Spent most of today at the various venues trying to figure out approved photo positions. There are only a few places where photographers can stand during big events like the World Championships and Olympics. And finding those spots is often subject to a perverse logic — the clearer the map, the more chaotic the actual situation.
Today’s example was the biathlon stadium. Crystal clear map with many photo locations marked. In reality, the stadium volunteers said that we could ONLY shoot from the finish area. (And were less than certain that lowly “green band” photographers could even access that one location.) Conversely, the jumping venue manager was incredibly apologetic about the lack of a map and general disorganization at the venue. But in reality, everything on the jumps was clearly identified and it was easy to move around.
The day wrapped things up at one of the Team USA XC press conferences. If they race as well as they handled the press conference — we’re going to see something special in February.
