• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workout
      • Best Bodybuilding Supplements
      • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
      • Best Creatine
      • Best BCAAs
      • Best Multivitamin for Men
      • Best Collagen Supplement
      • Best Probiotic
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout
      • Best Magnesium Supplements
      • Athletic Greens AG1 Review
    • Protein
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Protein Powders for Muscle Gain
      • Best Mass Gainer
      • Best Protein Shakes
      • Best Organic Protein Powder
      • Best Pea Protein Powder
      • Best Protein Bars
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Functional Trainers
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Trap Bars
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Cardio Machines
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Weighted Vests
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

Capturing Life on the Mat – Doug Kline (Featured Photographer)

For Doug Kline, photography started as a hobby and developed into a passion for capturing grapplers' stories.

Mindith Rahmat

Written by Mindith Rahmat Last updated on June 16, 2014

Sometimes in life you know what exactly path you’re on and can plan for every step of the way. Other times, life throws us unexpected surprises that grow organically and develop into more than we could have imagined. For Doug Kline, photography falls into that second category.

Photography began as a past time and a way to capture some of Doug’s son’s wrestling matches. From there, he started taking photos at jiu jitsu meets, and it all grew from there, as he explained:

It started out with me taking pics of my friends and teammates. Then other competitors saw my work and started to request me to cover their matches as well. One of my team mates would post pictures on Facebook and give me photo credit as “D Kline Design.” It had a nice ring to it, so it became my new identity. It got to a point that I had no choice but to start up my own website where competitors could go to view and purchase images of them competing.

What began as a hobby developed into a passion for shooting grappling. For Doug, photographing grapplers is a means of telling a story, not simply capturing movements. As he explained, one of Doug’s favorite stories to capture is the moment of victory or defeat.

I love to capture that raw emotion of the competitor at the end of their fight whether it be an exciting win or a devastating loss. I captured a particular moment at a tournament that explains this to a tee. It was a close back-and-forth fight, and the fighter who was losing managed an incredible “come from behind” victory. As the referee raised the hand of the winner, you saw the joy in one man’s face and the agony in the opponent’s face.

Doug noted that the most difficult aspects of action photography are lighting and timing. “There are no ‘do-overs’ in action sports,” noted Doug. “If you miss that shot, it’s gone forever.” To address this challenge, Doug gets into the action himself, which is his favorite part of shooting meets. “My favorite part is being down on the floor, just a few feet from the action. Other than the referee, you literally have the best seat in the house.”

But in the end, the joy of photography all boils down to creating a memory for athletes to remember, as Doug described:

I absolutely love showing an image on the back of my camera to a competitor who just walked off the mat and seeing their response to an epic shot. To be able to capture a key point in someone’s life and provide an image that will last a life time is pretty damn cool, if you ask me.

Photos courtesy of D-Kline Design Photography:

To see more photos, visit D-Kline Design Photography.

Mindith Rahmat

About Mindith Rahmat

Mindith is a born mover. She has spent her life exploring various athletic disciplines, starting with ballet and modern dance from an early age. She went on to become a E-RYT 500 certified yoga therapist and teacher and discovered CrossFit after the birth of her daughter.

Mindith coached CrossFit at a number of boxes near her home in Southern California, which lead to her involvement in Russian kettlebells and Olympic weightlifting. She has coached a wide variety of populations and cares deeply for women’s health, specializing in pregnancy and postpartum fitness. She is currently studying the principles of Natural Movement and Kettlebell Sport, and is working to complete an additional teacher training in the Taoist art of Yin Yoga with Master Paulie Zink.

Mindith founded Breaking Muscle in 2011. Over 5 million people a month have visited the site, hundreds of thousands of them follow Breaking Muscle on social media, nearly 2,000 coaches have written or appeared on its pages, and there are thousands of free, fully-formed training plans freely available. Breaking Muscle has won numerous awards in the industry and is recognized for pioneering new approaches to fitness and coaching techniques. In 2021, Breaking Muscle was acquired by Barbend. Mindith continues to devote time to her kids, pursue her doctorate in psychology, do research, and teach.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

CrossFit and Rowing: Blaxberg, Featured Photographer
ncaaff080407-1989
Capturing Movement Mid-flight: Jeff Huehn (Featured Photographer)
Fitness Is Beautiful: Paul Anthony Smith (Featured Photographer)
Telling the Athlete’s Story – Jorge Huerta Photography (Featured Photographer)

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Australian Strongman Smashes World Record by Pulling 44,753-Pound Crane

Regan Grimes Kicks Off 2023 Mr. Olympia Prep With Grueling Back and Biceps Workout

Best Massage Guns for Runners, Back Pain, Under $100, and More (2023)

CrossFit Games Athletes, Powerlifting Champion Among Big Names to Join Gladiator TV Series Reboot 

Latest Reviews

Best Functional Trainers of 2023 for Small Spaces, With Smith Machines, and More

Pure Protein, Jacked Factory, and RXBAR protein bars on a red background

Best Protein Bars for Weight Loss, Muscle Gain, and More (2023)

Best Magnesium Supplements of 2023 for Better Sleep, Leg Cramps, and More

Best Budget Barbells of 2023 for CrossFit, Powerlifting, and More

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About