Feel the Fight: Haringey Box Cup

Boxing: Haringey Box Cup
Written By Karen Yeomans

A few weeks ago, I photographed the legendary Haringey Box Cup, one of Europe’s largest and most respected amateur boxing tournaments. This year’s event brought together over 300 boxers from across the UK, Ireland, Albania, Norway, Sweden and beyond. It’s the kind of arena where emerging talent tests itself under pressure, and where boxing greats like Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, and Nicola Adams once made their mark before going on to conquer the world stage. I went with a very intentional lens. I wanted to feel into the atmosphere, not just observe it. My approach was to embrace the imperfect, the unfiltered, and the real. I sought out the raw energy, relationships and dedication that lives between the ropes, the sweat, the stillness and the sparks before a storm. I wanted to make images that don’t just show what happened but pull you into the space. The nerves, the triumph the disappointment, the camaraderie and the rhythm. To place you ringside, as if you were right there too!

Perfectly Imperfect: Why Human Photography Still Wins

It’s been a wild ride since I first stepped into a darkroom in the late '90s, patiently lining up to claim an enlarger before sunrise to get my degree project finished. That moment, the anticipation, the alchemy of it all is etched into my DNA as a photographer. Fast forward to 2025, and while the tools have evolved dramatically, the core truth hasn’t: people connect with people. Back then, the biggest debate was digital vs analogue. I was assisting commercial advertising photographers in the early 2000s who were terrified that digital photography would wipe out decades of honed craft. That fear feels almost faint now. Today, we're facing a new and very real challenge: AI-generated imagery that's being scraped, spliced, and sold back to us under the illusion of "creative efficiency." And while that might be tempting to brands under pressure to produce more for less at breakneck speed, it comes at a cost: authenticity, emotional connection, and meaning.

it’s a Point of View

After over two decades refining my technical skill, perfecting colour, retouching, tweaking pixels, I now find myself moving in the opposite direction. I’m actively chasing imperfection. I want to feel the chaos, the unpredictability, the human touch. I’m seeking something raw, something real. Think slow shutter. Think distortion. Think visual poetry that’s unafraid to trip over its own feet. This is more than just a visual style. It’s a rebellion, a counterpoint to the flat, frictionless aesthetics of AI. Because the best photographs don’t just “look good.” They make you feel something real.

Photographing the Soul of Sport

Working in sports photography has sharpened my sense of timing, instinct, and empathy. You’re not just capturing action, you’re capturing pressure, vulnerability, triumph, and defeat. These are deeply human stories. You can’t scrape them from an image bank. One of my current projects with GB boxer Vivian Parson. Each time we collaborate, I challenge my own perfectionist habits. I experiment with techniques that reject predictability, imperfect perspectives, obscured views, layered emotion. I work fast, loose, and present. I want to feel the movement as it unfolds and let go of overreaching technical control. It’s about making space for the accidental, the atmospheric, the energy that flows when you trust the moment. That kind of truth? You can’t fake it. And AI can’t replicate it… unless, of course, it ends up scraping the work later.

What Clients Need to Hear

Yes, AI tools are evolving. Yes, they can help in practical ways, speeding up workflows, generating mock-ups, even filling gaps. But when it comes to final visuals that connect, you need heart. You need story. You need a person behind the lens who understands your vision and brings their own depth to the table. Brands, publishers, and wellbeing businesses increasingly tell me they’re hitting a wall. Campaigns look great on paper (or pixels) but don’t feel like anything. And that’s the missing link: human intuition, lived experience and emotional truth. Real life is imperfect and when you commission a photographer, you're not just hiring someone to press a shutter. You’re collaborating with someone who sees the nuance, who knows how to draw it out, and who brings an energy that AI can’t fake.

A Future That Values Humanity

There’s no going back to pre-digital or pre-AI eras, nor should there be. I’m not anti-tech, I’m pro-human. We need to find ethical, sustainable ways to work alongside AI without sacrificing the value of original creative voices. Whether we succeed depends on the integrity of our platforms, our commissioners, and our cultural values. Will we choose quick content, or content that genuinely connects? At the end of the day, photography isn’t just an output, it’s a conversation. It’s me, seeing you. And in a world saturated with synthetic visuals, that’s a real connection and one that I hope will always cut through.

Karen Yeomans

Award-winning photographer Karen Yeomans captures the power, movement, and emotion of sport with dynamic energy. Based in London, she collaborates with brands, agencies, and businesses to create striking visuals that inspire and engage. Karen has worked with Nike, Red Bull, GB Boxing, and the ECB, delivering impactful campaign imagery. She also helps fitness, lifestyle, and yoga brands bring their vision to life through compelling photography that expresses their passion, teachings, and products.

Whether it’s for branding, campaigns, or a creative project, I’m here to bring your ideas to life. Let’s make it happen. Get in touch to book a call.

https://www.karenyeomans.com
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