Olympic Photo Outrage?

[rmd photography]

This is just sad!

http://solsticevisuals.com/post/2622...-united-states

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-33747_16...=page;previous

[Tessa]

I just saw those pictures - awful doesn't begin to describe them! Bad poses, bad lighting, ripped, wrinkled and dirty backdrops, too small backdrops, etc.

I'm not an American, but if these were pictures of my countries Olympic athletes, I would be pissed off as hell.

[Chet]

I was just going to post this. Holy crap is all I have to say. It's bad when "I" could even do better. Why after seeing the results would anyone release these?

[sandpiper]

Yeah, they aren't great.

But ... Are they the finished images, or has somebody got hold of the sooc shots and posted those? I find it hard to believe that Gettyimages would use shots without PP on them, and these shots look unprocessed. The wrinkled and ripped background paper would easily be dealt with, the harsh lighting may end up a lot better with the shadows lifted. The too small background is only on one shot I think. The edges of the paper roll are deliberately included to make a running track, it's part of the composition, the only bit that needs dealing with is at the top it could do with being extended a little perhaps, again probably shot with the intention of touching up in PP, let's face it such background issues are easy to fix so why aren't they? Again, I feel that these are not the finished product.

I agree that some of the lighting looks harsh, with half the face in deep shadow, but maybe they were shot that way to be dramatic after PP lifts the shadows.

We, as photographers, know only too well what can be achieved with PP and a lot of the problems here can be dealt with, which is why I feel that these are just the building blocks and not the finished images. How often do we see a great image from someone on here, who also posts the original shot, and it looks crap.

Some of the poses don't work too well, a couple are really bad, which is the biggest issue as that can't be dealt with easily in post, but at least the photographer has used some imagination and tried to convey the sport itself in each shot. Some people are near impossible to get into a good pose, although a pro should come up with something better than the pose in a couple of these shots.

The first link also links to the German team shots "by comparison" to show us some good shots. Frankly, I didn't like those either. Yes, they are well lit etc., but they are just headshots or upper body shots (mainly) against a plain background, no imagination used and nothing to tell me what the people actually do. Technically good but uninteresting.

Yes, the USA shots are not as good as we might expect from someone at this level, but are we looking at the finished product or the raw material?

[Ltdave]

Yep... like was already mentioned, even I could probably do better...

The first track shot with the narrow background paper gave me a sense of the runner on a track though. Probably could have been better executed...

[Chet]

Originally Posted by vipergts831

Those are not official team USA images. It was an event held for team USA which invited photographers (both new and experienced) a chance to shoot the athletes. Similar to events held by canon or sigma or others which allow you to shoot models with experience need to apply.

Oh ...

[Heath]

I am guessing that these are BTS images that got released out of context.

There is no way anyone would issue this photo and think it was good.
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/201...39_540x405.jpg

[-AP-]

The CBS link indicated the images were taken at a media summit in Dallas.

A quick Google search revealed additional links to sites with photos.

Here is another with different photog submissions.

http://photos.vivacolorado.com/2012/...9/#name%20here

http://totallycoolpix.com/2012/05/te...mpic-profiles/

EDIT.. I will add that to me, they look to be taken intentionally poor..

[Tessa]

If this was raw material, it should have never been released "as is". And if the idea was to make it look intentionally poor, then that doesn't work either - it simply looks bad and amateurish.

[Kirkby Stag]

The Olympic Torch in Mansfield, England. Photographed with my Canon EOS 7D

[Joe Ravenstein]

Apparently the Olympics is using visually handicapped to man their cameras, I say give them back their glasses and contacts and tell their guide dogs "bad boy" with the exception of the flame carrier posted while I was posting. LOL

[YankeeMom]

I can't help but feel that these must be a joke! Or that there is something more to the story, as these are SO bad (and an embarrassment to our team!):

http://solsticevisuals.com/post/2622...-united-states

[johendley]

What do you mean? Those are excellent.
not.

[whiteflyer]

For what the photos are for I too think they are rubbish, the arty lighting on several just does not work on these shots.

Wrong style for the intended purpose of the images.

The ones of Debbie Capozzi and Michael Phelps are particularly bad

[TheRightLight]

Hot Mess.