Hot tech, cool pictures: The photo news of the week

Imagine a candy store. But instead of gummy bears and chocolate, the shelves are stocked with lenses that cost as much as a small car and camera bodies that are faster than a jet taking off. Welcome to the Canon Professional Services (CPS) service room in Milan, one of four locations the camera giant has set up for the Games. Photographer Jeff Cable has given us a rare glimpse, and it is, to say the least, breathtaking.

Here, cameras and lenses worth several million dollars are stored, ready to be loaned out to accredited photographers. We're talking about rarities like the Canon RF 800mm f/5.6 L, for which you'd normally pay almost €20,000. Alongside them are stacked the popular RF 100-300mm f/2.8 zooms and dozens of professional camera bodies. While it's a logistical nightmare, for us photographers, it's heaven on earth. Particularly charming: Canon even has some old DSLR equipment ready. A nice service for the traditionalists, even though Cable notes that he has hardly seen anyone without a mirrorless camera anymore. It's practically a museum from which you can still borrow something for work.

Creativity against AI paranoia

In an era where every overly perfect photo is suspected of being created by artificial intelligence, sports photographers at the Olympics seem to be sending a clear message: Look here, this is real – and it's art. Rarely have I seen such a wave of creative techniques at a major event. From abstract masterpieces created through motion blur to multiple exposures that freeze the dynamics of a jump in a single image.

Two approaches, in particular, stand out. Firstly, the use of thermal imaging cameras. What is usually used for building insulation or in the military provides fascinating insights here. You can see the heat radiating from the athletes after a race – a visual representation of the incredible physical exertion. This is not just a cool effect; it tells a whole new story.

At the other end of the technology spectrum is a photographer working with an old Graflex camera – the type of camera that was probably already in use at the last Games in Cortina in 1956. The trick: the camera has been modified so that the images can be recorded and shared directly on a smartphone. A wonderful nod to history and a delightful counterpoint to the high-tech arms race.

The man who dances on ice

While some rely on a multi-million dollar tech arsenal, one man proves that sometimes all you need is a pair of skates, a steady hand, and a custom-made white tuxedo. We're talking about Jordan Cowan, the first cameraman in Olympic history to move with the figure skaters on the ice for the broadcast.

Cowan is no ordinary cameraman; he is a former competitive figure skater. This expertise allows him to glide backward across the ice while filming athletes with a custom-developed gimbal rig. His goal? To give the audience at home the feeling of being on the ice themselves. He captures the intimate moments – the cheers after a perfect routine as well as the disappointment after a fall. The greatest compliment for him is when the athletes say they didn't even notice him. A cameraman as an invisible, elegant spirit on skates – that's poetry in motion.

This week, the Olympics are impressively showing us that photography is more alive than ever. Between gigantic material battles and the quiet creativity of individual artists, everyone finds their niche to create unforgettable moments.

(tho)