Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Your 1988 Soul Olympics shot, taken with a 280 APO, on page 280, is spectacular! JB At 08:59 AM 8/19/2004, Ted Grant wrote: >Olympic Photographers: > >Hey wait a minute you guys before you start ragging on these Olympic >shooters! Particularly if you have never been ass to breakfast jammed into a >" Photo position" not of your liking where you have absolutely no choice of >where it is or who selected the position. "Here's the position like it or >leave! " > >And no you don't wander around like you own the place as every position is >locked down for the mob other than a few very choice shooters in the "photo >pool" who have some limited movement. Like may 4 - 5 guys out of hundreds >during final events. > >Where you arrive 5 or 6 hours before the event starts and in the case of >swimming you are in the position before dawn to wait for the preliminaries >at 10 a.m that finish at about noon. Wait, your day isn't over. > >You now stay there and hold your spot so you'll be able to shoot the finals >at 6 p.m. when the push and shove gets worse with every available inch of >space is squeezed to use. > >While you're standing there, the guys in this picture are lucky as they look >like they've got a seat, usually it's 2 or 3 hundred shooters packed behind >a barrier along pool side on a riser.... that is if there's room for such a >position. > >Then surrounded by police or soldiers so those... quote" God damn >photographers will stay in their place! And if any one of them has a foot >over the line kick them back !" From the official training course! > >You can be standing there with a 600mm lens over your right and left >shoulders from shooters behind you, there's a guy who hasn't had a shower >for 5 days so close you're gagging from his body smell, the guy on your >right had a massive garlic lunch and now you're close to puking your guts >out! And you know what? > >You keep you eye glued to whatever camera or lens you're working with, and >another thing you may have not noticed! Not a tripod in sight! It's all hand >held or monopod.and you shoot the best damn pictures you're capable of >because back in the press centre the photo editors' " DO NOT WANT TO HEAR >ONE DAMN THING FROM YOU BUT...." I got it!" > >So some of you "Olympic arm chair shooters who've never been there might >think twice before you start making comments" because most of the guys there >"MUST HAVE THE LONGEST GLASS THEY CAN BUY" Because the security people know >these long lenses are available and keep pushing us back farther and >farther. Hell in many cases your "normal lens" is a 300mm and a 2X extender >in your pocket! After that you go big! > >Never mind looking at the athletes on TV , look at the photographers as >they're the Olympic un-sung heroes that bring you those magnificent pictures >to your newspapers and magazines! > >Oh and for some of the folk on the list. My comments come from the >experience of covering all Olympics summer and winter since 1968 to 1992! >And in between those, the "Worlds, Commonwealth Games and Pan American >Games." Hey, but incredible and wonderful experiences all. Would I go again >regardless of the above conditions? Damn in a heart beat! As it's as much an >Olympic event to be chosen to make the cut to cover it as it is for the >athletes. > >ted > > > >_______________________________________________ >Leica Users Group. >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > >!DSPAM:4124d014267581073911787!