The CrossFit Open is the first phase of the annual CrossFit Games, lasting five weeks. Athletes in CrossFit affiliates worldwide get the opportunity to participate and test themselves in five weekly WODs ("WOD" = Workout Of the Day).

This year I was invited by CrossFit Wenatchee to document the Open for them. It has been a fantastic experience watching these athletes, from all walks of life and all skill levels, fight through extraordinary workouts and push past the limits they thought they had. I am so grateful that I've been given the opportunity to capture those moments.

As I've been editing the last four WODs, and looking forward to tomorrow's final WOD, I've been struck by two specific types of shots: Pain-Face, and The Aftermath.

Pain-Face is the athletes face reflecting the struggle the rest of their body is enduring. Getting that bar up. Squeezing in that last rep. Fighting through, when time seems to have stopped moving, but knowing that you won't. Pain-Face is not pretty, or especially flattering. But it is raw and intensely real and I love capturing it.

The Aftermath happens right after time is called and that last rep is recorded. It's when sweat angels are born and the brain hasn't quite caught up enough to ask what the hell the body has just done. It's when fellow athletes come to comfort, commiserate, and congratulate. The work is done. You made it to the other side. You're pretty sure you survived. Again, not pretty. Again raw, real, and I love capturing it.

I've been thinking, editing many of these particular shots, about how they might be perceived by their subjects. Maybe they'll be embarrassed. (Don't be!) Maybe they'll wonder if I'm making fun of them. (ABSOLUTELY NOT!)

I love these shots because they show an important part of what is so amazing about Crossfit. They are documentation of struggle and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. They give us a glimpse of what we are capable of, and the fight to achieve it. If I've done my job right, any other CrossFit athlete, anywhere in the world, will see a reflection of themselves in these photos. That connection is more than just shared suffering. It is shared growth. It is shared struggle. It is shared accomplishment. That connection is the heart and soul of CrossFit. Being able to evoke even a tiny bit of that magic through my photos is a fantastic experience and tremendous honor. It fires me up.

Shots of beautiful form and chiseled physiques are great and I love catching those as well, don't get me wrong. But for my money, Pain-Face and The Aftermath are where it's at. Sure, they're not pretty.

But they are beautiful.