65 Days Until the Olympics in Paris - Opening Ceremony Challenges!

I am just about two months from my departure to Paris and there is still a bunch of planning going on. First and foremost, before the Summer Olympics I am leading a photo tour to Costa Rica in 2 weeks and then come back for a couple of weeks before heading to Peru to lead another tour. Then I can make the final plans and start packing for the three week trip to France. 

Am I excited? Yes!

In the mean time I have been on numerous calls this month, with the Paris Organizing Committee, Team USA, Canon and others. One of those calls was an informational presentation regarding the Opening Ceremony, and this call left me a little more unsettled than calm. 

As I mentioned in previous blog posts, I have been very excited to cover an Opening Ceremony like no other. With the teams floating down the Seine River as opposed to walking into a stadium. But along with the excitement in that, comes a lot of challenges. Let me explain.

First the first time ever, ALL Olympic tickets (for spectators and press) will be delivered digitally. Although I really love the thought of this (since it might save me having to make the trip back to the USOPC offices in the main press center to get my tickets for the High Demand Events (HDEs), it also could be a nightmare if there are any digital snafus. And the first event that will be trying this new format is the Opening Ceremony with 650,000 people attending. Yikes! 

I also found out that there will only be 250 photo positions at the Trocadero, with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the background. Getting one of those is going to be very difficult! Remember, there are approximately 2500 photographers from around the world who all want one of these spots. So I am already working on plan B and plan C.

The 6km route will be sectioned off into 6 different working zones, so it will not be possible for us (or anyone else) to move along the entire route. This is great for security purposes but less than ideal for photographers trying to capture images from different vantage points. And, for the first time, I will not be able to capture all of the ceremony, since different things will be happening along different sections of the river.

Some of the photo positions are standing only, which will be difficult because we are typically in place for about 9 hours. And to make it even more challenging, most of the positions are not under any cover, so we have to deal with whatever weather is presented to us that day. It could be really hot or it could rain. neither of which would be fun. At least in a stadium, we can duck for cover.

Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining, as I am lucky to be going at all! And...covering the Opening Ceremony is more of a choice than a requirement from the team. As is everything at the Olympics, it will be a challenge to navigate it all, but interesting nonetheless. Sometimes good photography requires a balance of luck, preparation, and skill. We will see how that all works out.

More information to come.

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