A Robotic Camera Is Helping Photographers Click The Perfect Underwater Shot At Rio Olympics

There is something surreal about images taken underwater. The photographic is extraordinary to look at especially when we talk about the water games at the Rio Olympics. Getty Images is enlisting the help of a robot to guide them to capture the perfect moment preserved in time.

Al Bello is a sports photographer and has captured the events of 11 Olympic games (Wow!). But this year, for the first time, he will be using a robot to assist him in taking picture of diving, swimming, synchronized diving and many other aquatic events.

Credits: Getty Images
Credits: Getty Images

How does it work? The photographers set the remote camera before the games begin and push the button when they wish to take a shot. But for that they need to first visualize the image in their mind and press the trigger hoping that the timing works out right.

Bello and Getty’s robotic camera not only take snaps but also allows zooming, tilting and rotation of the  camera – a Canon 1D X Mark II. The camera is controlled by a remote and Bello can capture an image at a promising moment. The same method was used in London Olympics 2012 by Reuters.

on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credits: Getty Images
on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credits: Getty Images

 

“The robots are just another tool for me to get better photos,” Bello said in an interview. “A robot doesn’t think on its own or come up with ideas. But it can help us get photos more efficiently than ever before.”

You can view this underwater photography by Getty at their new website launched just for the Summer Games, and watch the video below showing Bello setting up the robot being used by Getty.

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