# Photo assignment Paralympics Rio



## imagemaker46

When I covered the Paralympics in Sochi a couple years back I did a running story on the challenges I worked with, and posted pictures of the events I covered. I'm heading to Rio next week. If there is interest in me doing another "How I spent 3 weeks in Rio" I'd be happy to post on how things go. An insight into what I think is going to be a challenging shoot.


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## Gary A.

Good for you to go.  Are you credentialed?


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## tirediron

I think Rio is going to be just a LITTLE different than Sochi.  Good luck, and please do post the same sort of PROGREP!


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## weepete

Yeah mate, I'd be interested!


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## imagemaker46

Gary A. said:


> Good for you to go.  Are you credentialed?



Working for the Canadian Paralympic team.


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## Gary A.

Cool ... And again good for you.  I shot the '84 Olympics, it was pretty stressful.


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## imagemaker46

Gary A. said:


> Cool ... And again good for you.  I shot the '84 Olympics, it was pretty stressful.


This will be my 10th Olympics and Paralympics.  Because of everything "instant" being on the clock is more stressful than ever.  I know they have stripped down a lot of the media resources for Paralympics, fortunately the venues I'll be working (at this point) aren't a great distance from my hotel, getting to and from the venues will be the challenge, it's not on the media route for transportation, which has been cut.


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## vintagesnaps

You don't like it to be easy, do you? I remember the Winter Paralympics and you were on the side of a mountain I think shooting skiing.

Meanwhile I took some pictures of broomball a couple of weeks ago... We can just sit in the comforts of home and live vicariously thru your pictures.


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## Gary A.

imagemaker46 said:


> Gary A. said:
> 
> 
> 
> Cool ... And again good for you.  I shot the '84 Olympics, it was pretty stressful.
> 
> 
> 
> This will be my 10th Olympics and Paralympics.  Because of everything "instant" being on the clock is more stressful than ever.  I know they have stripped down a lot of the media resources for Paralympics, fortunately the venues I'll be working (at this point) aren't a great distance from my hotel, getting to and from the venues will be the challenge, it's not on the media route for transportation, which has been cut.
Click to expand...

For many of the 'Big' sporting events, we used to have dudes on motorcycles transporting our film back to the office for development.  They would leave every 30 minutes or so for deadlines. For the real Big Events, often we would have assistants that would rewind and reload our cameras.


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## The_Traveler

Looking forward to your pla-by-play.


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## imagemaker46

This is where it begins. Accreditation was confirmed 10 months ago, stack of cash a few days ago, plane tickets a month ago, 2 flights, first one 1hr, second one 10 1/2 hours, time change 1 hour, pretty much straight down. On arrival, accreditation is confirmed at the airport, then taxi an hour to the hotel, travel time should be about 15 hours.  This is worst part.


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## dxqcanada

You did a great job on the posting the last time ... I like to see the Paralympic atheletes get the credit they are due.


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## BlackSheep

I'd really like to see what you get down there, I find that the news coverage of the Paralympics is not very good here, it would be fantastic to have another perspective!


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## CherylL

I loved reading and seeing your photos from last time.  Looking forward to this trip.


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## imagemaker46

Travel day in the bag now, long flight that went quickly, thanks to sleep. Airport arrival/customs, though in a few minutes, had accreditation confirmed there as well, all was organized and quicker than many other events I've been to. There was armed security, but no more than other international airports. Canadian communications team that I'm part of had a bus waiting for us, 45 minute ride to the hotel, in a pretty good spot, lots of hotel security, everything is gated. Only mix up had me sharing a room with the other photographer I'm working with, since been changed, 6pieces of luggage, camera gear, laptops in a room that was only just big enough for one person and no bags, also only 2 outlets, tough when we'd have at least 4 chargers/laptops/phones.

I'm across the street and a 10 minute walk to the venues I'll be covering.  At this point, it will be Swimming, Wheelchair basketball, judo, goalball, wheelchair fencing, boccia, table tennis. I will be shooting swimming everyday.

Heading out on venue tours today, will post pictures when I have some. So far things have gone pretty smooth.


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## imagemaker46

Things here are starting to move forward now. They have had pretty much everything shut down to the media, including today when I got thrown out of the second venue I went to shoot in.  It was sneaking in the workers entrance to get inside the venues. I did manage to shoot about 10 minutes of the Canadians training in the Velodrome before training ended.  I had decided to walk the 45 minutes to the venue and back just to see how safe I would feel. I had no worries and felt comfortable with the surroundings, although the heat and humidity is draining. Media transportation starts up tomorrow so that will a difference, hoping to shoot some of the swimmers in the morning. So far it's been pretty smooth.  The only other thing was being scanned going into to Olympic park and scanned on the way out, not sure why.


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## imagemaker46

Slowly getting back up to speed today. Looking forward to the competition to begin on Thursday. The shot through the spokes is a Paralympic swimmer.


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## tirediron

Stellar work, as usual Scott.


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## paigew

Nice shots! Post more!!


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## imagemaker46

My travel adventure from yesterday. Had to go to the main press centre to pick up with photo bid and register. Media bus from my hotel was on time, trip took 20 minutes, in and out of the MPC 15 minutes, ask the transportation people which bus is going to my hotel, I even showed them the name, which I had typed out before I left home, point me to the bus, ask the driver, thumbs up, 45 minutes later we are going in the wrong direction, then the driver pulls to the side of the road and the bus is broken.  I show him the name of my hotel again and he points in the opposite direction, 40 minutes later  a replacement bus picks me and I go back to the MPC, where I do find the right bus.  My one hour travel day lasted four hours, had to run to my room grab my gear and a taxi now to head to the athletes village for a shoot. Skipped lunch and dinner.  What's life without a transportation issue.  

Here are a few fun shots from yesterday:  They had some dancers at the village flag raising ceremony. Night shot is from my hotel and a cop on every corner.


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## Gary A.

Good stuff!


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## ronlane

Keep it coming when you can Scott. Cool story going on.


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## vintagesnaps

I particularly like the one of the swimmer thru the spokes. And the shots of riders on the bikes are pretty darn cool.


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## imagemaker46

A few favourites from today. Opening ceremony tomorrow. For those that may be interested, I walked 14km(8.6miles) 35 lb backpack, 90 degrees, between venues, this seems to be the daily average. Swimming venue is the size of an NHL hockey arena, seats 15,000, also temporary, I believe the selling price is $14 million if anyone is interested in buying it. Cost $38 million to build.


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## weepete

Superb shots Scott!


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## imagemaker46

Two days in and it's becoming an exercise in frustration, not with shooting but working with the schedule person I'm working with, she's new and seems to think that pictures appear without thought or preparation. She is a spread sheet fanatic, revising them all day. She seems to think that it's easy running to a venue and shooting one athlete, running 30 minutes to the next another athlete and back to the original venue for someone else. Many of the photo positions are closed prior to the event. I have tried to explain this, and in the end, just did my own thing,


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## imagemaker46

Here's a few from the back streets. In spite of the police presence they are friendly and helpful, there is a great atmosphere all around. I shot these on the way to opening ceremony.


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## OGsPhotography

Amazing work!

Capturing a lot of emotion there! Thats what its all about.


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## tirediron

Fantastic!


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## HughGuessWho

Absolutely fabulous work. Extremely impressed.


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## vintagesnaps

The second and fourth photos from the ceremonies are awesome. Well, they all are really, but those are particularly interesting and unusual. You always seem to get such good photos too of individual athletes that show the emotion of the event.  

Real helpful of them to hire someone to schedule photographers who doesn't seem to have a clue how said photographers cover an event...


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## imagemaker46

Temperatures are starting to go up now, +33c, just over 90F, tomorrow is suppose to be in the high 30's, so over a 100f,  the walks start to get longer, 14km(8.6 miles) today hauling around the gear. I've grown some nice blisters on my feet, went and saw the Canadian team doctor the other day who patched me up, but it wasn't doing much, went the duct tape way and taped my toes up, not pretty but it works.

I shot all this stuff in the last 24 hours thanks to Canon loaning me a 600m, first time using it to shoot swimming, took some getting used t0, but what a great lens.  Enjoy the pictures.


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## tirediron

Outstanding!


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## Dave442

Very nice, thanks for sharing. Hope your not having to drag the 600mm very far.


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## imagemaker46

Dave442 said:


> Very nice, thanks for sharing. Hope your not having to drag the 600mm very far.



5 0r 6 miles a day.


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## vintagesnaps

Good stuff. Even though sports involving frozen water are more my thing I got to watching some of the swimming earlier. It was good tonight, they explained briefly how the swimmers are classified, etc. I don't know exactly how it's all determined but it was quite interesting.


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## SquarePeg

These are all really wonderful.  My favorite is the one of the swimmer with the tattooed arm hanging on the side of the pool.  The color and lines of that one are just amazing.  The one of the swimmer through the bike spikes is also a stand out.  

Where do these ultimately end up?  You're shooting for the Canadian team so I'm wondering if they will use them for their website/newspaper/magazine or for display in some future venue?  I have no clue how that works so just curious what they do with them.


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## imagemaker46

There isn't a lot of media coverage for these games, so we are working as a news supply avenue, mostly through social media. The pictures I'm editing, captioning and sending the images within minutes of each event, the photo I posted is the photo stand at the pool, most are working on laptops and doing the same thing I am. The pool was 40c(104f) tonight, there is a lot of stress involved in working this way and to honest it's not very enjoyable most of the time. 

The other photos are of a random big guy that I saw sitting by himself, he isn't involved with the games, I just liked the light on him, the other is a backstroker.


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## jcdeboever

Great work. Love the body shop shot in the back street set. I was in that business for 30 years.


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## imagemaker46

Something a little different, Boccia played by athletes with a variety of disabilities. Watching them play is an inspiration.


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## jcdeboever

Awesome


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## HughGuessWho

Such amazing talent. And inspiring athletes.


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## imagemaker46

Some action from the pool last night.


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## tirediron

Powerful images Scott!


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## CherylL

Great capture of emotion!


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## imagemaker46

Only a couple of days left and not the challenges that I expected, the media lead us to believe it was a terrible place. I found it to be the opposite, the people are friendly and passionate about their country and their sports. While the venues weren't packed, the were always rocking, music and dancing, really an amazing atmosphere.

Here's what I saw today.


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## jcdeboever

I love this thread so much. Amazing moments, wonderful emotions, and so much love in the frame. I am so inspired.
Wow, just wow. Best photography I have seen on here.


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## ruifo

What an excellent coverage. Big thanks.
Great work!


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## vintagesnaps

You got some phenomenal shots.


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