Boxing Meets Theatre: Actors Training With a Boxing Champion

Today I had the chance to photograph an open boxing training session held by one of Lithuania’s best-known boxers, Eimantas Stanionis, at the Lithuanian Sports University’s boxing gym. The event was dedicated to the actors of the National Kaunas Drama Theatre, as they prepare for a new season that demands not only emotional but also physical strength.

At first glance, acting and boxing might seem like worlds apart, but the truth is, both professions require incredible discipline, presence, and the ability to move with power and precision.
In collaboration with the Lithuanian Sports University (LSU), actors have been exposed to various sports practices, from swimming and judo to fencing, golf, and functional body preparation.

During this training, Eimantas Stanionis – a world and European boxing champion – led the session alongside LSU’s sports pro-rector and national boxing team coach, Vidas Bružas. It was a rare opportunity for the actors to learn from a true master of the ring. They practiced punching techniques, footwork, and learned how to use their bodies more effectively and confidently.

My Personal Experience as a Photography Intern

I’m currently doing my internship at a news portal, and I was accompanied by a well-known and experienced Lithuanian photographer Modestas Patašius – a true veteran of the scene - to photograph this event. Honestly, I was a bit nervous about how much he might intervene in my shooting process, but to my surprise, he didn’t interfere much at all. He gave me just a few tips: to get closer to people and to remember that it’s okay to focus only on the key people in a story. Apart from that, he mainly observed and let me do my thing. That gave me a sense of freedom, though also a feeling of responsibility.

I’m still learning to trust my instincts and to capture the right moment, especially in challenging light. The gym was not brightly lit, and my shots often came out too dark or blurry if I didn’t get the focus or exposure right. Because of that, I spent a lot of time editing the RAW photos afterward. It took me much longer than what’s probably normal for a news portal, but I was lucky because there was no big rush with this story – I had time to sit down, learn, and polish the shots.

The Challenge of Speed and Precision

That’s one of the hardest parts of this internship for me: learning how to shoot good, clean photos quickly and deliver them fast. It’s a big shift from personal projects or creative photography, where you have endless time to refine everything. Here, it’s about capturing the moment quickly and still making sure it’s good enough to tell the story. I see so many of my own mistakes in every step of the process. But I’m trying to embrace that. I know that the more mistakes I see and accept, the faster I’ll learn. So I’m going into these assignments not to avoid mistakes, but to find them and use them as a map for growth.

This particular event was both thrilling and terrifying for me. I kept asking myself: why do I want to go into reportage, street or event photography at all? Why not just learn how to use lights in a studio and shoot neat portraits all day? But something deeper keeps pulling me in this direction – to capture real life as it unfolds, to feel the rush of not knowing exactly what will happen, and to find the courage to face that uncertainty.

People often say you should go where you’re most afraid to go, and do the things you’re most scared of. That’s exactly what this internship is for me: a challenge to confront my fears, push through the anxiety, and discover the satisfaction of doing what I once thought was too hard. I’m learning to stop hesitating and to just go for it – even if my heart is racing, even if my stomach turns from the stress. Because the reward is real: with every photo I take, I see a little more of what I’m capable of, and how far I can go.

I’m sharing some of my favorite shots from that day below. They’re not perfect – far from it – but they show my progress.
Thanks for reading!

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