Wednesday, the 1st, was the day of The Great Big Opening Party. Preparations had been taking place for weeks beforehand, to build the Festival 2018 outdoor event space at George Square, which includes a stage and big screens, a bar area, and a merchandise store.
First, though, I had to attend a compulsory photo briefing. This was the last hurdle to clear before finally being allowed to shoot at the Championships. It took place in a conference room at the City Chambers, the building where we had enjoyed ourselves the night before.
We were introduced to all of the Venue Photo Supervisors, and watched a presentation about each venue.
We learned where the photo positions were at every location, including the prime spots.
They also went into more detail on the technology both we and the organisers will use, including remote shutter releases such as PocketWizards, and the Internet connectivity enabling us to get our pictures sent over fast to our agency and publication picture desks.
After that finished, I headed over to The Flying Scotsman at The Corinthian Club for another media event.
Two young sportswomen were there, Angelina Melnikova (Russia) and Julia Engstrom (Sweden).
The European Championships Nations Trophy was unveiled for the first time. The Trophy will be presented to the winning nation across the seven participating sports.
Once again, there was wine and canapés, including some delicious haggis ones, reinforcing these Championships’ Scottish identity.
(I know you’re probably wondering when the actual work will begin! Well, that’s from tonight. Needless to say, I didn’t over-indulge in the wine. Being awake and alert is an important part of photography!)
Here’s Dame Katherine Grainger, DBE with the Nations Trophy (which swayed perilously on its podium at one point, as a fellow photographer tried to move it slightly for a shot).
In addition to the star athletes competing at the Championships, there were also event ambassadors and stakeholders present.
It was a nice event, in a lovely setting. Here’s a better look at the Trophy…
I took a break for a couple of hours, for coffee, and an initial selection of the shots already taken. The rain started getting heavier, which was a worry, given The Great Big Opening Party happening tonight. Shooting in the rain isn’t comfortable for you or your expensive camera equipment!
At about six o’clock, I headed over to George Square.
The rain was quite heavy at one point, and I had to dry myself and my kit off between sets. I did, though, get some nice frames that I was happy with, including of host, Sanjeev Kohli, and singer, Nina Nesbitt.
