Digital SLR Photography

Therearefewphotograp hersth atcanclaimto have attendedas manymajorsportingeventsasrichard‘Dickie’Pelham,ChiefSportsPhotographer forTheSun.hisincredible talent forcapturingiconicsportingmomentshasmadehimoneofthemostprol ificsportsphotograp hersofhisgenerationand, at hissixthOlympicGames,he hasmanagedto captureanotherseriesofhistoric sportingmoments.“Mymainobjective ofbeingat therioOlympicswasto coverTeamGBinactionand hopefullywinninggold medals.TheSunisa verypatrioticnewspaperandwantsitsreadersto shareinthenation’ssportingsuccesses.Thanksto theincredibleperf ormancesof ourOlympians,therewereplentyof opportunitiesto do justthat inrio.TheSunmadeamassive effortto bringitsreaderstheverybestOlympic covera ge.ateamofsixwasse nt outto coveras manyeventsaspossible –th erewerefourreport ersandtwophotograp hers,in cludingmyself.Theaimwasto ensure readerswerekeptasupto datewithpossible withTeamGB’sprogress.Oncertainnights,TheSunproducedspecial3ameditionsth at went outto London,Manchester andGlasgow,sothatreadersinthesemajor citie swouldseewhatwent onthenight before.It wasa massiveundertakingdue to pressdead lines,but itwasmanagedbrilliantly.”asDickie explains,achievingsuch afeatwasacombinationofplanning,longhoursandtakingfulladvantageofthelatestincameraandtelecomstech nology.“TheOlympicsisanincredible event tocover,but the workinghoursareexte nsive.Sometimesyou’ve nothingbut adrenaline tokeep yougoing.I remember one dayI gotback tomy hotelroom at3amafter shootingswimmer adamPeatywinningthegoldmedal,andwasba ck out at6amto shootChrisfroome inthecycl ing.at 52yearsof``````age, havingthreehours’kipcandefinitelybeclassedassleepdeprivation!Physically,yoush ould only bedoingtwojobsadaybecauseofallthetravellingbetweenvenues,but yougethookedon the buzzof it allandend uppushingyourselfto thelimitanddoingwhatever youcan.without adoubt,the adrenalineandliftyougetfr om TeamGBdoingsowellhelpsdrive youfurther thanyouth oughtyoucouldgo.asfarasvisitingChristTheredeemer oreatinggourmetmealsgoes,that do esn’thappen.Youmaketimeto eat at about 4pmbecauseyouhave toeat, but otherwiseyou’retherethewholetimegrafting.Youhave to drinkregularlytoo,due to theintenseheat and humidity.Irememberdrinkingsevenbottlesofwate r``````when shootingBrazilplayfootballintheMaracanãstadiumandstilldidn’tneedthelittleboy'sroom for hours.”withmodernsportseventshavingaglobalaudience,one ofthekey demandsplacedon the hostsisto provide goodmediafacilities,andit’sclearthat thisprovedhugelybe neficialto the world’spress.“TheBrazilianshad clearly studiedandlearnedalotfr om London,andfacilitiesforthe media were ,in general,prettygood.They’dput milesofetherne tcab lesar ound``````Above andinset:"Therecord-breaking heroicsof 21-year-oldswimmerAdamPeatywas oneof the highlightsof Rio."Above rightandabove:"Team GB's cyclists are a firmfavouritewithTheSun, especially JasonKenny and LauraTrott."Right:"Joe Joyce celebrates afterwinning his semi-final bout."90 Digital slr PhotographyNove mber2016