Speaking to the Australian Photographer Behind That Smiling Usain Bolt Meme

This now iconic photo of Jamaica's superstar sprinter Usain Bolt smiling for the cameras as he leaves his competitors in the dust is perhaps the defining meme of the Rio Olympic Games. For the Australian sports photographer who was lucky and skillful enough to take the shot, it's also a career defining moment. Speaking to The Creators Project, Getty Images' Cameron Spencer explains how he's been chasing Bolt around the world, trying to capture the essence of the world's fastest man.

"I've never met him personally, but I have been following him for a few years—including the past Olympics in London—and have done a lot of running around trying to chase him. He is just great to photograph too. He is the fastest man in the world, and he does it all with a smile on his face, enjoying what he is doing," he tells us.

Recounting the moment when he took the shot, Spencer explains how,  as he tracked the athlete with his camera, he made the split second realisation that Bolt was looking his way. "I kind of knew at the 70 metre mark he was going to probably be ahead of the rest—but in a 9.5 second race you never know," Spencer says.

"It wasn't until I looked at the back of my camera — firstly hoping that something was sharp and that I'd captured it — that I realised he's almost looking straight at me and he had the big grin and the eyes. Once I saw that, I knew that it was special."

Elated at what he knew would become an iconic photograph, after capturing the photo Spencer ran the victory lap with Bolt. "It was really about finding the balancing act between interaction and also being a fly on the wall, letting him run around — and you also have to avoid tripping over everything around the stadium because you're also running backwards in front of him," he says of the experience.

So how does it feel to have your image go viral and be turned into a meme that's been shared by the likes of Ellen Degeneres? "It’s surreal," Spencer says.

"Everyone loves Bolt. He’s a superstar. It’s his character—the fact that he’s about to run the race of a lifetime and is there posing for the camera. That makes him unique, and that’s what’s captured in this photo. With the photo of him the other night, it all came together for me and I captured a special moment that resonated with so many people around the world. The most amazing feeling is that I have heard he’s seen it and likes it."

You can follow Cameron Spencer on Instagram.

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