London Olympics athlete portraits

London 2012 (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

July 24, 2012 7:32 PM PT

A series of portraits of American athletes who will be competing at the 2012 London Olympic Games. In addition to traditional digital SLR cameras, staff photographer Jay L. Clendenin utilized a more vintage form of photography, using 4x5-inch sheets of film in a large format camera with a 100-plus-year-old Petzval lens.

London 2012 (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Southern California natives Phil Dalhausser, left, and Todd Rogers are photographed on the courts of East Beach Park, in Santa Barbara. The duo will be looking to repeat their gold-medal winning performance in Beijing at the London Olympic Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Sparks star Candace Parker, photographed at Stewart Street Park in Santa Monica, will look to capture her second gold medal in women’s basketball at the London Olympic Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Joseph Diaz Jr., seen here at South El Monte Boxing Club where he trains, will be representing the U.S. in the 123-pound bantam weight class in the London Olympic Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Former USC water polo goalie Tumua Anae, who looks at home in the dive pool on USC’s campus, will be representing the United States at the London Olympic Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Tony Gunawan, left, and Howard Bach, showing off their game faces at the San Gabriel Valley Badminton Club in Pomona, will be competing for double gold in team badminton at the London Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Kyla Ross, the youngest member of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team at 15 years old, will be competing at the London Olympics, and is photographed at Gym-Max Gymnastics in Costa Mesa. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Archer Jake Kaminski, photographed at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista where he trains, will be shooting for gold at the 2012 London Olympics. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

San Jacinto’s Sarah Robles hopes plenty of heavy lifting at her training gym in Mesa, Ariz., will make her a favorite for weightlifting gold at the London Olympic Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

BMX Supercross standout Connor Fields strikes a pose at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, where he trains in preparation for the London Olympic Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Arcadia’s Erica Wu, 16, who will be competing in table tennis at London Olympic Games, is photographed inside the Gao Jun Table Tennis Club in El Monte. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

San Francisco native Alexander Massialas, seen here outside the Anaheim Convention Center, will compete in fencing at the London Olympics. Massialas’s father, Greg, a two-time Olympian in fencing, will join him as a coach in London. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Kim Rhode, seen here Oak Tree Gun Club in Newhall, will try to become the first athlete to medal in five consecutive Olympics at the London Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Scott Gault, Charlie Cole Henrik Rummel, Glen Ochal

American rowers (from left to right) Scott Gault, Charlie Cole, Henrik Rummel and Glenn Ochal stand tall at Otay Lake at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. The team will look to win gold in the men’s four rowing competition at the London Olympic Games. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)