Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

bmxbradford — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:18:48 GMT

Vincent - great shots and it is cool to hear to talk about how excitiexcited you guys were to "have a crack at the sport." BMX was my life growing up, from age 13 through college, and it is also the reason I picked up a camera in the first place, to try and emulate the work the magazine shooters were doing (which has turned into a 10-year career in photography thus far). It is personally very cool to read the perspective of one of my favorite photographers talk about my favorite sport.

Your shots are great, given the challenges you faced to to lack of positions. Be sure to look at Chang Lee's image the NYT used, the bikers seem to all be flying different directions.

Your images have been spectacular. Thanks again for everything.

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

mjo59 — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:23:30 GMT

Vincent - Thanks for two weeks of painstaking work and invaluable lessons in photography. I'm a newby to the field, and have learned more than you can imagine from your daily blogs (you have no idea how many times I see a photograph and wish that I knew what equipment was used, focal point, exposure speed, etc...) Plus, your insight into everything 'Beijing' has been so much more interesting than watching NBC's pedestrian pc overage of the same...

Safe tripping home and look forward to hopefully seeing more of your Olympic shots on your blog.

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

bruincub — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:45:11 GMT

As the Chinese say, "Jiayou!"

I've really enjoyed all the hard work you've put in to get us photos of the Olympics. It's given me insight into what it means to be a photographer (when I make that occupational transition) and goals to shoot (no pun intended!) for.

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

Adam Leahy — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:38:51 GMT

Love the tilt/shift stuff, your making me want to buy another pricey piece of glass! Great insights again, I've been following your entire Olympic blog. Thanks, and keep up the good work!

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

rmatichak — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:02:12 GMT

Nice picts and great insights as well. Thanks.

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

cmonetti — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:43:17 GMT

Vincent,

I've been reading your post from day one (actually from the gear packing), I'm sure you're looking forward to go home and take a deserved rest. But we're going to miss reading your olympic diary. Thanks for all the great pictures and insights. Donald, Mike and you were really a dream-team! I know you almost came to Toronto for a talk some time ago, hope you have the chance to come again, I'd love to meet you.

The BMX TS pictures are amazing, great sport and venue for the "toy" effect! Do you ever use lensbabies?

Claudio.

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

http://katiebarnes.blogspot.com — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:44:45 GMT

i love the tilt shift shots - really emphasizes the fluidity of the sport... thanks for all your hard work vincent.

-katie barnes

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

Chris Fowler — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:00:20 GMT

Hey Vincent,

what is there to say.... Your inspirational!

Can you do me a favor? Can you explain to us or just me, How and where you decide where your focus is going to be when using TS.

I have never touched one (TS Lens), so this might be a little silly, but when you are looking through the view finder can you see the "sweet-spot" or does that require holding the DOF preview button.

Thanks for your time, Your views of the olympics are unique and you make the most of of your situations.

Keep Going only 2 ore days

Chris

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

stefcande — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:09:21 GMT

Hi Vincent

I don't really know if I have to write in french or english, but your english writing is so easy and wonderful to read I'll try to do my best. Great job as usual on the BMX track I have to say, and the track itself is quite impressive and beautifully built. Very nice creation by our chinese friends. Did you know that the women winner, the french Anne-Caroline Chausson, 30 years old, was 12 times (yes, 12...) world champion titles in downhill mountainbike between 1993 and 2005 !! She decided to compete in BMX as only cross country mountain bike was accepted at the olympics... Smart move and what a way to complete a carreer...

I feel your work don't really feel the "burn" effect of 14 days of shooting, that's the least we can say, and kudos to Newsweek to allow photojournalists to express themselves in other ways than the classical long lens close up pics, very often reframed, depriving us of all what the action is about.

AS long as we have shooters like you guys.

Great job.

Stef

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

MarcoTogni.it — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:06:04 GMT

Pool photographers have too many nice spots.

I really like the tilt-shift images you took here.

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

tinofoto — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:49:04 GMT

Love differential focus shots...are you aware of the English photographer Paul Freeman; I think he does Large format but has the sam toylike effect

Regards tino

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

Jarle Aasland — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:38:33 GMT

Personally I think tilt-shift photos like these are interesting and great fun, but I'm unsure about their usefulness for editorial purposes.

The use of tilt-shift techniques seems to be very popular these days, but I'd like to hear som comments from both yourself and - if possible - the Newsweek photo editors about the use of such lenses for editorial photography.

It's refershing to see these weird, slightly surrealistic images, but I fear that "ordinary" readers may have a hard time understanding why a professional photographer will produce such "unsharp and unrealistic photos". I'm playing the devil's advocate, of course, but you see my point.

Thanks and best regards,

Jarle

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

primalcarl — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:20:41 GMT

These BMX shots were some of my favourites that you've taken of the Olympics. I think the tilt-shift works particularly well here, more than the athletics version the other day.

You've captured some great shots here and through out the Olympics. I noticed watching the mens BMX event that there was a photographer laying on the track underneath the huge jump crossing over one of the berms. The commentator even made a comment that the photographer could've have caused one of the crashes on the run up to that jump! I'm sure the riders are used to jumping over camera men.

Top work Vincent and your team through-out the event. I don't normally read blogs, but yours have been genuinely interesting

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

fabgo — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:58:55 GMT

I'd just like to point out that antibiotics do not help against either the flu or the common cold - both of which are caused by viruses. Overuse and mis-prescribed use of antibiotics hastens bacterial immunity to these drugs - which is a major problem.

Great pictures, though.

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

Vincent Laforet — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:44:14 GMT

Jarle - I'd like to discuss this further in much greater detail. I'll do so in a few days when I've had a chance to rest - pls check in on my personal blog (just search for my name and "blog") and I look forward to discussing it with everyone - cheers - v

re: Day 14 - A Day of Firsts

You Dont Know My Name — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:23:12 GMT

Amazing Shots. Great job Vincent!!!!

Sincerely,

You Dont Know My Name