion for defending those he cares about and his love of sport that fuels his work. 

Within today’s crowded media landscape, where one third of Instagram users follow at least one sport-related account, fans are craving moments that reveal the person behind the athlete. Through Ross’s intimate studio work, he crafts artistic portraits that strengthen the bond between sport stars and their supporters. 

Stepping inside the studio it becomes clear. This is Ross’s stadium. The lights hum like a cheering crowd. The tripods stand like teammates poised ready for the game. Then the first snap of his shutter triggers the action. 

The plain backdrop helps him share stories of icons like Beckham, Fury and Norris. It also helps him notice the traits they all share and that make them so successful. 

“Focus and determination spring to mind. There’s always a sense of focus within their eyes and a determination to succeed in whatever they do, not just within sport,” Ross says.

The Liverpool FC and Carlsberg ‘Inked’ series saw Ross photographing Thiago’s and other players’ tattoos, uncovering the stories etched into their skin. Stories of resilience and identity which offer fans a glimpse at what makes their heroes human.

“If George Russell’s  kiss is portraying the raw emotion of an athlete winning then the photographs of Thiago’s tattoos are a more intimate story about who athletes really are,” he says. 

The tattoos photographed include his mothers parting words as he left home for Barcelona at the age of 14 and a line from the Brazil national anthem, relating to his father. 

“His tattoos portray what makes him the man he is not just the athlete on the football pitch that everybody sees,”he says

In these moments Ross reminds us that an athlete’s performance can’t be measured solely by their trophies and titles, but by their dedication and resilience which inspires fans.

Before the shoots and before standing beneath the lights of the world’s biggest stadiums, Ross would stand in darkrooms developing his photos. 

“Seeing the process from start to finish is where I really started to fall in love with photography,” Ross recalls. 

His talent then grew as his lens focused on the faces with stories waiting to be shared.

“I think, subconsciously, I’m always on the lookout to capture emotion within my work. I think it’s at the heart of why I love capturing sport so much. It evokes an emotion within everybody, whether you’re an athlete or a fan,”he says.

This week he’ll be travelling to Chelsea, Liverpool then to Manchester United. It’s a tightly packed schedule leaving him mere moments to photograph the athletes, like the 40 seconds he once had with Cristiano Ronaldo or the couple of minutes he had to shoot his first athlete Michael Antonio. 

“I still remember the adrenaline rush and nerves of having to photograph him in such a short space of time. Something that I’ve had to do for a long time now but the feeling never fully goes away,”he says.

In the hours that follow each shoot, Ross refines his work, selecting just a few photos to represent hours of work. 

“I’d usually already have an idea of which would be my favourite before even going through them. You sometimes get a feeling when capturing something that it really works or you’ve caught a moment that nobody else has,” he says.

He also understands the power his lens has to shape how an athlete may be perceived, so selects each photo with care.

He says, “I would always choose an image that I felt best portrayed the athlete on that particular shoot or day.”

Ross is dedicated to capturing the beauty of sport even now, as he balances the roar of the crowd with the laughter of his two young children. 

Their photos sit next to him as he begins rifling through a collection of images. Each one tells a different story. Some are of iconic sport victories and action, while the others are the quieter stories of family life. 

“There are so many factors that could make up a good photo but I think if you can tell a story in an image that people can read into or take something from, then you’ve done a decent job,” says Ross.

Storytelling is at the heart of his photography which is why he defines his best work, not by the fame of the athlete, but the depth of the story he’s revealed. He remembers shooting a powerful story at the  London Marathon.

“I remember a man coming into the finish line with tears down his face and you could clearly see how much it meant to him to finish the race. I remember him looking upwards and capturing a moment where he had given his all,” he says.

“It moved me so much that I took a note of his race number and tracked down his email to send him the picture.”

It’s moments like that which shape sport, similar to the photograph of Muhammad Ali shouting confidently at Sonny Liston to get up and fight, or the image of Usain Bolt smiling as he entertains the crowd and strides away from his rivals with ease. 

These photos have become timeless because of the narrative they carry and how they reveal the humanity and performance of an athlete, beyond the competition. Something Ross achieves with every photo he takes.

Ross’s influence extends beyond the world of sport photography, and into his community and church, where he leads a team of young aspiring photographers and cinematographers.

When I spoke with his dad and Pastor of the Church, Richard Cooke, he told me about how Ross has recently given one of his cameras to a young boy to help him on his journey.

What I found most interesting though was when he said, ”Ross can be a thinker and often worries if he did okay. An example of this [as a freelance photographer] is when he worries about jobs coming in and if this will be his last. It’s a natural tendency he’s always had, one that keeps him grounded.”

2025 has already been busy. “I have a few more plans to shoot some things within the F1 world and heading to Ireland for the Open this summer,” says Ross.

Long after the final whistle fades; the crowds clear and the flood lights dim, Ross’s photos will continue to preserve the raw emotion of sport, forever carrying the heartbeat of every struggle or victory no matter how small they may seem.