I must put my hand up in the air and say I had never heard of David Burnett until the 2012 London Olympics, when I saw his amazing work with this Graflex Pacemaker 4x5 Speed Graphic film camera. And for those that don't know what that is, it's a massive sheet film camera that was used by old press photographers in the 1940s.
But this camera has been David's signature piece since the mid-2000s, and he has proceeded to produce outstanding work with it for the International Olympic Committee for no fewer than four Olympic Games!
Since finding out about David and his work, I checked out his Instagram – and then I saw it, the Eiffel Tower background in all its glory with the Volleyball pitch in the foreground. I know that everyone is talking about that Olympic surfing photograph, which equally deserves recognition, but for me, as a film shooter, this is the Olympic image that has won over my mind, heart and soul.
Below you can see the rich swing of the 4x5 camera image on David's Instagram account in full motion, offering a dreamy effect towards the center of the image with the volleyball pitch in peak focus.
On Instagram David had this to say about his image, accompanied by a fellow sports photography legend:
"Ran into Bob Martin, the inventive and unstoppable sports shooter at Beach Volleyball again this morning. Between us we have about 25 [Olympic] games – photographed with both film and digital. The mechanics have changed (no more peering at a camera whose counter is on 26, and wondering and calculating if you better change film NOW – before something happens) but the exhaustive search for great pictures never slows down.
"What's wonderful about the Games (as in life, I suppose) [is] the events and things which you might not be most enthused about often bring the best pictures. So you can never let up. Sitting with Bob Martin today high up in the photosphere facing la Tour and the exquisite Beach Volley court, we voted on, and agreed that this locale might just be THE most iconic view of Games & Location in all the years, and hemispheres, we’ve been shooting. It’s a sight to behold!"
I mean, what a story. Two renowned sports photographers, sitting up high in the stands watching it all going on, David Burnett equipped with his Sony A9 III (I think) attached to the unique vintage Zenit Helios lens, and Bob Martin with a Sony A1 – and David Burnett still has time and composure to capture the action on his 4x5 camera.
As an old pro sports photographer, I find it remarkable and humbling that these two are still giving it their all to produce outstanding images for us all to enjoy!
They're not as large as large format, but the best medium format cameras still offer supreme image quality. And make sure to take a look at the best film cameras if you feel inspired by Burnett's artistry.
