Lately, I’ve become so hypercritical of my photography that I haven’t been able to post any of my shots on my blog or Flickr in ages. I literally have hundreds of shots that I’ve worked on and never uploaded because I didn’t think they were good enough. This even includes all of the shots I took at the Olympics.

I had such high expectations of myself going into the Olympics, that I was inevitably disappointed with the shots I took.

5DMKII + 16-35mm.

Rigorous editing of your photos is an important process in a photographer’s journey, but becoming a stubborn perfectionist ultimately hinders growth.

Because of this unattainable need for technical perfection, my creativity has hit an all time low and I have lost confidence in my photographic ability.

In an effort to jump start the process towards a more laissez-faire attitude in my artistic pursuits, I’m going to start sharing these imperfect shots with you, because if nothing else we can learn from my mistakes.

That or we could form a therapy group called “Photographers with Issues” where we gather for low pressure photo walks, mutual back patting, and emotional gear sharing sessions…

First topic:

When L-Lens addiction takes over your life: How to ween yourself off before you max out your credit card and alienate all your friends.

I was feeling a bit down about the Olympics being over and then this happened. I guess there still is a bit of awesome left in Vancouver.

From this I learnt two valuable lessons:

1. Don’t despair. You might run into a storm trooper outside your apartment; and
2. Never leave home without a camera.

Did you see the Closing Ceremonies and wonder how the crowd experienced it?

Well I’m gonna take you behind the scenes of the Closing Ceremonies pre-show and gives you an inside peek at all the pre-show activities including, learning the ins and outs of moose antler props, gettin’ groovy with the “Sochi Snowglobe” wave, packin’ on pounds with the hospital poncho and the good and bad of blinky, flashy buttons.

iPhone snap.

The video was shot with two 5DMKIIs & a Canon PowerShot 980 IS (for the reverse angles during the show). I was shooting with a 16-35mm f/2.8 & the LensBaby Composer (at the end) & my friend, Scott was shooting with a 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. Niiiice piece of glass.

I take a ride on the luxurious Alberta Train up to Whistler to experience the snowier side of the Winter Olympics. It was definitely the highlight of my Olympic experience so far!

Stay tuned for Part 2.

Today six bobsleds crashed during the first two heats of the Olympic four-man bobsled event up at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

I was right at the side of the track when the USA-2 bobsled flipped over and slid side-ways over the finish line. Apparently, USA-2 pilot, John Napier, lost control during the infamous curve nicknamed “50-50.”

I was able to capture all the action in this short snapshot video that shows the entire incident, including footage of the Americans being pulled from the bobsled and being assessed for injuries. There were no major injuries, but a very tense moment for the Americans and the worried fans in the crowd.

John Kershner was watching and grabbed this screen shot of me in the sidelines.

Coca-Cola is Corporate Olympic Sponsorship at its very best. Free Coke, free interactive games, free picture of you with the Olympic torch and the shiniest, happiest PR people ever. Although, come to think about it they did seem a bit disgruntled when I asked if I could get Pepsi instead.

From tear-jerking Gold medal victories to heartbreaking 3rd place near-misses, the Olympics is jam-packed with glittering stories that leap off the newspaper page. It’s a reporter’s dream to cover the glory and the grief of the Olympic games. But I’m not one of those reporters. I revel in finding those peculiar stories, the hidden gems if you will, that catch my eye and make me chuckle.

Yesterday I set off in search of a weird and wonderful story of Olympic pride. I wasn’t more than 100m from my place, when I heard rumours of a sock puppet mascot contest being held at the CBC. Surely enough, when I walked in the doors of the CBC, I came face-to-face with over 40 googly, glued-on eyes, pompom noses, and pipe-cleaner whiskers. Some were simple, some were practical, and others were beyond the scope of my imagination.

The winner of the CBC Vancouver Welcomes the World Mascot Contest, David Julian Abhijit Xinshi by Susi Bainard, a three-eyed moose/beaver aka “Moover” was quite laid-back about his victory. He remained both strong and silent, when asked about his new-found fame.

You can see the masterful collection of sock puppets at the CBC on the corner of Hamilton and West Georgia open from 9am-6pm everyday until February 28th. Also, make sure to check out the daily “meet and greets” held in CBC plaza where you hobnob with CBC personalities and Olympians and pick up a limited edition pin.

A lot of people are asking me what I am using to record my most recent videos covering the Olympics, so I thought I’d share my set-up with you.

It’s nothing super fancy, except for the 5DMKII :) For lenses I’ve been primarily using the 35mm because it’s the widest lens I’ve got. Plus, my 50mm f/1.4 had a small accident and is currently in the Canon’s hospital for sick camera lenses. I rented the 16-35mm f/2.8 this weekend and absolutely fell in love with it shooting the crowd scenes in the Ignite your Dream video.

I’ve experimented with longer lenses, my 85mm f/1.8 used in the stadium during the victory ceremony video and the 70-200mm IS f/2.8, but found it impossible to keep steady while shooting hand-held and possibly clapping or screaming which seems to be a requirement during the games. Also, tripods and huge swarms of people don’t seem to mix well. I tried it once during the games and nearly punctured someone’s liver.

I’m using the RØDE VideoMic (Directional Video Condenser Microphone) for sound which has worked out alright. It’s obviously not ideal to shoot in noisy crowds like this video I shot in a crowd of enthusiastic hockey fans. But it’s a great, low priced mic that I’ve used in many video projects. You can tell the difference in using the VidMic compared to the on-camera mic at the end of this video.

For extra lighting in night scenes or in door shooting, I’m using a Litepanels Micro LED light. This small LED light panel runs on 4 AA batteries and has an integrated dimmer dial that allows you to control your lighting output. You can also put coloured gels in the flip-down filter holder to correct any white balancing issues.
The mic and the litepanel are connected to my camera’s hotshoe using the Cool-Lux MD300 light and sound bracket.

This is my first time shooting with the 5DMKII and it has absolutely blown my mind how crisp and vibrant the footage looks even at ISO6400. Well, that is when it’s in focus! It is definitely a challenge to grab focus in night time shoots, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

Any questions or comments?

One of the most uplifting nighttime highlights at the 2010 Olympics is Robson Square’s impressive light and laser show, Ignite the Dream. Situated right in the heart of the downtown buzz, this amazing light show captivates thousands of eager on-lookers everyday.

There are two nightly shows starting at 9:30pm and 11pm. Arrive 30 minute early to secure a decent spot and to avoid the drunken rowdies, who, in their own way add a whole new dimension to the Olympic experience.