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AFP sports photographer captures double 'lightning' bolt

Aug 12, 2013 at 18:13:16 GMT

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Olivier Morin, photographer for Agence France-Presse (AFP) managed to capture champion runner Usain 'lightning' Bolt approaching the finishing line at the same time as an actual lightning bolt lit up the sky behind him. The image, captured at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, was taken using a remote-controlled camera, one of five that Morin had set up by the side of the track to cover the finishing line.

Usain Bolt approaches the finish line as lightning illuminates the sky behind him. Picture: Olivier Morin

According to Morin, 'The remote-controlled camera that took this picture was the fifth of my rig, set pretty far back, about 30 metres, from the finish line. The idea was to make a photo of the winner with his arms raised and with the stadium in the background, as well as capturing a little bit of the sky. I was thinking more along the lines of an enduring feature photograph, rather than your typical news shot'.

Morin has been shooting for AFP for more than 20 years, and is based out of Milan. He is refreshingly modest about the final image, saying 'Let's be honest: the only things I was able to control were the framing of the shot and when to hit the remote-controlled trigger. [...] In my 25 years as a photographer I’ve never had an uncontrollable external element make a photo like this, and I imagine if I tried again for a similar result for the next 50 years, it wouldn’t happen again. So, I only really give myself credit for one percent of this picture!'

Source: AFP

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Comments

Total comments: 35

Amazing photograph - fast as lightning...

0 upvotes

There are more photographers running in this photo than athletes!

5 upvotes

I wonder if they really think they can get in front of them.

0 upvotes

Hrm playing sports outside under thunderstorms are not safe and too dangerous. That should not be allowed. Sometimes lightning can strike about several km away from where based of thunder clouds are, I have seen several photos of lightning strike a long way from low thunder clouds based as a positive strike coming from anvil top to the ground, that is a giant lightning strike that is much more energy charge than regular lightning and can be very deadly. So have a think about consequence you can get. That sports organisation are bunch of idiot for not taking precaution of safety.

0 upvotes

So this, I presume, was taken with an iPhone.

0 upvotes

I think all of the photographers running with their camera equipment in the background is hilarious. That is why we REALLY need a professional mirror-less camera.

1 upvote

To some reason I never hear REAL professionals REALLY needing it.

1 upvote

Great photo, even without the lighting bolt it would have been very good. Any photo of moving subjects always involves a bit of luck.

3 upvotes

This photo is one of the greatest examples of "Spray and Pray".

9 upvotes

No, I don't think so, because he still had to deliberately frame the camera himself while seeing the intended final image in his imagination. "Spray and pray" is the guy who shoots from the hip with no vision in mind and picks the few best/luckiest shots from the hundreds he brought home.

Comment edited 16 seconds after posting

1 upvote

Oh come on that's such a blatant photoshop I can't believe DPR really fell for this.

2 upvotes

Heh, that's impressive, you must be a real expert! Can you give us a clue how you proved it?

6 upvotes

@JWest,

Didn't you know that Mikhail Tal has seen a few 'shops in his time? He can tell by the pixels.

2 upvotes

Ah, that explains it then. :)

0 upvotes

It could be done In photoshop in 5 minutes ;)

0 upvotes

That photo should help with the rent...

0 upvotes

curious, how would one go about estimating how much this photog would make from this one picture? we were talking about it over coffee and came up with $100k but that's complete bs.

anyone know how much he could/should make from this one picture? is $1M completely loony?

1 upvote

Could it be that the photo is the property of AFP, if Morin is employed by them?

0 upvotes

Fabulous shot. Photography involves some luck, as everything else, but you need to have done your homework first. Olivier Morin obviously did.

10 upvotes

absolutely perfect with the bolt and the banner in the bg. he may have gotten lucky with the lightning, but the rest of it is perfect too.

5 upvotes

wow.. cool one

1 upvote

I have to say that the rabid, almost paparazzi like behavior of the photographers pretty much ruined the tv coverage of this event for me

1 upvote

nice
memorable!

bravo!

2 upvotes

Cue the song "Lightning Bolt" by Jake Bugg. (See YouTube.)

0 upvotes

From the piece itself: "According to Morin, 'The remote-controlled camera that took this picture was the fifth of my rig, set pretty far back, about 30 metres, from the finish line."

Great shot nonetheless.

0 upvotes

What camera was used? This was a burst of images, right?

Sometimes it is better to be lucky instead of just good.

2 upvotes

Nikon D800L was used. It's special edition with lighting filter removed, so you can capture lighting better.

12 upvotes

I know of a D800 and D800E, but never heard of a D800L. Do you have a link?

1 upvote

Bolt is actually way behind the finishing line in that shot, he´s in the curve, so DPR:s caption that he crosses the finishing line at the moment of the lighning is clearly wrong.

Why make these things up?

7 upvotes

You're a very small person, you know that right?

3 upvotes

nothing wrong with caption
30m is same as approaching finishing line

Morin did not want a conventional shot AT the finishing line which would not have the same overall desired scenario as the one showing who was leading on curve before the finish

he had several cameras positioned in different locations
only one location had a lightning bolt in the sky perspective, not the other positions

no one else caught a lightning bolt positioned AT the finising line because it faced AWAY from it !

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 7 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

jeepers. why criticize rubank? he's spot on. juck and sdaniella, no need to marginalize rubank's comment.

this picture was indeed taken past the finish line.
#1 - you can see the curve of the track if you look behind the runner (in the picture, look between bolt's legs and you'll see curved lines)
#2 - you can clearly see the timing stanchion in the background (look at the yellow boxes directly behind the other jamaican runner ashmeade).
#3 - you can see the other pool photographers chasing in the background. if you watch the video, you'll see that these photogs catch up to bolt on the track for the pix.

the caption of the photo is simply wrong. nice catch, rubank!

2 upvotes

You're missing the obvious evidence from the quoted photographer himself: "The remote-controlled camera that took this picture was the fifth of my rig, set pretty far back, about 30 metres, from the finish line. The idea was to make a photo of the winner with his arms raised and with the stadium in the background"

IOW. Yes the DPR caption is wrong.

2 upvotes

DPR edited the word "approaches" to "goes past" 24 hours after 6 comments pointing out the lapse in image labeling and captioning.

Comment edited 23 times, last edited 28 hours after posting this article.

3 upvotes

This is the 100m - there is no bend, except after the finish line. He's finished the race and is winding down, and you can see the photographers running after him to take photos. Read what Morin said - he has set his cameras up to capture the winner as he celebrates while he slows down after the finish. (superfluous post. how do I delete?)

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 4 minutes after posting

1 upvote

Total comments: 35

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