Rick Collins Photography

The time has come to move on to a new blog site. Although we love Big Folio so much - and they will continue to host our website - we think it's time. So this is our last post here. Follow us now at www.rickcollinsphotographyblog.com

This new exciting venture for us was created by the supremely-gifted Glenn Brubaker at Internal Wealth Studios and designed by the ultra-foxy and talented Nicole Brouse.

Bear with me as I get the hang of this new blog and its crazy powerful tool box. As it sits right now I am loading galleries and testing the waters and deciding where to put things. Be patient I'm getting there.

It's been a long, interesting ride so far with the Paralympic Games still remaining. And although I am somewhat fried [picture an advertisement that says: this is your brain on Olympics overload] I am already excited about the upcoming work. Until then I'll be posting some of my favourites from the past few months. This first one is a true behind-the-scenes moment - the kind we were trying to capture at all Games venues. Unfortunately, we didn't quite get the support we needed from the various partners and were only rarely able to get to areas like this. The picture is of Kevin Martin's gold medal curling team in the tunnel leading to the field of play just before heading out onto the ice taken from underneath the spectator stands.

What I find most compelling about these Olympic Games is just how much support these athletes receive from their friends and family. Very few make enough money to live on. This network allows athletes time to train. Isn't it wonderful that the first thing the winning and losing women hockey players did after they hugged their teammates today was to search the crowd for family. Some leapt into their arms. Others gave a knowing wave or blew a kiss.

What I find sad about these Games and our time is how everyone has become a photographer. Great that more people are interested in capturing the world around them, but sad we are all so busy trying to take a picture that we are no longer involved in the moment. Live a little. Put down the camera and celebrate with all your senses.

Only during the Olympics will snowboarders sit and watch curling.