One Extraordinary Photo: France's Kylian Mbappe stands alone

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Petr Josek, is an AP photojournalist in Prague, the Czech Republic. He is an award-winning photographer who has covered World Cup tournaments and Olympic Games dating back to 2006.

Why this photo?

I took this photo from a catwalk position which gives you an unique angle from the highest possible position, I set up on the opposite side of the benches because we have another photographer on a slightly lower position. This position also allowed me to shoot against the light and use nice long shadows as the game progressed.

How I made this photo

Shooting from a catwalk is a little tricky, especially with the 400mm lens because i can't use a monopod. I had to find a place between the stadiums lights on the catwalk. But it worked out for me.

Why this photo works

A lot of attention has been paid to the great goal scorers in this tournament and Kylian Mbappe is one of the newsmakers who has taken center stage with his outstanding performances. Even though in this picture he is reacting to missing a chance to score, it captures him in his own spotlight. The pose he struck was just perfect, the motion of his body and the position on the field — capturing him alone in the space — and the added fact that the frame fits his full shadow makes this photo work quite well.