George Foreman is an Olympic Gold medalist, a two-time heavyweight boxing champion, a grill selling machine, a minister and one heck of nice guy. I am especially thankful for that last one. I was assigned to photograph Big George for a large publication. My assistant and I arrived at his youth center in Houston hours before our appointed time to setup and test lights before Foreman arrived.
The gym was...well, a gym. There was equipment everywhere and ugly light (see video below) so I decided to make that all disappear through the magic of lighting. It was a simple three light setup. The test shots went fine. George steps in and Murphy's Law takes over.
After about a dozen exposures, we blew a circuit breaker. Note to self...always check where the breaker box is before the shoot starts. It was outside around the corner. George waited patiently as it was reset and we began again - and blew the breakers a few more times. George continued to be patient and gracious. 109 exposures later, including a flurry of available light at the end, we were finished.
What came next was a real treat. George sat down with the writer and gave the most amazing interview I have ever heard from an athlete. He was brutally honest about himself and his competitors. At one point, when asked if Mohammed Ali was the greatest boxer of all time his quick response was, "Oh, no! That was Joe Lewis...But, the greatest man I have ever known is Mohammed."
Here is quick look at a quick portrait session with the Champ.
A minute with the Champ. from Dave Einsel on Vimeo.
Photography © Dave Einsel
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