Re: M6, 50mm Summicron and more

[ted grant <75501.3002@CompuServe.COM>]

Harrison wrote:

<<< but of course the TV jerks ran out there with their ultra wides on and got
in all of our ways.>>>>>>

Hi Harrison,

They feel they have carte blanche to run wherever they want because, "hey I'm TV
and we're all powerful!". Quite frankly we as photographers were here long
before them and we'll be here long after they're gone!:)

During the Commonwealth Games here in Victoria, I had the dubious honour of
being the photographic coordinator for the Games and applied two years of my
life working with the host broadcaster CBC in setting still and TV photo
positions at the venue sites.

After all that time and assurances by the TV producers that at the end of the
hundred meter finish line their cameramen would not run in front of the stills
guys position. Guess what!

By internataional sports governing regulations, there is a "50 meter" clear area
after the finish line for any track event. In other words 
___even TV cameras are barred from this area______!

And if you believe that, I have several islands in the arctic you might like to
buy!:)

Opening day of track and first prelim event, BAM TV camera guys running all over
the place with the athletes as they cross the finish line. Of course this screws
the stills shooters behind them.

I have a polite conversation with one of the cameramen and he doesn't know who I
am and tells me "F---off" as he can go wherever he wants! As his director is
giving him orders over the headset.

Next event, "SURPRISE" he does it again! This time no polite Ted! I walk up
behind him with a security guy and I pull his head set off and tell the security
guy to walk him out of the field. He's more than surprised and yelling at me and
the next thing I know I have his director down on the field yelling and
screaming at me and going to do several unmentionable things to my body. :)

Cool hand Luke here just stayed calm,:) let him rant and rave and when he
stopped I pulled out the international rule book and quietly explained that the
next time one of his cameramen ran infront of the stills photographers and in
with the athletes I'd have the cameraman and him declared nul and void of
accreditation!

Now splutter splutter "you can't do that we are TV etc."  I stayed calm and
explained just this "Try me!" smiled and walked away.

They did not enter the 50 meter zone again! The one difference in this case was,
that I am a photographer having been in the shooting position and for a change
had some real time authourity to make changes for the good of my fellow
photographers.

It doesn't happen very often this way, as the organizing committees usually have
someone with no photographic experience organizing photo positions or having
been a stills photographer.

It seems I am going to be doing a similar job in Kuala Lumpur for the
Commonwealth Games next yaer in Malaysia. So I guess I didn't p---s off too many
people. :)

ted