[Leica] Re: world press winners 2006

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Emanuel offered:
>>I've always thought the phrase: "f8 and be there" summed this up rather
>> nicely.<<<

Craig Schroeder in response :
>>> At my age, it's, F-what and be where?<<<<

And that gentlemen is why you didn't see me at the Turin Winter Olympic 
Opening Ceremonies last evening on TV! ;-)

After covering international games since '68 It takes a while to get it 
through your head, some assignments are best left to the "young folks." ;-) 
Trust me covering the Winter Olympics is certainly one of the toughest! :-(

Not only do you have to wear extra warm clothing, toques, gloves and 
mukluks, "for the unwashed....that's big warm winter fur boots!" ;-)

You also have to carry all your long lenses, usually three motor driven 
bodies, extra batteries or power packs inside the parka to keep them warm so 
when the working ones die from the cold you can replace them.

Climb the hill to the designated photo positions and if it happens to be 
downhill skiing? You better have the reflexes of a cat! Or faster. :-)

Usually selected so the skier will lift into the air off a hill where you do 
not see he or she until they fly over the edge coming at you like 100 mph's 
and you're shooting on an up angle of about 45 degrees. While your monopod 
keeps slipping deeper in to the snow. There are ways to avoid this.

Then the ugly moment Mother Nature calls?

Damn, it's always at the most inopportune time. :-( .... Now you have to go 
to the bottom of the hill to the... "media centre bldg" for a toilet. Then 
of course you line-up waiting your turn while the skier of your country 
flashes down the hill winning a gold medal and you are at that moment 
figuring out the excuse why you didn't have any pictures! :-) Or you hope 
the other guys of your crew got the moment.

Of course you always have the option of standing there and peeing your 
pants, but that can get embarrassing as this big frozen yellow spot begins 
to form around your freezing feet to the snow! ;-)

Then your photo buddies start pointing and laughing and all it does is get 
worse, by the time you are back to the Main Press Centre later in the day, 
the joy of cell phones the whole media crew know about your mis-adventure. 
:-)

Oh the fun of it all! ;-) Yep the Winter Games are truly a young person's 
venue!

ted