Olivier Morin
Sports | Last Updated: April 4, 2024
My name is Olivier Morin, I’ve been a staff photographer for AFP (Agence-France- Presse) for 20 years, currently based in Italy.
As required daily at AFP, we are cover every kind of event (news, sport, fashion, Economy, features…) in our zone plus international events all over the world when requested, according to our speciality. Mine is Sport and outdoor events and features. That is the reason why I covered every Olympic Games , Summer (mainly Athletics) and Winter (Ice Hockey and mainly Alpine skiing) since 1996, and many other international events like soccer World Cup, Rugby wold Cup, World Championships of Athletics, Alpine skiing, Ice-hockey etc.
Because AFP, as the one of the top International News Agency in the world, propose a production to 4600 clients in about 150 countries, we need to have the tools to provide the most complete, competitive and sharp coverage possible.
I use a Nikon set of cameras and lenses.
In Athletics, as a part of the restricted pool of 5 photographers on the finish line of the final of 100m, in the moat or on the track itself, I use 5 remote cameras (5 X Nikon D4S
) on the track (maximum allowed since Olympics in London), set facing about the finish line at about 15-20 m, with different framings and settings, that I shutter simultaneously either from the foot with a pedal or from my hand hold camera. These remote cameras, like the one hand hold (mounted with the Nikon 200-400mm f/4
), are Wlan-wired live to our Photodesk which captions and validates the photos almost instantly. As an example , 1 minute after Usain Bolt passes the finish line, all the clients in the world have the photos in their server.
The rest of the time, I self edit my photos.
In alpine skiing, this is another combination of lenses and set with Nikon 500mm f/4
, Nikon 600mm f/4
and Nikon 800mm f/5.6
sometimes, and usually very wide angle to contrast the very long lens pictures.
In the Water, I use most of the time the Nikon Fisheye 16mm f/2.8, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 and the Nikon 50mm f/1.4
.
What’s in my bag?
It depends on what I am going to cover but here is what I have daily to go:
2X Nikon D4s
, 1 Nikon D610
, Nikon Fisheye 16mm f/2.8
, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
, Nikon 28mm f/1.8
, Nikon 50mm f/1.4, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8
, Nikon 80-400mm f/4-5.6
, Nikon 200-400mm f/4
, Nikon 500mm f/4
, Nikon 1.4x teleconverter
, 1X Nikon Flash SB910
, Sony A6000
with pancake Sony 16mm f/2.8
and Zeiss 16-70mm f/4
. GoPro Hero 3 Black
, GoPro Hero 3+ Black
.
Remote system: PocketWizard
Multimax PLUS III, 50m of cables for remote shuttering when possible.
For general water activities, I use soft housing Outex (not pictured), very versatile , light, practical to have in the bag permanently.
For waves or harder conditions, Water housing Liquid Eye C1950 for Nikon D4s
, with fisheye front port and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
front port. For deeper job, I use also a Nimar housing for the Nikon D610
.
Sometimes and only when necessary, I fly either the Sony A6000
to my custom Drone to complete a production, or/and the Bebop Parrot
(I have been a Bebop Parrot
ambassador since last March 2015). This one is very light weight, small and good quality to be part of my “go-to” daily bag for news coverage.
1 X Monopod carbon Gitzo GM2541
.
1 X mini Gorillapod
, 1X Manfrotto mini tripod.
2 X Manfrotto Magic Arms 
for remote cameras.
4 X Lexar Compact Flash 1066X 16Gb and XQD 32Gb (not in the photo)
My warm go-to outdoor long vest Dryrobe, after or during water or snowy work.
1X Walkstool
My daily bags are a Think Tank Airport ultralight V2.5 and a Think Tank Airport International V2.0
.
I use also sometimes F-Stop Tilopa black with XL inside split for alpine Skiing and other reportages where I need to carry on the gear on the shoulders.
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