FREEZING ACTION AT THE BEIJING WINTER OLYMPICS

The saying goes, "You can't be everywhere at the same time."

- Mark Edward Harris

But for sixteen days, those covering the Winter Olympics camera-in-hand try to be. This means surviving on instant noodles and sleep deprivation.

I'm with a team of photographers here in Beijing from the international photo agency Zuma Press to document the Games. We discuss over late-night cocktails in our home away from home, the beautiful Crowne Plaza Sun Palace in the heart of Beijing, or via WhatsApp, who's going to cover what the next day. While the athletes are vying for the gold medal, we are going for the photographers' version of the grand prize – the coveted covers and double-page spreads of magazines and newspapers around the globe.

Photographing the Winter Games means not only trying to freeze a dramatic moment in time but attempting to do so while not freezing ourselves in the process. An almost two-hour delay for the start of the Men's Giant Slalom due to a snowstorm caused me to fail in the latter.

In order to get to a premium camera position up the slalom course, crampons were required to keep from sliding offinto the abyss. Unfortunately, once up there, having my right index finger protrude out through my shooting glove for extended periods of time was enough to cause a minor case of frostbite. The hand warmers tucked inside my gloves worked for my palms, but what I really needed were finger warmers, and I'm not sure there is such a thing.

My Nikon Z9 was better protected on the photographer's platform than I was with its Think Tank Emergency Rain Cover. I also kept a spare battery and my cell phone in inside pockets to keep them relatively warm. Batteries drain faster in colder weather