Re: [Leica] Swimming!

[drb@MIT.EDU]

Ted-

Wow!  And I gripe about finding new shots with unrestricted poolside access
and a digital body with a 1.6x focal length multiplier.  Unfortunately the
next swim meet is this Saturday, and I'll be in NYC (hopefully getting a
private tour of what used to be the World Trade Center, but that's a
different story).  The next meet after that is mid-December, and I'll be
sure to be there.

Thanks a million for the advice and stories.  It's relatively easy to learn
from others' experiences, but it's hard to find people who are willing to
offer them to you.  Hopefully I'll be sitting on the LUG passing pearls of
wisdom to new photographers while uploading files from my M20.

- --Dan

PS- Those in the Boston area are welcome to come to MIT to shoot some
photos.  We have something photo-worthy happening almost every day.  The
full schedule can be seen here:

http://events.mit.edu

It lists everything from sports to lectures to concerts.  My a cappella
group (the Chorallaries), for example, is performing tonight - full info on
the site above.  It's free, and all are welcome.  We're usually "visually
interesting"...


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Friday, November 22, 2002 1:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Swimming!


> Adam Bridge wrote:
> >Worse than any of those things: I'm a National Championship swimming
> official
> >for USA Swimming (the national governing body for swimming in the United
> >States.) I got to work the USA Olympic Trials in Indianapolis a few years
> ago -
> >it was a fantastic experience.
> SNIP:
> >I also have some experience shooting video of meets so I've watched some
of
> this
> >quite critically and I've done the cover photography for the Sierra
Nevada
> Swim
> >Guide for the past three years.
> SNIP:
> >Did you shoot swimming at the Olympics Ted, I remember you telling
stories
> about
> >track and field.<<<
>
> Hi Dan,
> The following years:... '68, '72, '76, '84, '88, '92 . And not only did I
> cover those Olympic years, I also covered the Pan American Games on
> alternating years along with the Commonwealth Games in alternating years.
So
> there's a little time working the swim sport for pictures. ;-)
>
> I love it despite it being a tough one to cover, the part I hate is the
> hours you put in during the Games just saving your shooting spot.
>
> For example: The '84 LA Olympics, were really tough due to the confined
area
> for the very best shooting position.... it could accommodate about 12 -14
> photogs at the start finish end of the pool under the stands.
>
> To have one of those positions you were at the pool by 4 a.m and if you
got
> there by 4.15 a.m. you were too late! :-(
> Then we dozed or slept until about 8.30 on the concrete until someone
> brought a coffee and donut and we kind of woke up and started to get ready
> for the semi-finals to start at 10 a.m.
>
> Shot those until about 12.30, then a couple of guys would volunteer to get
> food while the remaining guys would guard the gear until we got back. Then
> we stayed until the 6 pm finals started and we shot that until about 8.30
> pm. When it finished we went to the Main Press Centre dropped the last
rolls
> of film and picked up earlier shipped film, edited and shipped or
> transmitted... Then we'd go for some kind of supper, then to the hotel and
> start the same routine all over the next morning at 4 a.m.
>
> Loved it and hated it all at the same time. I love the sport because I
swam
> competitively in Toronto high school years. And I hate it because it's a
> very popular sport to cover and there's always hundreds of guys clamouring
> for a shooting position.
>
> Plus the  gear you must carry, a 400 is like a normal lens along with a
> 300mm, plus 2X and 1.4 convertors. Usually three bodies, sometimes 4 plus
a
> couple zoom lenses, film, photo vest and whatever you think you may need.
> Even wides because the medal winners are always paraded past the photogs
to
> get close-ups with their medals, so you need those wides to get tight in
the
> face kind of biting their medals stuff.
>
> >>>I hope I have (somewhat) inspired a new photographer to take the time
to
> learn
> the sport. One thing I know is that you have to have a feel for a sport
> before
> you can really photograph it.<<<<
>
> It sure helps to know what happens next or during, but liking or loving a
> sport is a big bonus for better pictures because you know what to watch
for.
> And that applies to any sport.
>
> Maybe between us we've given Dan an idea of what to look for and get him
by
> the feeling swim meets are boring. ;-)
> ted
>
>
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