Photographer Romain Mayambi faucets into his roots whereas capturing athletes in unconventional areas

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An ongoing sequence of photograph essays by Black photographers that spotlight Black excellence in sport.

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Cincinnati-based photographer Romain Mayambi’s ongoing sequence “Athletes in Unconventional Spaces” was impressed by a baseball subject.

“I remember coming across this beautiful baseball field where the dirt looked absolutely perfect, and I thought to myself, ‘I need to shoot something fun here,’” Mayambi mentioned.

He determined to {photograph} jiu-jitsu fighters on the sphere, pondering it will be a one-off shoot. However, the ensuing pictures turned the inspiration for Mayambi’s sequence, which continued with visuals of different sports activities.

“The concept has always been about placing athletes in spaces where you wouldn’t expect to see them while still creating images that feel authentic and connected to both the sport and the location,” he mentioned. “I want people to look at these photographs and pause for a second to see sports in a completely different way.”

The concept of taking pictures of FC Cincinnati gamers in Cincinnati Music Hall, one of many metropolis’s oldest and most iconic buildings, was way more private, he mentioned. Mayambi, who’s initially from the Democratic Republic of Congo, grew up taking part in soccer.

“I wanted to create something that honored the sport while finding a location that felt just as beautiful and meaningful. … I wanted to create something unconventional within such a historic space,” he mentioned. “It felt like the perfect way to celebrate both the game and a piece of Cincinnati’s history.”

Mayambi spoke to Andscape concerning the inspiration behind the soccer pictures in his pictures sequence, the inventive selections he made whereas capturing and what he hopes viewers take away from the images.

This interview has been edited for size and readability.

Who are these three athletes?

All three athletes play for FC Cincinnati: Miles Robinson, Kenji Mboma Dem and Ayoub Jabbari. Robinson additionally earned a spot on the U.S. males’s nationwide crew’s World Cup roster, which makes having him concerned much more particular.

Why this theater?

I’ve at all times believed sports activities are extremely inventive. Watching athletes carry out on the highest degree appears like poetry in movement. Music Hall has that very same magnificence and rhythm, so pairing soccer with that house simply made sense to me. I at all times attempt to match every sport with a location that enhances it in an sudden manner whereas nonetheless feeling pure.

Why the completely different ball varieties?

Growing up in Africa, we didn’t at all times have entry to an actual soccer ball, so we made our personal utilizing plastic baggage and string. Those do-it-yourself balls allowed us to play each day no matter what we had. I recreated one particularly for this shoot as a tribute to my childhood and my roots. That element made this mission particularly significant to me.

What would you like individuals to remove from this sequence?

More than something, I would like individuals to reconnect with that feeling of childhood, when the world felt vibrant and creativeness got here naturally. The sequence is about not letting preconceived notions dictate the place you belong. It’s about breaking limitations, embracing curiosity, and inserting your self in areas the place individuals may say you don’t belong.

What does it imply to have fun these distinctive Black athletes on this manner?

It means lots to me. Throughout the shoot, you can genuinely see the enjoyment on their faces. It wasn’t simply one other coaching session; it gave them an opportunity to play, discover, and reconnect with that childlike sense of surprise. Seeing that real pleasure made the mission much more rewarding.

Romain Mayambi is a Congolese-American photographer primarily based in Cincinnati. His work explores the intersection of trend, id and cultural storytelling, utilizing pictures as a software to have fun presence, belonging and human connection. Born within the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised between cultures, he brings a worldwide perspective to his lens — one rooted in empathy, curiosity and visible honesty.