An AP photographer cleanly captures the passion of two skaters in a frozen moment

TOKYO, Japan (AP) — Photographer Hiro Komae got his start at The Associated as a photo editor in New York, the news collective's headquarters. He is currently a photo editor and photographer based in Tokyo where he covers news, sports and everyday life.

Here is what he had to say about this extraordinary photo.

Why this photo?

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States are the No. 1 ranked ice dance skate team this season. They have gotten attention in this Grand Prix series in Tokyo due to their second place finish in Skate America, another high level figure skating competition that took place just over three weeks ago in Texas.

After witnessing their performance in the rhythm dance the day earlier at the Tokyo competition and their consequent result, I wanted to make sure I got a good number of decent action photos Saturday, as well as their reaction shots, in case they indeed ended up with winning the ice dance competition.

How I made this photo

Generally, like many other photographers, I like to make clean shots, meaning the backgrounds are not distracting, in sports assignments. Figure skating photos are no exception. To get it, I would position myself at an elevated area to get more chance of having the milky-colored ice rink as the backdrop. That would be the background seen behind the skaters. Also, I didn't want to get too close to my subjects - shooting right from rinkside because it's a duo subject, not a single-person performance. If I get too close to the subject with a 400-mm focal length lens I was using, I would miss lots of chances with the two skaters together in the frame.

I could have used a wider angle lens and shot from rinkside, but then I would have had more photos with a bit busier background, which would make subjects merge into it, not stand out. So, I kept using the 400-mm lens, commited and challenged myself to make much tighter frames, also utilizing a narrower depth of field - photographers know focusing on the subject closer to the camera helps make the background more out of focus, or fuzzier, which helps the subject stand out more.

There were also two positions prepared for media photographers at the venue for a higher perspective. One area, which I chose, was designated only for photographers using cameras with the silent shooting mode because it is right next to audience members. Using a mirrorless camera with the silent shooting mode also contributed to me to get the photo with this particular angle. If I picked the other elevated area, I wouldn't have this photo as the ice dance duo would have been performing this moment way too far from where I would have been.

Why this photo works

Aside from my intention of the clean background, which makes the duo skaters stand out well, it also makes Chock's movement look like she's jumping into the chest of Bates, a possibly lovely image of one jumping into another to hug. They were actually spinning when I shot them. Her legs were flying outwards because of the centrifugal force made from the fast speed of their spinning.

But maybe because of such a strong force, Chock really needed to hang onto Bates, causing her to hold on to him so tight, which also showed us their intense performance. The proximity of the two, the hug, shows their intimate relationship (in this performance), as if they were about to kiss, while skating to "Round Midnight," a jazz composition by Miles Davis.

That frozen, beautiful moment, captures their passionate feelings and kinetic forces that we don't see at regular speed but somehow cognitively felt.