-
Charlotte GibsonESPN
Glam Squad
When it comes to Body shoots, every hair has to be in place-and we’re talking every single hair. The person who’s been keeping everything in check for the past five years? Makeup artist and groomer extraordinaire Erin Svalstad.
How many athletes have you groomed and glammed up over the years?
25! My first athlete for Body was rugby player Todd Clever in 2015.
Who’d you work with this year?
I worked with Liz Cambage, Katelyn Ohashi, Scout Bassett, Lakey Peterson, Michael Thomas, James Hinchcliffe and Christian Yelich.
What does your job entail on set?
I start every shoot by saying to the athlete, “We are going to be best friends.” I will do the hair, the makeup. I will shave them. I will put oil and lotion on them. I will be there with a towel to cover them up when they are done. I am going to make them feel as comfortable as possible.
Let’s be real, what’s it like to “groom” some of the most elite athletes?
Let me get candid: I’ve only had to get really up close and personal with one athlete over the years. I had to shave everything!
What’s the most common item you bring to Body photo shoots?
Probably my bags of oils and dirt.
A bag of oils and … a bag of dirt?
Yep! You never know what type of vision the photographer is going to have. Some like the athletes dripping in baby oil. Some just want some dirt.
What’s the most memorable moment from working on Body shoots?
Working with Scout Bassett. She is the most inspiring human being I’ve ever met. She left a mark on my heart. That was a really inspiring day.
Meet the Body Issue Writers
Sam Miller on Christian Yelich
“You could hit a home run and not know why,” Christian Yelich said. At first, it sounded like a shrug, but I soon realized it was my story’s thesis statement.
Tim Keown on Scout Bassett
Whenever I’m tempted to type “courage” to describe an athlete, I’ll think of Scout Bassett and her unbelievable story-and then choose another word.
Ryan McGee on James Hinchcliffe
I’ve covered motorsports for 25 years, but the racers still manage to surprise me. Add James Hinchcliffe’s honesty about his injuries to that list.
Ramona Shelburne on Liz Cambage
Watching Liz Cambage juggle her All-Star commitments, I thought of another star I followed at the height of her fame: Ronda Rousey.
Seth Wickersham on Alex Honnold
What drove Alex Honnold to free solo El Capitan? His feats are so perilous and insane that he leaves that open to interpretation.
Martenzie Johnson on Evander Kane
Evander Kane represents a history of black players stepping up and speaking out. He embodies a spirit of wanting to live in his own skin.
Wright Thompson on Katrin Davidsdottir
For a week in Reykjavik, I treated the hotel bistro like my living room, interviewing subjects there and soaking up the Icelandic culture.
Meet the Body Issue Photographers
What do you get when you pair 21 star athletes with 17 world-class photographers? Body Issue magic.
Peggy Sirota on Myles Garrett
Shooting in the middle of the desert in Joshua Tree, California, in June was no joke. It felt like 200 degrees that day. But Myles stood there with a smile on his face, doing whatever it took to get the golden shot.
Dana Scruggs on Katelyn Ohashi
Shooting for the Body Issue a second year in a row, I got the opportunity to push my work further than I ever have, conceptually. Katelyn’s expressive fearlessness made the images stronger than I even imagined.
Mark Williams + Sara Hirakawa on James Hinchcliffe
On Body shoots, privacy is always a concern. At the Indy Speedway, we tried our best to shield James from unwanted eyes-especially when the museum’s tour buses came through!
Marcus Eriksson on Evander Kane
Turns out that buckets of heavy synthetic ice plus two assistants in one small, old elevator up to the shoot location … don’t mix. Thankfully, everyone was safe, but rattled, after the elevator got stuck.
Rob Daly on Brooks Koepka
Mother Nature can always present challenges, especially in Florida. Most of shoot day was overcast. But at one point on the golf course, the clouds parted, and it was like the heavens opened up for the perfect shot.
Sophy Holland on Liz Cambage
Before the shoot, I sat down with Liz and went over the mood board to give her a sense of what to expect. Within seconds, she had screamed in excitement. I nearly went deaf, but I loved her immediately and got to work.
Ramona Rosales on Nancy Lieberman
It’s always wonderful to work with strong women, and Nancy was no exception. The majority of the shoot had to be photographed in darkness because of the lighting effects at play. Nancy quickly adapted to all the elements. Joe Pugliese on Christian Yelich When shooting Yelich, I wanted to play with the idea of dreams. Shooting in a nondescript space, we were able to play with the idea that in a dream, we can fly, we can be in water, we can go to an alternate space.
Peter Hapak on Michael Thomas
There’s no denying Michael’s strength and commitment at everything he does. At the shoot, he gave me his all. He was running, pushing heavy equipment on the rooftop, training tirelessly, just to get the shot!
Andrew Hetherington on the Eagles’ offensive line
When my crew and I arrived to the shoot, we all sported matching Hawaiian shirts with Eagles logos all over them-you know, to get in the spirit. Quickly after, I admitted to the players that I was a Giants fan.
Richard Phibbs on Scout Bassett
Over the course of my career, this shoot will stand out as one of the most inspiring and memorable. Although small in stature, Scout’s life force is huge. She is brave and full of courage, and that was evident in every single shot.
Gary Land on Chris Paul
The vision for this shoot came down to three words: masculine, modern, heroic. My mind immediately jumped to a futuristic space, utilizing LED tubes and hoops to create the illusion. CP3 was game for it all.
Heather Hazzan on Kelley O’Hara
The entire shoot was powered by Kelley’s positive, vivacious energy. It was her brilliant idea to shotgun a cold beer for the last shot of the day, inspired by her post-World Cup celebrations. What’s better than that?
Sarah Lee on Lakey Peterson
I felt pretty bad as I was putting on my thick wetsuit, just when Lakey was taking off all her clothes before plunging into the 50-degree water. The shoot was all about mind over matter that day.
Cory Richards on Alex Honnold
I first shot Alex over a decade ago. Shooting him this year, I was able to dive into his character on a new level. Plus, it’s not every day that you tell your friend to get naked and curl into a ball for the shot.
Marcus Smith on Amanda Nunes
Nerves are inevitable at a nude shoot. But when Amanda held her two title belts over her body, they acted as shields-shields that gave her extra confidence and power. The nerves settled, and she wowed us all.
Benedict Evans on Katrin Davidsdottir
The shoot in Iceland was a dream. Partly due to sleep deprivation but mainly because every shot fell into place-at least, it did after the grueling work that wen