Calum Chittleburgh

BA (Hons) Photography

Marginal Gains

Marginal Gains is a photo documentary capturing the Edinburgh Academical Football Club (Edinburgh Accies rugby team) for the 2023/24 season. Unlike your standard sports photography, Marginal Gains portrays the hidden side to the game. The photos captured through this project show the countless hours and commitment that athletes go through to perfect and hone their sport no matter the level they are competing at. It does not only show their achievements but their continued effort throughout the season in and around training. As the name implies, it is the hours, minutes and seconds outside those crowning moments that are often glossed over with sports. These photos represent the gains that can often be forgotten when that winning try or final effort to grasp victory is, or is not, achieved.

Calum hopes that this project will speak to anyone who has ever taken part in a sport they love and dedicated themselves to but also to anyone who is unaware of the tireless effort that athletes and players alike put in to achieving their best, in whichever sport they choose to be passionate about.