Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/19
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I don't know if your commentary was because of my statement about the
photog with his lens pointed at the roof, or not. But I cannot believe
that his editor will not be banging that lens off his head for just sitting
there looking at the action with his camera and lens resting against his
shoulder during such an important event given the circumstances of the
night. Even if he had been there for the entire day as you suggest,
watching him just stand there with the volatility of the action and the
results of who would get what medal hanging on what this particular athlete
does in the last event of the evening, seems a bit incredible, given he had
a straight shot of the action. Now, I guess he could have been shooting
film and was out of film by that time of the evening, but even this seems a
bit ridiculous given the event and the participants. I cannot imagine you
in that situation with your camera just sitting idly by given the
circumstances, I'm sure you would have more than enough film with you for
several days worth of shooting at all times. I'm also sure the job is not
as glamorous as Hollywood depicts it, and it is a hard and dirty job most
of the time.
Gene
|---------+-------------------------------------------------------->
| | "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> |
| | Sent by: |
| | lug-bounces+grduprey=rockwellcollins.com@leic|
| | a-users.org |
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| | 08/19/2004 11:09 AM |
| | Please respond to Leica Users Group |
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| To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
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| cc:
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| Subject: RE: [Leica] Conformity in Athens NOW BEING A SHOOTER!
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Ted - This is, as usual, a priceless commentary. Tell it like it is!
-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Ted Grant
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 11:59 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: [Leica] Conformity in Athens NOW BEING A SHOOTER!
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
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_______________________________________________
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See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information