GWANGJU, South Korea – USA Swimming photographer Mike Lewis is poolside at the 18^th FINA World Championships. One of the top swimming photographers around, Lewis shares with us some of his favorite photos from the meet, and talks about what makes them so special.

Here are his selections from days 3-5.

The Look  

"When the swimmers exit the pool, they walk past several international broadcasters shinning bright studio lights on the path as they make their way 'off stage.’ It’s during these moments we sometimes get a glimpse into the way in which they process their performances. Here’s Mallory Comerford following the 100 freestyle prelims as she looks toward the scoreboard realizing she’s made her way into the evening’s semi-final."

Drops  

"I swim nearly every day, and one of the things I try to notice is the water around me. Sometimes, when I’m in truly in the moment, I see and feel the water around me. In this shot of Jacob Pebley in the prelims of the 200 backstroke, the camera grabbed focus on the drops around him as he headed home in the final 50. I dig the way it captures one of the moments that are a happening all the time."

Jump Shot

"If you watch Caeleb Dressel’s pre-race rituals, you know that a lot of times he throws in a power jump just prior to stepping up on the blocks. No matter how many times I see it, I’m blow away at the heights he reaches. It’s just one indicator of the explosiveness he brings to the ‘game’.'"

Shooting for the Background  

"I’d been waiting all week for one of our swimmers to start in lane 1 for one of the 50 finals. Once the swimmers have all walked out, the video display board shows the name of the race. Here’s Michael Andrew going through some of his final motions before stepping up on the blocks in the final of the 50 breaststroke."

"We all know the power and importance of getting up on top of the water in sprinting. This is that moment when Dressel takes that all-important first stroke to set the tone for the rest of the race. I also like the reflection of the lights as they reflect in the thin sheet of water covering his cap."