Poachers

In the photographic world there used to be an unwritten rule...we don't poach clients from others...in the new world of amateur professionals...full time jobbers playing photographer, the rules are different...they don't respect the unwritten rules...they see everything as ok...now if someone was to show up at their office and start poaching their clients...how would that make them feel...angry...upset...absolutely.  So why is ok for them to poach clients from photographers? The reason...they aren't professional...they have no professional ethics...I despise these people.

The most pathetic person is someone with sight, but has no vision.

In this day and age of social media, camera phones, digital this and that, people fail to see a future...all they see is what is in front of them...they have no vision for anything past that...they live within their own pathetic little world pretending that they are more important than the next person...what these people don't see is that the person next to them may very well have a vision for the future...a vision that will capture life on that day and send it to the future as they move through time...as a photographer I see images as capturing the moment so that it may be enjoyed by others in the future...perhaps long after I am gone...I work with people that have no vision...these people simply don't understand what it is...my Dad is a photographer and for decades he has captured images that are being enjoyed generations after...have you ever tried to explain to someone how important an image is...knowing full well that they will never understand...it's these pathetic people that will be forgotten in the future...no vision

Para Pan American Games

In just over a weeks time the Para PanAm Games start.  It brings together some of the world's best athletes, all with a variety of "disabilities" that to many able body people would see as a handicap, these athletes are exceptional.  I have had the pleasure of photographing both Summer and Winter sports, and believe me, they aren't handicapped.  They face challenges everyday and when they compete, there are no challenges, just athletes.

The biggest problem they face is recognition, not by each other, but by their own countries media.  Once the "Big Show" ends, in this case the Pan Am Games, everything is scaled back, venues close down, transportation changes and media/tv coverage is cut.  It's an insult.

I head to Toronto next week and will be updating my blog with my observations.

Photographers view of the Pan Am Games

Having spent decades covering events worldwide, this being my fifth Pan American Games my observations are coming from prior experience and not a first time visitor.  I was there to cover the Canadian swim team, I only worked at one venue, stayed in a hotel 10 minutes away, so I can only comment on my travels to and from these places.  The transportation schedule changed five time in six days, the average wait times at the pool 15-45 minutes, one evening there were five buses, none of which were designated for my accreditation, they were for the athletes, on the final night of competition there were no buses for anyone.  The drivers had one schedule and the volunteers at the pool had a different one, some of the drivers didn't have a schedule at all, but just drove around, none of the buses had trackers of any kind, so no one really knew where they were.  A Games runs on the ability to move the athletes, officials and media around, these Games failed with that basic requirement.

Security at the pool ranged from none to stupid, teenagers with flashlights would look into the bags of visitors, their main concern seemed to be people sneaking water into the pool, unopened bottles were permitted, but other ones had to be dumped out and refilled inside.  The question that pops to mind was, if the contents of the bottles were dangerous, wouldn't dumping the bottles next to security pose a hazard?  There were two ways into the pool, I used both, accreditation was scanned once, other times I was waved through with a high five from the kids.  Security Fail.

Toronto wants to bid for a Summer Olympics and based on the one week I was there, it shouldn't, if they couldn't get a much smaller Games done right they certainly could never get the Olympics right.

I'm just saying.

Pan American Games-arrival

In spite of all that has been said about these games that no one cares about and many have no idea are going on in Toronto, I had a pretty relaxing day playing Paddington Bear.  My flight arrived a little late, my bag arrived a little late and then I had the pleasure of being greeted by no one.  I left the baggage zone in hopes of finding a sign that the games were underway, after a search I found an information desk, behind it was a lovely young lady who couldn't answer the "is there transportation to the main press centre" With a glazed look in her eyes she turned to the paper she was holding, an  answer arrived, "the what" Hi my name is Paddington, I'd like to go to the main press centre, she came up with "this is Gate A, you'll have to go to Gate E"  And away I went.  I came across several people standing around,  "Hi, two part question, I'd like to go to the main press centre and then to my hotel" The answer came, I'll get the person with the clip board, "We can give you a taxi coupon" she says, well that's great, but "you'll have to take the train, do you have your accreditation" I do.

The train from Pearson International in Toronto is great, best thing they've built, it fast half the price of a taxi and best of all got me closer to my destination is 25 minutes.  I soon discovered the next lack of information help desk. Asking the next question, "is there a shuttle to the main press centre"   Un-surprised by the answer "I don't think so, where is the press centre"  After passing along the address, he said I could walk there in 35 minutes, dragging my suitcase, laptop bag and 40 pounds of camera gear, not an option, but I did have a taxi coupon, however the taxi's I could use it with, were not the taxis lined up outside Union station.  Got a taxi and asked how he was enjoying the Games, "fares are down and traffic is terrible" our short conversation was over.  He did get me within a few blocks of where I had to be. Once inside the gates I knew my journey was coming to an end...

I picked up my accreditation, all warm from the new plastic coat, went to head inside the press centre, oops, the two scanners they had didn't work, but I looked honest so I was waved through, awesome security.  Picked up my photo vest and bag of things I'll never use, and then off to the transportation desk for the continuation of my journey.  Take this bus to the swimming pool, then take this bus to the hotel, and it worked, in spite of not having the correct accreditation to use the bus from the pool to my hotel, apparently the media bus didn't show today.

It didn't matter, I was in my room, relaxed and it took me less than three hours from the time I arrived at the airport.

New blog-part 3

I decided to launch yet another of my three blogs, the first one being politically incorrect, that offended some people lacking  a sense of humour. The people that trying to have a battle of wits against was never a challenge as they always showed up without any ammo. The second blog, well I gave it a shot, it was more serious,  it spoke of friends I've lost though health, how my job as a photographer has changed due to the digital age, it was to be honest, a blog few would read, too depressing, even for me.  So now we have blog three, hopefully a cross between the first two.

My biggest challenge to being a blogger, is not finding the time, I have, in spite of what people say, too much time on my hands, or you can never have too much time. Both quite true, however it comes down to the lazy factor.

I'll have my political views, world and local news, comment on the stupid people on this planet, which by the way seems to be increasing.  I don't jump on and off bandwagons like lemmings that would be best served heading for a cliff to see what's at the bottom. The world has enough of these already.

Enjoy my thoughts, I do.