In every sport, the art of capturing the perfect image of triumphs, struggles and seemingly impossible feats requires an equal level of prowess. “The photographers train almost as hard as the athletes,” said the educator and author Gail Buckland. “They are really good at what they do. There isn’t much luck involved.”  Ms. Buckland’s latest book, “Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present,” showcases the work of more than 160 sports photographers, among them Walter Iooss Jr., John Zimmerman, Al Bello, Andrew D. Bernstein, Simon Bruty, Tim Clayton and David Burnett. It is a companion to the exhibition she has curated, which opens at Brooklyn Museum on Friday and runs through January 8. The exhibition and book also spotlight some previously unsung photographers as prominently as the athletes they document.  “Many of our memories of sports are encapsulated in a still image, and no one masters the moment like the still photographer,” said Ms. Buckland. “Whether you’re a spectator or a player, sports is about being in the moment, about being totally present in the moment.”  Ms. Buckland herself is not a sports fan, yet she was dazzled by the aesthetics of athletics. “I realized how many sports photographs have that epic quality, like historical paintings,” she said, likening the poses rendered in some photos to Renaissance art. “Young men, their bodies in motion, come together to challenge their strength.”  Over four-and-a-half years, she compiled photographs of sports from around the world and through the ages: wrestlers in Africa and handball players in New York City; scrumming rugby players and leaping base jumpers; Olympic swimmers and 19th-Century tennis players; footballers and luchadores and everything in between. A collection of this size and scope is a rarity, she explained. Although sports have always been revered — even today, many newspaper readers flip first to the sports pages — its imagery has been overlooked.  “The problem with sports photography is that it ended up in the recycling bin by the end of the week,” she said. “It hasn’t been given that kind of lasting value that other aspects of photography have been given.”  Brad Mangin, a photographer who was featured in the book, ruminated in an interview on the power of the still image, even when stacked against today’s constant game coverage on television. He references one of the most enduring sports photographs ever: Neil Leifer’s full-color shot of a triumphant Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston. That knockout was captured on motion-picture film, but Mr. Mangin said that medium still cannot do justice to the historic moment.  “When you watch the grainy black-and-white picture of the fight, it’s this crazy fast thing that happens that you can barely even see,” Mr. Mangin said. “You can hardly tell what Ali looks like. But that still photograph freezes that moment in time forever. It’s amazing. You look at that picture and Ali is still young and vibrant and at the height of his game.”  Sports photographers have always understood the artistry inherent in their craft, though others in photojournalism might not give sports photography its due. Ms. Buckland hopes to change that.  “There’s an enormous amount of beauty in these pictures,” she said. “I also think that they help define some of the reason we love sports, and I’ll include myself. They show what the human body can achieve.”  Follow @nytimesphoto on Twitter. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram.
An ambitious new exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum showcases the work of sports photographers whose visual skills rival the fleeting moments of athletic prowess they document.