USA Water Polo: Men's and Women's Press Conferences

This morning was my first official shoot for the 2012 Summer Olympics. These were the press conferences for men and women of Team USA Water Polo. Here are some of the images from those two conferences.

Merrill Moses, the goal keeper for Team USA, has no shortage of expression and emotion. I can't wait to photograph his reactions in between the pipes!

Peter Hudnut answering some questions.

Tony Azevedo, who is one of the best water polo players in the world. He is expected to be a real force here in London.

The coach, enjoying himself in between the questions from the media.

A wide view of the press room, where the coaches and athletes are interviewed.

After each formal Q&A, the players disperse amongst the press for individual interviews.

And then it was time for the women's press conference to start.

Notice the Coca Cola products which are placed at each seat. How about that for product placement!

A funny thing happened during the women's press conference. One of the reporters asked about the veterans on the team, at which point the coach jokingly referred to the seasoned veterans as the grandmothers of the team. You can see their reactions in the following images. Love that!

Here is a picture of the Steffens sisters, who are both on the team. Jessica is a returning Olympian and her little sister Maggie is experiencing her first Olympic Games.

There were a lot of laughs during this hour. One of the reporters even asked if the girls were there to have fun or win. I love the fact that they are all enjoying this time, but I also love the fact that they are competitive and want a gold medal. I hope they get it!

Brenda Villa answering questions about the physicality of the sport.

At one point, I zoomed in very close to Heather Petri and was blown away that her eyes perfectly matched the London Olympic logo directly behind her. Very striking!

More laughs...

For this last shot, I wanted to take a picture of the Steffens sisters by the Olympic logo. During the press conference they talked about their family and the dedication to water polo. I thought that I would take this shot to send to them and their family.

OK - I am out of here and heading off to Opening Ceremonies. They don't start until 9pm this evening, but I need to be in the stadium by 4:30pm to get a good shooting position in my particular photographer section. We won't return to the Main Press Center until 1:30am, so it will be a long (but fun) night. Images from the OC to come tomorrow if all goes well!