Careful preparation for the Olympics Bashny.Net

I do not know whether there is still an event that requires a thorough preparation as the Olympic Games. Planning begins for the year, and does not stop until their inception. On some pieces needed for a whole month. I try to tell you about how I was getting ready and packing equipment.

To begin with, I must say that every game is different. Every two years, meets another committee. It is he who decides for you, if you can use the remote camera, and where they can be set; events will look like, what will be the light background and where allowed to shoot. All this develops into an equation with many unknowns, approaching the number of parameters. Most of them remain unknown until then, until the event starts.



At previous Games fotomenedzhery were often themselves former Olympic champions. You them know each other and know how to contact them. And they know what and how to help you. Their duties include surveillance of everyone, including such important things as the safety of the photographer (for example, someone may zasmotretsya or accidentally be on the field / treadmill, etc.) In general, they saw to it that everything went smoothly and you received as a result of its good image.

So, managers at these Games not. No all. Local managers will be assigned to each event separately, and it is unclear what to expect. Rules may change, but this is unlikely. I hope everything goes smoothly. The point is that these guys are mostly recruited from the guards and experience with photographers they have (approx. Perevi .: Damn, I understand Vincent - we in Ukraine there are no fotomenedzherov on events, even on large sports championship type World Gymnastics). Well primazhte to this language barrier ... in short, was not easy to plan. Stress still have one.

Well, besides we do not know who will win in a particular sport and become a sensation that happens where, where to stay in better picture what lens or with any settings. And yet you can not leave with his personal guard stuff, and go to the toilet or eat ... and there are no pictures of the second half. Missed the - dosvidos. You're either cool and took a masterpiece, or none. That is why experienced photographers think through as many details in advance, to think only about the picture, rather than on the organizational side.

This part of the Games, the reader will never see (I hope this blog will slightly open secret). Our business - to take the necessary things and bring out to the right place. Perhaps even that most appliances do not need, but what can you do. Better to have and not to come in handy, than not to have the right time. And wait, wait, wait. As bad as things are not looked at first.

New trend at these Games: you know in advance that povezёsh with them because the Chinese government requires "Equipment Confirmation Letter" - a confirmed list of equipment to bring in and take out everything (Th they are afraid that we vparim there ?!) Usually , accreditation missing. It's kind of unreal game, or on some games that I had shot, such a requirement was not. Well, it's always good to have on hand a list of their equipment, but that it required at the embassy ... And another thing: as soon as the rubber-stamp the list - everything no turning back. Nothing is added.

So bad if it was necessary to remove some competition. Most people come with two or three cameras and two or three lenses. Noposkolku must choose from a dozen events, and the technique for shooting different competitions specifically different, then two or three lenses - only dream of. We'll have to overstrain your back and all that. At the moment, the weight of my luggage easily passes for 80 pounds.

One of the keys to create a "unique" frame is the use of remote cameras. There are so many angles of cool, remove from unrealistic. But there it is possible to stick the camera in advance, cross your fingers ... and maybe that will come. This means that you have to drag a lot of cameras in reserve. Not only the "carcasses", but the lenses pultik, transmitters, clamps, shtativchik, zazhimchikov and other crap. In general, it doubles the amount of equipment. But the image output worth the effort. Important: The camera will need to set long before the event. Often leave the camera for a week near the podium, because it will not have access (for security reasons). And so it will be necessary to make intelligent decisions in advance. For shooting the final hundred meters men of Athens, I mounted the camera at 5am. The race started at 10 pm and lasted no longer than 10 seconds. I hope now you understand what I mean. Multiply these concerns for 2 weeks and you will realize that shooting games - a huge confusion that requires careful planning.

The next step will be to decide upon arrival that I will use tomorrow. And so - every night. Games squeeze you like a lemon. But this is the best event that brings the best photographers and face their foreheads. Let's see who will remove the better. And we must remember one more thing: it's not a sprint, it's - Marathon!



This is perhaps the most grueling step by step description of packing stuff, and some people it may seem excessive ... techno-freaks, I think, on the contrary - like.



The first rule - if you have a gizmo that does not mean that it should be taken. Equipment - heavy and unwieldy. All this stuff can eventually prevent shooting; and yes, somebody has to carry it! Therefore, take what you need.



And what is necessary and what sporting events are not particularly obvious, yet at least once an event not to shoot. Fortunately, this is not my first Olympic Games. We must make sure that enough bags and suitcases, to drop off everything. And not just, and safe, to China and back. Never cram too much into a suitcase - crack plastic castles or go out, for sure.



My kit: six cameras (3 for remote shooting, 3 for local) and a dozen glasses, many of which will hang on the remote camera. 7 transceivers LPA Pocket Wizard Multi Max left - this radio triggers (actually - heaped remote button) for shooting from a distance. All of them are tuned to certain radio channels, so as not to interfere with other photographers (not surprising, because we all use the same devices, the best transceivers Nobody has come up with).



I take two Canon EOS 1Ds MKIII, three Canon EOS1D MKIII, and a 5D - 1Ds and 1D will alternate for remote shooting with high resolution and shooting with it (depending on the result - speed and resolution, which are needed at the output). In 1Ds larger picture, but it's slower. All user-defined functions (custom functions, camera settings) should be set before departure ... wait for the arrival just silly. Still I'm taking with him more cards 100GB Lexar UDMA, to feed all my monsters (more than 20 cards). All, without exception, shoot in RAW.



In the foreground is the manual of Newsweek - there is a list of all events broken down by day. All weekend I proofread it, selecting those that want to shoot (and still you ought to figure out how to get with all my stuff from one point to another). One survey can be in the morning, and the other is planned for the evening. More on the table 3 xerox of my passport and accreditation (in case of loss) and papers for customs to import and to export oborudovanieiz China.



This fastening. Very heavy, but very useful gizmos. I use a Bogen Magic Arms / Super Clamps and ball heads for mounting cameras on remote locations. More here floor plate OverXposed, a bunch of pins, gaffer tape (a tight well tearing the fibers of scotch), triggers and other cables shalupon. More take with me six tethers for cameras - in the event of accidental dropping the camera is not dropped and no Congress on the head ...



Think about what would happen if the case will be covered, do not - then trust me. We have to think how to deliver all gamuz one party (in hard suitcases Pelican), and yet - as with all this garbage fly (in the sense, then shoot). Hard suitcase heavy and unwieldy. They are not afraid of water - a fact, but hang on buses they can hover. Our dog Cody able to sniff out explosives in luggage. If our suitcases her not to worry, it will pass and customs.



Next we need to understand where to put that. Sometimes just a foldout equipment suitcases to understand how much breaks. (In any case, I put in a suitcase inside a soft insulation to nothing pobilos!) Here are 400 / 2.8 above (the main window to shoot at in the darkness) and 500/4 - my favorite - light and very sharp.



I decided to pack everything to the max in your favorite light suitcases on wheels Think Tank. They lockable zippers and have something like a bicycle lock. Security is important regardless of the type of shooting. In this picture I'm the only respite for the whole day to answer the call (by the way, all the gizmos also tested prior to packaging - every camera, lens, and pultik shnurochek).



I try to pack your bags according to the logic - that suitcase Airport International; it is a little less of the other two Aiport Security (all three made Think Tank), and there are all Moodle and what is connected with them. Depending on the event, I can choose - to take the case or not. In it all the bells and whistles for remote shooting, I have said, and one glass of 70-200 / 2.8 of those two that I take with me.



As you can see, all climbed. Suitcase Pelican. More and place left for zaryadok and other tinsel, which I leave in the room. On white adhesive tape ukazanosoderzhimoe - at the end of the second week of almost no sleep in ovoscheobraznom condition is very useful.



Remains sweet: this suitcase all sorts of soft pieces - protective film-hood for cameras and glasses. I have them a lot different, Think Tank, AcquaTech, Canon. Beijing is now the rainy season, we must be prepared. Cameras can be screwed somewhere for 8-12 hours, so you can expect anything. Immediately waterproof pants and carbon monopod Gitzo.



This suitcase with "long" lens. Immediately a couple of "carcasses" cameras and short carbon monopodik Gitzo. This is the second case, which I will always take with you.



This super-buper suitcase in it all lenses-fixes (non-zoom lenses with a focal length unchanged). These glasses very sharp, with diaphragms from f / 2.8 to f / 1.2. They can be removed in the darkest locations and make pictures that few can do. This suitcase, I'll take as much as possible. I did pack my case in a waterproof and will compel velozamkom. It may be somewhere, and I will necessarily come and take from it what you need. This is my favorite "girl».



First chumadan for every day. It is based on three "carcass" basic zoom lenses, 300 / 2.8, CF-cards, three tele (two 1.4X and 2X), Angle Finder, helps you configure the picture on the remote camera and WIFI-transmitter for the cameras. A pair of neutral and polarizing filters that I will most likely use will not, but you never know what. Cloth. If you need to take only one suitcase, then this is it. And, well, plus another flash (in fact, they are not allowed to use the Olympic Games, but not enough to be useful to remove portretik-other).



And finally - take two nouta one in reserve. Three FW800 Lexar UDMA-card reader, two external hard drives for Lacie 160GB each hard drive on the G-Tech 250GB, a spare rechargeable battery for laptop, lock, and other trash.



Notebook - 17 & quot; MacBook Pro. Papers for customs. I took out the laptop DVD-ROM drive and put in his place a second hard drive OWC. Now I have more than two hundred gigs of space on two separate screws - redundancy, you know, no one has yet prevented.



Well, like everything. One of them will fly with me in the cabin (Think Tank suitcase on wheels, center) - and kraynyak (in case of loss of luggage, for example) I will always have the equipment ... I hope you enjoyed!

Source: author's blog. All photos of Vincent Laforet. Translation Vladimir Shuvaev.

ru_lens