Level Up Your Sports Imaging: Olympic Lessons from Finn O’Hara’s Latest Campaign
Apr 14, 2026
Finn O’Hara: Capturing Olympic Inspiration with Masterful Imaging Precision
Finn O’Hara is no stranger to the high-pressure intersection of elite sports and commercial advertising. An award-winning Canadian and British photographer and director based in Toronto, Finn has built a career on an intimate, situational approach that brings a sense of curiosity and collaborative craft to every frame.
@finnohara, https://finnohara.com
From directing NBA Champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Converse to shooting campaigns for Adidas, Nike, and Coca-Cola, Finn’s work is characterized by its storytelling depth. His accolades speak for themselves: International Photography Awards (Sports Photographer of the Year), Communication Arts, a Gold Pencil, and a Silver Cannes Lion.
When Bell Canada commissioned Finn to lead a national campaign featuring Olympic athletes preparing for the Paris 2024 Games, the creative brief demanded a unique perspective. Specifically, the client requested that the athletes be photographed from a low angle. While many would settle for water-level shots, Finn’s background in scuba diving and his drive for innovation pushed him deeper.
“I proposed that I photograph the athlete, Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil, underwater to literally get a lower angle,” Finn explains. “Client loved the idea and off I went on a journey to figure out how to do it.”
The Challenge: High Speed and Real-Time Feedback
The logistical hurdles were significant. With only a four-hour window to capture multiple setups with an Olympic gold medalist, there was zero room for error. The shoot required a tethered workflow to allow the client and crew to see captures in real time on the pool deck.
To solve this, Finn turned to the Outex Waterproof Imaging System, using the Cover FT1 housing for his Canon R5 with mounted hot-shoe flash, and Outex's waterproof tethering system for real time communication with a capture station on the pool deck. The Canon R5, chosen for its incredible autofocus at high speeds, allowed the camera to be tethered to the DIT capture station using an Area51 Tetherco cable, while a Profoto A10 strobe inside the housing triggered an optical slave just above the waterline, simultaneously firing the Profoto B10 packs poolside to freeze Maggie’s motion.
“The problem solving was quite straightforward... we needed to be tethered from the camera underwater to the capture station on deck while firing multiple strobes. Discovering Outex was the solution.”
The Solution: Technical Set Up
To provide professional creators with a deeper look into the precision required for a national campaign, here is a technical breakdown of the synergy between Finn’s gear and the Outex system.
Technical Synergy: The Anatomy of a High-Stakes Shoot
Capturing a world-class athlete like Maggie Mac Neil at full Olympic velocity required a perfectly synchronized imaging ecosystem. Finn’s workflow relied on the seamless integration of high-speed autofocus, robust data transmission, and creative lighting—all maintained by the tactical flexibility of Outex.
The Camera: Canon R5
Chosen for its industry-leading Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, the R5 was essential for tracking a swimmer moving at high speed through a refractive medium like water. Its high-resolution sensor ensured that even the finest water droplets and muscle definitions were captured with commercial-grade clarity.
The Lens: Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM
This lens was a reliable, versatile workhorse for this shoot. The focal length range is wide enough for capturing the "hero" perspective of Maggie diving off the blocks and underwater closeups, while the mid range allowed for the scope and scale of the underwater environment while giving intimate, tight-crop close-ups of the athlete's focus without time-consuming gear changes. The f/2.8 aperture provided the shallow depth-of-field needed to make the athlete pop against the water, while its edge-to-edge sharpness ensured that the Outex optical glass ports could deliver every bit of detail the sensor was capable of recording.
The Housing: Outex Cover FT1
The Outex system provided both verstatilite and tactile advantages. Unlike traditional hard housings that add significant bulk and often limit access to specific dials, the Outex Covers travel light, and maintain a physical connection with the camera and lens. This ensures full, intuitive control over functions and settings, where you expect them to be, which is vital when timing shots around a swimmer's breathing and stroke cycles.
The Data Link: Area51 Tether Co. Cable
In a commercial environment, the "black box" of shooting without feedback isn't an option. By utilizing a high-speed Area51 tether cable, Finn bypassed the lag of wireless solutions. This allowed DIT Jeff Jamieson to monitor focus and exposure on the pool deck in real-time, giving the client immediate confidence in the captures and ensuring the four-hour window was used with maximum efficiency.
The Lighting: Profoto A10 & B10 Synergy
To freeze motion in a low-light aquatic environment, Finn utilized a clever "optical relay." A Profoto A10 was tucked inside the Outex housing, acting as the primary trigger. The A10 also provided fill light as well as providing the sync. Because the Outex system supports internal flashes and triggers without losing its seal, the A10 could fire an optical signal through the clear housing to an optical slave above the surface. This, in turn, triggered the Profoto B10 strobe packs poolside, bathing the scene in enough light to use high shutter speeds and stop Maggie’s motion instantly.
This setup represents the ultimate synergy of modern imaging: the power of a studio-grade strobe system and the speed of a mirrorless flagship, all made possible by a housing system that stays out of the creator's way and delivers unparalleled image quality results. This modularity allowed Finn to focus on the artistry of the "low angle" while the equipment handled the technical demands of a world-class commercial campaign.
Why Professionals Choose Outex
Finn’s choice of Outex highlights the specific competitive advantages that make this system a staple for professional content creators:
- Tactile Operational Control: Unlike bulky, heavy hard-shell housings that limit your camera make/model use and functions, Outex’s flexible design allows you to feel and operate every button and ring on your camera. You maintain the same intuitive workflow you have on dry land.
- Optical Excellence: Outex uses professional-grade optical glass lens ports rather than plastic/acrylic, ensuring your high-end glass performs at its peak without the distortion or "inferior" look. Glass is also much more scratch resistant. Because Outex cases add now weight to the gear, using the higher quality glass ports feels luxurious, at a fraction of the cost.
- Universal & Modular: The system is camera/technology-agnostic. The same Outex cover can operate film, dslr, mirrorless, or cinema cameras alike. Whether you're switching between a Canon R5, a Sony A1, Nikon Z9, Hasselblad medium format, or BlackMagic, Outex's flexible covers adapt accordingly. It's like a doctor operating with gloves, but the glove is on the camera itself. Its modular nature supports accessories like tripod mounts, triggers, tethering cables, external monitors, and more.
- Travel-Friendly & Affordable: Professionals like Finn work internationally. Outex is lightweight, adds virtually no bulk to your gear, and provides a professional-grade solution at a fraction of the cost and weight of traditional housings.
Join the Outex Community
Finn O’Hara’s success with the Bell Olympic campaign is a testament to what happens when creative vision meets the right tools. Outex isn’t just gear; it’s a community of problem-solvers, from surf cinematographers to high-fashion directors.
Ready to take your camera where it’s never gone before? Explore our Shop to find the right kit for your gear, or check out our Questions, News, or Blog pages to see how other pros are pushing the limits of imaging.
Explore the Outex System and join our global community of creators today.
References:
@realOutex: Waterproof Imaging System
@finnohara: https://finnohara.com
@jeffjamieson
@area51tetherco
