At the opening of the Olympics, zoom on the outfits

TOKYO (AP) – The opening ceremonies of the Olympics usually focus on getting big. They love to use grandeur, pomp and great visuals – fireworks, acrobatics, athletes marching en masse, the most impactful choreography from a distance or on television.

But when the athletes paraded Friday night for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, Associated Press photojournalist Petr David Josek decided to look at it a little differently this time around.

When the athletes marched, he used his 400mm lens, which is a very long lens. He has become small. Zoom in. Frozen the moment. Pay attention to the little things.

What emerged was a delightful sea of ​​detail – a mosaic of cultures, fashions and traditions.

According to Josek, from the Czech Republic: “At every Olympic Games there is a lot of talk about uniforms, and it seems that some countries are really trying to stand out at the ceremony. Either they bring in famous designers, or they just come up with cool tips to make their uniforms special. There was a lot of controversy over Czech uniforms at home. So I was interested to see what other countries would bring.

His camera found, among other things: Bhutan boots striped with a multicolored gumball-shaped pattern. Detailed lime green embroidery on a Cameroonian shirt. Hints of creamy yellow and royal blue in Malaysian pants. The shiny black stripes of a Colombian hat.

The images that Josek made reveal the personalities of athletes and cultures. They bring out textures and colors. And they show, in close-up, exactly what the organizers of the Olympics say they want to highlight: the good and interesting things that happen when the world’s athletes come together.