Re: [Leica] Ted., Vancouver and the Olympics

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>]

Ted in Olalla said:
>>Vancouver and the Olympics<<


> Maybe I have missed it and somebody has already posted about this, but
> here's hearty congratulations to Vancouver and Canada for winning the
> Olympics.  I know it's a few years in the future, but Ted, you'll have a
> ball shooting up a storm.  Should be wonderful just to think about, and
plan<<

Ernie Nitka responded:
>>Yes it's grand!  Ted Bayer if we're both around then I'll be out there
with bells on and my 20 year old in tow.  And God willing Ted Grant can
be host - whaddya say is it a deal?<<<<

Steve Barbour added:
>>ya gotta laugh, after what Ted said recently about shooting sports,
out of respect, they've given him the Olympics...<<<<

OK guys,
Yes it's nice Vancouver-Whistler won the Games. :-) I'm pleased for them.
However, yer all welcome to Victoria to see the flowers and beautiful ocean
side for wonderful pictures. ;-)  But forget the winter Olympics in
Whistler!

Do you realize they have that damn white stuff, snow? And it's colder than a
hooker's heart on a Saturday night! :-) You gotta load up with heavy
clothes, boots and it's hell as your fingers slowly freeze.

The gear feels ten times heavier climbing about the hills or the crush of
the crowds on the shuttle buses cause you can't use your car. Not to
forget....you can't feel the touch to the shutter release most of the time
because your finger tips are close to solid or you can't feel it through the
mitts! :-(

Yeah everyone thinks "WOW, your shooting the Olympics! Cool!" And say that
like you're covering a high school track meet in July! People have no idea
what it's truly like nor what's involved covering sport events of this
magnitude. Summer or winter.

You are herded like cattle to designated "photo positions" sometimes
selected by a person who's never covered a winter sport or any event of
large scale with a great number of photographers and media. No you can't
just walk about finding a spot to shot from, you might do that, but before
you have a chance to shoot a security guy will have you out of the building
or into a photo position.

Photographers, certainly since the terrorists at the '72 Games in Munich are
almost strip searched going into every venue, your rolls of film may go
through a scanner a dozen times in one day..... Don't complain as all
that'll get you is... never getting in the building! Heck even the Main
Press Centre is as secure as the National bank of any country.

So think about covering the winter games for moment. Each time you go into a
venue off come the parka, mitts and if you have an extra photo vest for film
and gear off it comes. Your cameras go through, bags, fanny packs everything
out of your pockets and don't whine it'll get you nothing but more grief
while some security guy pats you down even more so.

And after you've stripped, you now put it all back on. You cover the event,
return to the MPC (main press centre) and strip once again. Go to the Kodak
Centre dump film and then head out to the next venue where you strip again
and this routine goes on all day long no matter where you go or who you are.

All your clothes and gear each time it's taken off goes through an airport
type hand bag scanner and if there's a big crowd, often items go through and
fall to the floor at the other end. As did my Leica 400 2.8 after the
Opening Ceremonies in Barcelona when I returned to the MPC to dump film.
What was worse? The Spanish cops stood there and watched stuff drop to the
floor as it came off the belt after screening!

Nor would they let you rush  through the metal detector to retrieve it
before it happened. Laptops, cameras, super Tele's. Landing on top of each
other like they were junk.
Be assured there was a great deal of yelling at the security people, but to
no avail.

Now they aren't all as stupidly run as those Games were.

However, guys and gals you are all welcome to the City of Gardens, Victoria,
BC, Canada where we'll have a drink and watch the Winter Olympics on the
tele! :-) Hell by then you'll be able to use your Leica digi's for TV screen
capture moments. ;-)
ted










And years ago, certainly since I moved to Vancouver Island and Victoria I
don't do snow anymore, like I don't do weddings either! ;-)





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