Participation, is one of the founding principles of the Olympic spirit. And ordinary people, not sports or film stars, are the key participants in this year's Olympic posters seen all over Beijing.

Olympic posters are all part of the atmosphere, a reminder that the Games begin in just a couple of weeks. The posters were shot by local photographers. The stars, bearing cultural symbols of China, are the everyday people of the Capital.

Choosing the models and completely the photography for the posters took a year. Hundreds of frames often had to be shot before the camera captured the perfect image. Each poster is a promotion for Beijing.

After numerous efforts, the image of two blind athletes captured the explosive movements of Judo. It took six separate sessions to distil the essence of badminton.