A Day in Our Lives

Article and Photos by Diana DeRosa

Getting the Facts

After the competition and before we can actually sit down and get our stories done there is generally a press conference. While we are able to talk to the riders in an area referred to as the “mixed zone” which they must go through after their ride, that is pretty much the only contact we have with them and so the press conferences are extremely helpful in that we have an opportunity to ask questions. It’s generally only the top three riders and/or teams and some of the officials. But it’s enough to get some details to fill in any of the blanks.

I’ve got a digital Nikon D2H camera. It’s an investment I decided to make just before heading to Athens because film takes longer to get back whereas the digital goes right on a card and can be downloaded right away. The workload with digital is extensive but initially it allows you to get your photos organized and out much quicker. It’s been a real bonus for me as I have tough memories of past Olympics where I’d drop my film off at Kodak and come back a day later to pick it up. Then I’d have to sift through the negatives to track down the horses and get those pics scanned so that I could send them off to the appropriate destinations. What a pleasure this has been going the digital route with a camera as nice as the D2H.

Very often we are not able to finish our work at the Media Centre because the last bus leaves two hours after the class finishes and two hours just doesn’t cut it for us here, because on top of filing you are also trying to keep your workload organized. Pics have to be transferred to CDs for safe keeping because there is no film. I generally keep the pics in an exterior hard drive as well so that I have two backup systems.

Heading to the MPC

We generally all rush out for the last bus either taking us to Agios Andreas or to the Main Press Center (MPC). On the bus I usually work on finishing up the story I’ve been working on so that I am that much further along by the time I arrive at the MPC. I’m always going to the MPC to return one lense and pick up another one. It takes about 5 minutes to walk to the bus stop and another 40 minute bus ride to the MPC. The buses all park down by the Broadcast Center and we then walk up the hill to the MPC where we again go through another security check. Take it all off, put it back on – it’s unfortunately a pain-in-the-neck necessity.

The MPC has working areas for writing journalists and a working area for photographers outside the Kodak Center, which also has wireless. So, working there is a bonus and allows our stories to go through more quickly. My usual ritual is return my lense to Nikon, collect a new one and then sit down and finish my work (story and photos). Once done I have a few options. I can go have dinner at the Food Court, which has very reasonable prices for the media. Or I might opt to go and get a free chair back massage. What a bonus for those of us carrying camera bags around all the time.