Ghasem Farsi, Olympic Photographer

This article is courtesy of Iran International magazine

Achievement is an understatement for describing the invaluable contribution of Ghasem Farsi to the sports photography of Iran. He is an outstanding person who has put a life-long endeavor into capturing the sporting moments of our nation.

He has served the sports community, athletes, champions and fans.

It was not fair to fill this interview with typical questions. As a result, we avoided a Q&A session. Listening to Ghasem Farsi was rewarding enough.

There is no doubt that the skill of photography in Farsi's work is enriched with intelligence; a 'vision' to capture the subject, a 'patience' before pressing the shutter.
Majoring in physical education, he has spent 30 years relaying his knowledge to future athletes of Iran

Farsi has developed a passion for photography as well as a taste for sports. This fact is supported by several of his pictures. It seems that all along, Farsi was aware that certain moments don't repeat themselves. Consequently, he combined his patience with speed. He used the speed when Gholam-Reza Takhti stood on the platform as the world champion, victorious over Peter Blair (U.S.A) and Boris Kulayev (Soviet Union). He used his patience until Mahmoud Namjou turned 40 and stood on the Olympic platform to shake hands with athletes the age of his son: Charles Vinci (U.S.A.) and Vladirnir Stogov (Soviet Union). Here is Ghasern Farsi, in his own words:

As a schoolboy, I was filled with joy every time I looked at sports photographs. I bought a cheap camera and started taking sports photographs. I wasn't interested in spending time in laboratories developing the photos.

My technical and sports perspective was soon heeded by the press. I loved to receive public encouragement every time my photos were printed. Films, cameras and moments are precious to me. I don't take too many photographs. I only press the shutter for my targeted moment.

I have covered seven Olympic games: Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Seoul 1988 and Atlanta 1996.

I have been greatly supported by two people: My wife Mehri who cared for the family in my absence, and Abolqasem Mayel-Afshar who helped me find out about the progress in photography.

In addition to his well-deserved reputation as a renowned sports photographer, Farsi is known for his intelligence, punctuality, sharp mind and hard work. Many have tried to reach his standards by using high-tech equipment, but to no avail.

Seven Olympic appearances make Ghasem Farsi a pictorial historian of Iran's sports photography. His work has been endorsed and recognized by heads of the International Olympic Committee and the National Iranian Olympic Committee.