Canadian photographer Stephen Douglas Rasmussen combined his two passions – photography and sports – to come up with series of astonishing photos capturing the magnificence of the naked human form. He shot Rio2016 Olympic athletes stark naked. The series is called ‘The Bottom Line’, and as Stephen, 44, explains he wanted to see how sport changers and attracted certain body types. ‘The single added element, that being a piece of equipment, allowed me to communicate their sport while making the series more modern.
‘The Bottom Line was about the essentials of sport, both from equipment and also body size and shape’, he said. The series of pictures, which were photographed in a day, come a few days before the beginning of the Olympics, which will take place from August 5 until August 21, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The results were unbelievably artistic.

Megan Edwards

Masefau Leuluniu, Rugby

Boxer Jobey Joyce, ballerina Kate Byrne, right

Fitness model Hannah Frankson, left, and Mon Maple

British gymnast Ahmahd Thomas, left, wrestler Steve Lewington, right

Heptathlete Layla May Cyster

Boxer Liam Shinkwin

Cyclist Melissa Brand

Cyclist John Wood, Martial artist Laurant Plancel and bodybuilder Su Farrell