To get things done, photographer Annice Lyn needed mental strength to break through weariness, stress and expectations—much like the athletes of the Winter Olympic Games
In Beijing, Annice Lyn knew she had to be prepared mentally as well as physically. Having covered the Summer Games in Tokyo last year, she learned that covering the Olympics takes a lot out of a photographer.
Apart from having the strength to lug around 21 kilograms of gear on long walks and “a lot of stairs” on 14- to 18-hour days, the former Malaysian national figure skater made sure to tap into self-discipline for this year’s shot at the Winter Olympics. At night in her hotel room, she resisted the urge to crawl under the sheets and give in to sleep. Instead, she checked her gear, did her backups and charged everything so that “when you wake up, your equipment is equally as recharged as you are”.
The photographer ended her days at 2am and woke up at 6pm for the hour-and-a-half morning bus ride to the venue. Every minute was important so strategic planning was key: reply to emails in the first 30 minutes, check on family in the next, and study her schedule in the remaining time. There were more bus rides of one to two hours in between venues throughout the day. And on the ride back to her hotel, she dedicated 45 minutes to start backups and the rest of the time to sleep. Then, she did it all over again.
Picking up on a different energy
Annice Lyn took time out to speak to Tatler one Thursday morning as she was still at the Beijing Winter Olympics, calling from one of the tables in the main media centre—a.k.a. the MMC, which she describes as a safe haven for photographers and editors, and which is equipped with a camera station (in case you need help with equipment), food and a robust internet connection that allow people to get things done.