7.30 a.m. National Stadium Photo workroom.

I’m loath to admit this, but this mornings’ photo meeting at the track stung a little. Getting infield access at the Olympics is a prized trophy. For many of the Olympics I covered that was my domain and I guarded it jealously. To be able to shoot with that kind of freedom and only having to share the space with a select group of very professional colleagues is an honor that I enjoyed immensely. I knew many of the athletes competing, some on a personal level; the in-field group was family, maybe a little competitive at times but brothers in arms nonetheless.

When I left Getty Images to work on my own, my career had taken a turn away from event coverage and more toward feature and commercial sport work. I don’t for a moment question that choice but I was a little apprehensive about how I would feel not being Johnny on the spot on the in field. As the photo chief handed out the in-field bibs to the agencies I did indeed feel a pang for the old days.  Walking back to the MPC (main press center) I was feeling a little melancholy and needed a pick up. A kick in the pants more like. The Games can get emotional and keeping it all together is part of the trick making it through the 16 days of Glory….

Game on, off to the Gymnastics, woman’s individual all–around  and I think I’ll try and give the Canoe/Kayak another crack, the sun's out today.  It’s payback time.

After a few days of gymnastics you start getting that déjà vu feeling. The performances start looking familiar—they should be, the gymnasts are doing pretty much the same routine for all the events. The trick for me is to move around and shoot them in different ways and angles so your photography doesn’t have that same feel. Again trying to capture a feeling of place and action I chose to use shorter lenses when I started out today, then switched to a more traditional look on the beam later.

Photograph by Mike Powell for NEWSWEEK

I haven’t shot much Canoe /Kayak work before but one thing that became apparent very quickly was the inconsistent nature of the medium. One athlete will come through the hole I had chosen and look great then the next would just vanish under the white water. You're just hoping that a face or eye will pop out of the wave but most often there’s either too much water or too little. That said, if you plug away you even your chances at the nice picture.

Just to give you a little snapshot of where I am right now, I’m heading back to the MPC on a bus from the Canoe/kayak venue, which is about an hour out of town. The bus is completely filled with media of some form or another and photo, TV and computer gear. A Spanish journalist is talking to his editor in his quick fire staccato language and another journalist from Greece is shouting down his phone at someone. About half the bus is trying to sleep. I’m next to photographers from Germany, China and the Czech Republic. We’re all trying to get a jump on the next job by editing photos as we go. Except for me, I’m writing of course. Wonder what the NEWSWEEK journo’s think of that? Can’t imagine they’re too worried, it would be like them picking up a 600mm and shooting some sports while they’re out. Mind you with all the technology that goes into gear now they might come back with a few snaps. Writing stills requires wordsmith skills and when done well is an art. Please excuse my scratching.