Day 3 for me is the actual first day of the Oylmpics and the first day the Black Press crew were out and filing all day. You can follow what we are shooting and writing at http://www.bclocalnews.com/olympics/.
Got a later start today, headed out from the main press centre before noon looking for people from the communities our papers represent who were out celebrating the Olys. Found lots of people around the art gallery taking photographs of the countdown clock and of former torch bearers who’d come downtown with their torches to watch the final day of the run.
We had thought the run ended late in the day but it finished up a the First Nations Pavilion at about 1:30. A phone call alerted me to that and hustled down there. The crew around te Pavilion wouldn’t let e in saying the event wasn’t an Olympic event but a BC Tourism event. Didn’t really make sense but I just went out back in the street and shot the final runner coming down Georgia and then just followed him and the police escort into the Pavilion area and got a couple pix of the torch bearer lighting the cauldron with Buffy St. Marie, the singer.
Just as I finished that I got a call saying I had been given a late pass to the opening ceremonies, for some reason a couple of spots had opened up. That meant a hustle back through downtown to the press centre to pick up the pass for the evening ceremonies and then edit ad file the torch pix. Then ran out to catch the bus to the stadium. All the photographers had to go through a complete search of their bags, removing everything from our pockets and taking off belts etc before we were allowed on the buses. They’re taking security seriously but it’s relatively fast and staff is friendly about it all.
My bus arrived around 3:30 PM for the 6PM ceremonies and everyone was staking out seats in their assigned areas of the stadium,. It’s a long time to sit and stand around your seat waiting for the actual event. Luckily I had the Globe’s Fred Lum next to me and the Star’s Steve Russell behind so had people to chat with. The big Russian guy next t me didn’t speak any English, well not to me anyhow. As I was the second shooter for the event I just shot the first hour and then bolted back to file the images.
Then a rush to catch the Skytrain before the ceremonies finished and that way avoid the crush.
Now, to file a few more photos and then to bed until 4AM and off to Whistler tomorrow.