Maria Paulino, assistant to the CIO in Admin and Network Services at SVA, recently won top honors in the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWWA) photo contest. A first time entrant, she took first place in the Feature Photo category and will be honored at the 91st Annual BWWA Awards Dinner on Friday, June 24 at the Copacabana in New York City. We caught up with Paulino to find out more about her experiences as a boxing photographer, how she captured her award winning shot and more.

Congratulations on your first place win in the BWAA photo contest! How does it feel?

Thank you! It's so surreal! What an amazing honor to even be in the same category as the top sports photographers in the world. Floyd Mayweather is also getting an award that night for boxer of the year—that really blows my mind. The plan is to keep my composure as best as possible and not throw up on my way to the stage. However, I'm not very optimistic.

Your award winning photograph of super lightweights Mikkel LesPierre and Evinci Dixon (above) is stunning. Was that a candid shot? Can you speak more to what that moment was like through your viewfinder?

The shot was taken during the fight. It looks like it was posed, but it's actually a moment that happened in a split second. Those are my favorite types of shots because it's two athletes locked in, anticipating the other's next move while planning their own. Those images are a visual confirmation that for those two athletes in the ring, no one else exists. Even with thousands of cheering, screaming spectators in attendance. I love the intimate beauty of it.

How long have you been photographing boxing, and what inspired you to start?

This is my third year shooting. I've been a fan my entire life. My parents always had the fights on in the house; boxing and baseball were staples growing up. Because of my love for the sport, I was studying to get my Cutman certification from the New York State Athletic Commission. In February of 2013, I had ringside tickets to a fight that were given to me at the last minute. I borrowed a camera and lens from the Digital Imaging Center, just for the heck of it. That night, I knew that's where I wanted to be going forward. One of the images I took that night (below) is definitely one of my strongest pieces and my favorite, for sentimental reasons. It's also the one I entered into the first SVA staff show.

Features

SVA staff member to receive award June 24th