In sub-zero temperatures, Ryan Pierse has to get on hands and knees for the perfect shot. As a photographer for Getty Images, he’s tasked with capturing the once-in-a-lifetime moments that occur throughout this year’s PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Aussie Gold medals? He’ll be all over it.
With that huge responsibility, he isn’t cutting any corners – he’s brought with him more camera bodies, lenses and hand warmers than should be physically possible – and he’s given us a look at exactly what kind of tech he’s carrying around.
When Ryan lays out all of his gear flat on the floor, you get a good feeling for just how much work goes into the stunning images that you see all around the web during the Olympic Games. Laying all his camera gear out, he carries three Canon camera bodies, plus nine different lenses and the associated gear necessary to get the transfers done.
Remarkably, Ryan and the Getty staff can get a publication any image they’re after in under a minute, from right there on the slopes, inside the arenas and next to the ice. That also requires some nifty tech and, of course, a whole lot of memory cards.
You can see his entire range of camera gear below:
- 3 x Canon 1Dx Mark II camera bodies
- Canon 16-35mm f2.8 lens
- Canon 24-70mm f2.8 lens
- Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens
- Canon 200-400 f4 Lens
- Canon 135mm f2
- Canon 50mm f1.4
- Canon 80mm f1.4
- Canon 15mm fisheye
- Canon 24mm f1.4
- Canon 1.4 x Converter
- Canon WFT-08 Transmitters
- Ricoh Theta 360 Camera
- Expo Disc for White Balance
- 3 x Spare Camera Batteries
- Canon Wireless Flash Transmitter
- Pocket Wizard Transceivers
- 1 Canon EX600 flash unit
- Mac Laptop
- 10 x 32GB CF Cards and CF Reader
- 5 x Cfast Cards and Cfast Reader
- Griff Gear Laptop Screen Shade
- Mini Tripod
- Gitzo Monopod
- Think Tank & Aquatech Rain Covers
- Think Tank Roller Bag
- Crumpler Roller Bag
- Lowepro Backpack
- Lowepro Sling
More than just carrying the gear to find the perfect shot, Ryan has to also contend with the weather, possibly some of the coldest ever seen at a Winter Olympics, with temperatures dipping well below zero and achieving highs of seven degrees Celsius. He’s dressed to the nines in cold weather gear though, which he lays out below:
- Spyder Eiger Insulated Jacket
- Mountain Hardware StretchDown Jacket
- Spyder Coaches Bib
- Nike Hoody
- 5 x pairs gloves
- 3 x beanies
- Neck Warmer
- Balaclava
- Snow Goggles
- Hand, Finger and Toe Warmers
- Mammut Gortex Boots
- Suncreen, Lip balm and hydralyte
With the right gear and the right tech, all that’s left is to find the right photo.
The results speak for themselves. Here’s a couple that he’s taken in the lead up to the event.