FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson (from left) and forward Kenji Mboma Dem practice heading a soccer ball among theater seats inside Music Hall in Cincinnati.
FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson (from left) and forward Kenji Mboma Dem practice heading a soccer ball inside Music Hall in Cincinnati. “I wanted to emphasize the scale and grandeur of Music Hall, which is why I photographed this scene horizontally,” photographer Romain Mayambi said. “Placing the players among the rows of seats creates an unexpected contrast between the sport and the historic space.” Romain Mayambi
7 min read

Photographer Romain Mayambi taps into his roots while capturing athletes in unconventional spaces

‘I want people to look at these photographs and pause for a second to see sports in a completely different way,’ he says

Photo Essay by Romain Mayambi
Topics:
Soccer Sports Photography fc cincinnati

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    The Black Lens

    An ongoing series of photo essays by Black photographers that highlight Black excellence in sport.

    Cincinnati-based photographer Romain Mayambi’s ongoing series “Athletes in Unconventional Spaces” was inspired by a baseball field.

    “I remember coming across this beautiful baseball field where the dirt looked absolutely perfect, and I thought to myself, ‘I need to shoot something fun here,’” Mayambi said.

    He decided to photograph jiu-jitsu fighters on the field, thinking it would be a one-off shoot. However, the resulting images became the foundation for Mayambi’s series, which continued with visuals of other sports.

    “The concept has always been about placing athletes in spaces where you wouldn’t expect to see them while still creating images that feel authentic and connected to both the sport and the location,” he said. “I want people to look at these photographs and pause for a second to see sports in a completely different way.”

    The idea of taking photos of FC Cincinnati players in Cincinnati Music Hall, one of the city’s oldest and most iconic buildings, was much more personal, he said. Mayambi, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, grew up playing soccer.

    “I wanted to create something that honored the sport while finding a location that felt just as beautiful and meaningful. … I wanted to create something unconventional within such a historic space,” he said. “It felt like the perfect way to celebrate both the game and a piece of Cincinnati’s history.”

    Mayambi spoke to Andscape about the inspiration behind the soccer images in his photography series, the artistic choices he made while shooting and what he hopes viewers take away from the photographs.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

    Who are these three athletes?

    All three athletes play for FC Cincinnati: Miles Robinson, Kenji Mboma Dem and Ayoub Jabbari. Robinson also earned a spot on the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster, which makes having him involved even more special.

    Why this theater?

    I’ve always believed sports are incredibly artistic. Watching athletes perform at the highest level feels like poetry in motion. Music Hall has that same elegance and rhythm, so pairing soccer with that space just made sense to me. I always try to match each sport with a location that complements it in an unexpected way while still feeling natural.

    Why the different ball types?

    Growing up in Africa, we didn’t always have access to a real soccer ball, so we made our own using plastic bags and string. Those homemade balls allowed us to play every day regardless of what we had. I recreated one specifically for this shoot as a tribute to my childhood and my roots. That detail made this project especially meaningful to me.

    What do you want people to take away from this series?

    More than anything, I want people to reconnect with that feeling of childhood, when the world felt vibrant and imagination came naturally. The series is about not letting preconceived notions dictate where you belong. It’s about breaking barriers, embracing curiosity, and placing yourself in spaces where people might say you don’t belong.

    What does it mean to celebrate these exceptional Black athletes in this way?

    It means a lot to me. Throughout the shoot, you could genuinely see the joy on their faces. It wasn’t just another training session; it gave them a chance to play, explore, and reconnect with that childlike sense of wonder. Seeing that genuine excitement made the project even more rewarding.

    FC Cincinnati player Ayoub Jabbari juggles a soccer ball beneath a chandelier in Cincinnati's Music Hall.
    FC Cincinnati forward Ayoub Jabbari juggles a soccer ball beneath a chandelier in Music Hall. “This image was created to showcase the beauty of Music Hall’s iconic chandelier and ornate ceiling while capturing the elegance and rhythm of soccer in motion,” Mayambi said.

    Romain Mayambi

    Miles Robinson (from left) and Ayoub Jabbari pass a soccer ball back and forth on the balcony of Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    Jabbari (right) and Miles Robinson (left) pass a soccer ball back and forth on the balcony of Music Hall. “I wanted to highlight the architecture while showing the players interacting naturally within such an unexpected environment,” Mayambi said.

    Romain Mayambi

    Kenji Mboma Dem performs a rainbow flick with a ball made of plastic bags and string in Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    Kenji Mboma Dem performs a rainbow flick with a handmade ball in Music Hall. “This photograph centers around the handmade ball, which represents an important part of my childhood,” Mayambi said. “Growing up, we often made soccer balls from plastic bags and string, and including one in this series was my way of honoring those memories.”

    Romain Mayambi

    Photographer Romain Mayambi explains why the above photo is his favorite from the Music Hall shoot.
    Miles Robinson (right] rests his foot on a soccer ball while Ayoub Jabbari (left] holds a soccer ball at the edge of the balcony inside Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    “One player [Robinson, right] rests his foot on the ball while the other [Jabbari, left] stands at the edge of the balcony,” Mayambi said. “I think of this image as the calm before the storm, a quiet moment before the action begins.”

    Romain Mayambi

    From left: Kenji Mboma Dem, Miles Robinson and Ayoub Jabbari pose for a photo in Music Hall in Cincinnati. Robinson holds a ball made of plastic bags and string, while Mboma Den and Jabbari pose with traditional soccer balls.
    From left: Kenji Mboma Dem, Miles Robinson and Ayoub Jabbari. “This is a simple portrait of all three players together, highlighting both the athletes and the symbolic significance of the handmade ball,” Mayambi said.

    Romain Mayambi

    Miles Robinson (left) rests his foot on a soccer ball while Kenji Mboma Dem dribbles a ball in the background inside Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    Robinson (left) rests his foot on a soccer ball while Mboma Dem dribbles in the background. “This image plays with perspective, contrasting stillness and movement within the same frame,” Mayambi said. “I wanted to create something visually engaging by allowing the eye to move naturally between both athletes.”

    Romain Mayambi

    Kenji Mboma Dem (left), Miles Robinson (center) and Ayoub Jabbari (back) pass a soccer ball around in a triangular formation inside Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    Mboma Dem (left), Robinson (center) and Jabbari (back) pass a soccer ball around in a triangular formation inside Music Hall. “This was one of my favorite compositions because of the framing and unusual perspective,” Mayambi said. “It also continues the theme of using the architecture of Music Hall to emphasize the scale of the space.”

    Romain Mayambi

    Kenji Mboma Dem (left), Miles Robinson (center) and Ayoub Jabbari (back) pass a soccer ball around in a triangular formation inside Music Hall.
    Kenji Mboma Dem (left), Miles Robinson (center) and Ayoub Jabbari (back) pass a soccer ball around in a triangular formation inside Music Hall. “This was one of my favorite compositions because of the framing and unusual perspective,” Mayambi said. “It also continues the theme of using the architecture of Music Hall to emphasize the scale of the space.”

    Romain Mayambi

    Ayoub Jabbari (from left), Kenji Mboma Dem and Miles Robinson play with traditional soccer and handmade balls inside Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    Jabbari (from left), Mboma Dem and Robinson prepare to control soccer and handmade balls inside Music Hall. “These images focus on authentic moments you’d see during a match, celebrating the athleticism and artistry of soccer,” Mayambi said. “To me, it’s art in motion.”

    Romain Mayambi

    Ayoub Jabbari (top left), Kenji Mboma Dem (top right) and Miles Robinson (bottom) play with soccer and handmade balls inside Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    Jabbari (top left), Mboma Dem (top right) and Robinson (bottom) play with soccer and handmade balls inside Music Hall in Cincinnati. “These images focus on authentic moments you’d see during a match, celebrating the athleticism and artistry of soccer,” Mayambi said. “To me, it’s art in motion.”

    Romain Mayambi

    Kenji Mboma Dem (from left) and Ayoub Jabbari pass a ball made of plastic bags and string back and forth in Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    Mboma Dem (from left) and Jabbari kick a handmade plastic ball back and forth in Music Hall. “I wanted this sequence to focus on the handmade ball and show that despite its humble construction, it performs much like a traditional soccer ball, a tribute to the creativity and resourcefulness of my childhood,” Mayambi said.

    Romain Mayambi

    Kenji Mboma Dem juggles a soccer ball in an aisle of the balcony in Music Hall in Cincinnati.
    Mboma Dem juggles a soccer ball in an aisle of the balcony in Music Hall. “This is another image created to showcase the beauty and scale of Music Hall while capturing the fluid movement of the game within an unexpected setting,” Mayambi said.

    Romain Mayambi

    Romain Mayambi is a Congolese-American photographer based in Cincinnati. His work explores the intersection of fashion, identity and cultural storytelling, using photography as a tool to celebrate presence, belonging and human connection. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised between cultures, he brings a global perspective to his lens — one rooted in empathy, curiosity and visual honesty.