Rick Rickman at reception for "The Wonder Years." Photo Credit: Nina Gomez

Brooks Institute faculty member Rick Rickman’s photographic career has taken many twists and turns. Rickman’s ability to remain flexible and his willingness to seize opportunities as they appear have allowed him to follow this luge-like course that now lands him on assignment at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. This marks his 14^th year photographing the Olympic Games.

“When I first started photography, I was strictly a news hound. I love the excitement of news. Later I did my stint with combat [photography].  When I think about what’s been happening with my career, it strikes me as a bit ironic because I never really had any interest in sports photography.  Personally, I’ve always been drawn to sports because I ran competitively most of my life, played volleyball with some pretty amazing teams and love to surf.  However, the covering sports aspect of my shooting has been somewhat accidental.  I think I’m just good at it because my hand-eye coordination has always been pretty good and my timing is pretty sharp as well.”

Just as the Olympic athletes do, Rickman will rely on his years of training, sense of discipline and physical aptitude to overcome the many challenges that the Olympic Games present for photographers.

“In the past, going on almost 40 years of this kind of coverage, the one thing that poses the most challenging equation is the number of photographers who are credentialed to cover these competitions,” said Rickman. “The number of photographers has increased exponentially and it makes capturing unique images increasingly harder. The other major challenge is staying focused on the important aspects of the games themselves. Each Olympic Games has a flavor that develops. There’s a sense of energy that carries the mood of the games forward. Think of Mexico City, Munich, LA, Barcelona, Beijing, Albertville. Every location has its own character and unique events that shaped how each Olympic Games was perceived. A photographer has to tap into that character to help bring coverage to life.”

For more information about Rick Rickman and to view his work, visit www.rickrickman.com and www.newsportphoto.com.