The USA Women's Olympic Water Polo team has made the Los Alamitos Military Base their headquarters for their Tokyo Olympic Games training in recent months.
Team co-captains Ashleigh Johnson and Maggie Steffens have been leading the team's preparation with inspired play and leadership during a difficult time of pandemic uncertainty.
Women's apparel brand Jolyn is launching a swim suit line with Maggie & Ashley, and invited photographer JR deSouza of Outex to help photograph the players and their new swim suits underwater.
As you can imagine, there wasn't too much time for the photoshoot, given the arduous training schedule and hectic calendars of the busy athletes. But it was fun to get int he water with the players, and capture some of their personalities and skillsets in their "natural environment"
JR has had experience photographing the Men's Olympic Water Polo team right before the pandemic at their training facility in Torrance last year, and it's nice to pick up the camera and come into contact with athletes again as the games are "within sight". JR was himself a '92 Olympic swimming finalist in Barcelone, and these projects are just as personal as they are professional.
