How they cover the Olympics

FantasticMrFox · 01-08-2017, 05:12 PM - **3 Likes**

I just came across this video on Youtube - it's a 10 min. mini-documentary following several photographers (newspaper/Reuters/freelance etc.) around the Rio Olympics, showing how they cover their events, from Judo, to track, to the 100m sprint.

It's very well done, and I was especially amazed by the bit about how all the images are pretty much transferred wirelessly in real time, and the first image of Usain Bolt winning the 100 m was out (i.e. edited and online) in 58 seconds!

You Tube

mikeSF · 01-08-2017, 06:09 PM

Amazing

E-man · 01-08-2017, 08:50 PM

Wow! Maybe photography should become an olympic event.

j0n4hpk · 01-08-2017, 10:54 PM

By the way, another interesting article about the Olympiad's photo assignments and how they were covered came up in a last year issue of Popular Photography (the same one that ran the Pentax K1 test).

altopiet · 01-08-2017, 11:19 PM

Definitely no time to struggle with slow auto focus issues...

**ChrisPlatt** · 01-09-2017, 02:58 AM

I'd be fascinated to see some stories on photography at the Olympics before the advent of autofocus and digital...

Chris

victormeldrew · 01-09-2017, 03:21 AM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

I'd be fascinated to see some stories on photography at the Olympics before the advent of autofocus and digital...

Chris

Before those things, people had no source for seeing the images until the next day at the very earliest, which makes things a bit more relaxed...plus they would be printed at newsprint resolutions, which made things even easier. High quality prints of proceedings had as much time as they needed to get published, if ever. It is only very recently that people expected high resolution, near-instant, published news images at their fingertips.

FantasticMrFox · 01-09-2017, 04:41 AM

Originally posted by victormeldrew

Before those things, people had no source for seeing the images until the next day at the very earliest, which makes things a bit more relaxed ...

Actually, if you go to 9:06 the guy is saying that 30 years ago (analogue age) they took 40 minutes to get an image out. Depending on different time zones etc., that's quick enough to get it into the evening editions of newspapers, so you may well see an image from a morning race the same evening.

Originally posted by E-man

Wow! Maybe photography should become an olympic event.

I actually think that it would be cool to have a separate prize/medals for the best images of the Olympics. They often do become iconic, and it would be great to see photographers honoured that way.

Originally posted by altopiet

Definitely no time to struggle with slow auto focus issues...

Yeah, I am pretty sure no Pentax will give you a shot like 6:01, except through luck. You can prefocus on a bit of the railing and then let the fps do the job, but at that depth of field you will probably only get one frame in perfect focus, and if the facial expression isn't right in that one, you've got a problem. And it's not like the events are repeated and you get another shot ...

wildman · 01-09-2017, 05:47 AM

Originally posted by FantasticMrFox

How they cover the Olympics

All those resources spent on someone running around in circles...

**ChrisPlatt** · 01-09-2017, 06:52 AM

From the 1960's on we had live video from the Olympics via satellite.
Here in USA one of the major TV networks always provided wall-to-wall coverage.
In fact it was far more complete than what is broadcast now.
It seems viewers had greater interest and a far longer attention span then.

The Associated Press began its wirephoto service for transmission of still photos via telephone lines in 1935.

Chris

photoptimist · 01-09-2017, 07:32 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by E-man

Wow! Maybe photography should become an olympic event.

Pentaxathlon?

* 100 megapixel dash
* 200m backfocus stroke
* long-lens jump
* tripod vaunt
* filter-discus throw

FantasticMrFox · 01-09-2017, 08:26 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by photoptimist

Pentaxathlon?

* 100 megapixel dash
* 200m backfocus stroke
* long-lens jump
* tripod vaunt
* filter-discus throw

Photographic clay pigeon shooting. Each contestant gets an identical camera set to identical neutral settings, when the clock starts they to immediately choose their preferred settings quickly enough, then shoot a clay pigeon. The hit rate is the score, those taking too long to set up their AF will lose shots.

**roberrl** · 01-09-2017, 11:22 AM

Wirelessly? I think I saw most cameras with a wired connection and the commentary mentioned cabling.

Not sure I'd trust a wireless network to handle the explosion in traffic at the end of the race.

leekil · 01-09-2017, 12:32 PM

Originally posted by FantasticMrFox

Photographic clay pigeon shooting. Each contestant gets an identical camera set to identical neutral settings, when the clock starts they to immediately choose their preferred settings quickly enough, then shoot a clay pigeon. The hit rate is the score, those taking too long to set up their AF will lose shots.

You might be slightly slower, but you can make up for it if your image of the clay pigeon exhibits excellent microcontrast.

---------- Post added 01-09-17 at 12:33 PM ----------

Here are a couple articles about wire photo transmission that I thought were interesting.

Popular Mechanics - Google Books

Celebrating 80 Years of Associated Press' Wirephoto

**Kerrowdown** · 01-09-2017, 02:05 PM

Originally posted by FantasticMrFox

How they cover the Olympics

Thanks for posting that, certainly makes for a most interesting watch.

01-09-2017, 02:58 AM	#6
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	How'd they do that? I'd be fascinated to see some stories on photography at the Olympics before the advent of autofocus and digital... Chris

01-09-2017, 04:41 AM	#8
FantasticMrFox Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Munich Posts: 2,339 Original Poster	Originally posted by victormeldrew Before those things, people had no source for seeing the images until the next day at the very earliest, which makes things a bit more relaxed ... Actually, if you go to 9:06 the guy is saying that 30 years ago (analogue age) they took 40 minutes to get an image out. Depending on different time zones etc., that's quick enough to get it into the evening editions of newspapers, so you may well see an image from a morning race the same evening. Originally posted by E-man Wow! Maybe photography should become an olympic event. I actually think that it would be cool to have a separate prize/medals for the best images of the Olympics. They often do become iconic, and it would be great to see photographers honoured that way. Originally posted by altopiet Definitely no time to struggle with slow auto focus issues... Yeah, I am pretty sure no Pentax will give you a shot like 6:01, except through luck. You can prefocus on a bit of the railing and then let the fps do the job, but at that depth of field you will probably only get one frame in perfect focus, and if the facial expression isn't right in that one, you've got a problem. And it's not like the events are repeated and you get another shot ... Last edited by FantasticMrFox; 01-09-2017 at 04:49 AM.

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01-08-2017, 06:09 PM	#2
mikeSF Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,620	Amazing

01-08-2017, 08:50 PM	#3
E-man Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 678	Wow! Maybe photography should become an olympic event.

01-08-2017, 10:54 PM	#4
j0n4hpk Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 293	By the way, another interesting article about the Olympiad's photo assignments and how they were covered came up in a last year issue of Popular Photography (the same one that ran the Pentax K1 test).

01-08-2017, 11:19 PM	#5
altopiet Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: The Gem of the Karoo, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,307	Definitely no time to struggle with slow auto focus issues...

01-09-2017, 03:21 AM	#7
victormeldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: South West UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,493	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt I'd be fascinated to see some stories on photography at the Olympics before the advent of autofocus and digital... Chris Before those things, people had no source for seeing the images until the next day at the very earliest, which makes things a bit more relaxed...plus they would be printed at newsprint resolutions, which made things even easier. High quality prints of proceedings had as much time as they needed to get published, if ever. It is only very recently that people expected high resolution, near-instant, published news images at their fingertips.

01-09-2017, 05:47 AM	#9
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	Originally posted by FantasticMrFox How they cover the Olympics All those resources spent on someone running around in circles...

01-09-2017, 06:52 AM	#10
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	From the 1960's on we had live video from the Olympics via satellite. Here in USA one of the major TV networks always provided wall-to-wall coverage. In fact it was far more complete than what is broadcast now. It seems viewers had greater interest and a far longer attention span then. The Associated Press began its wirephoto service for transmission of still photos via telephone lines in 1935. Chris

01-09-2017, 07:32 AM - 2 Likes	#11
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,121	Originally posted by E-man Wow! Maybe photography should become an olympic event. Pentaxathlon? * 100 megapixel dash * 200m backfocus stroke * long-lens jump * tripod vaunt * filter-discus throw

01-09-2017, 08:26 AM - 2 Likes	#12
FantasticMrFox Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Munich Posts: 2,339 Original Poster	Originally posted by photoptimist Pentaxathlon? * 100 megapixel dash * 200m backfocus stroke * long-lens jump * tripod vaunt * filter-discus throw Photographic clay pigeon shooting. Each contestant gets an identical camera set to identical neutral settings, when the clock starts they to immediately choose their preferred settings quickly enough, then shoot a clay pigeon. The hit rate is the score, those taking too long to set up their AF will lose shots.

01-09-2017, 11:22 AM	#13
roberrl Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Oxford, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 345	Wirelessly? I think I saw most cameras with a wired connection and the commentary mentioned cabling. Not sure I'd trust a wireless network to handle the explosion in traffic at the end of the race.

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01-09-2017, 12:32 PM	#14
leekil Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,003	Originally posted by FantasticMrFox Photographic clay pigeon shooting. Each contestant gets an identical camera set to identical neutral settings, when the clock starts they to immediately choose their preferred settings quickly enough, then shoot a clay pigeon. The hit rate is the score, those taking too long to set up their AF will lose shots. You might be slightly slower, but you can make up for it if your image of the clay pigeon exhibits excellent microcontrast. ---------- Post added 01-09-17 at 12:33 PM ---------- Here are a couple articles about wire photo transmission that I thought were interesting. Popular Mechanics - Google Books Celebrating 80 Years of Associated Press' Wirephoto

01-09-2017, 02:05 PM	#15
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,815	Originally posted by FantasticMrFox How they cover the Olympics Thanks for posting that, certainly makes for a most interesting watch.