Olympic Torch in Bognor Regis

16th July 2012 and the Olympic Torch arrives in the seaside town of Bognor Regis, West Sussex. Despite the prospect of rain the crowds turned out of force to line the High Street. The public gathered and waited; the torch bearer getting closer and closer, and so the rain came too and got harder and harder. What a summer! Union Jacks matched umbrellas in number as the torch finally came into sight. The crowd cheered, waved and I stood on a small set of steps, Olympus E PL3 in hand with the Lumix 20mm ready for the flame, still alight - well just.

The whole occasion was a great photo opportunity. The people of Bognor, colour and the sense of anticipation were very evident. I like street photography and this gave me some shots I enjoy. I hope you will enjoy them as well.

Olympic Torch bearer braves the elements

He's here at last and everyone is soaking wet but enjoying themselves.

Olympus E PL3 20mm f1.7 at f3.5 1/320 ISO 320

Union Jacks for sale

Selling Union Jacks on the streets of Bognor Regis as the crowd get ready to greet the Olympic Torch Parade. Oh what a happy occasion!

Olympus E PL3 12mm f2 at f4 1/160 ISO 200

The warm up act

The band play rock to entertain the growing crowd in Bognor Regis. The torch bearer is coming!

Olympus E PL3 12mm f2 at f2.5 1/400 ISO 200

GB forever!

A patriotic lady has come fully prepared to enjoy this once in a lifetime event.

The Olympics grab the heart of the nation.

Olympus E PL3 12mm f2 at f2.5 1/1600 ISO 200

No its not Christmas, but people arriving for the Olympic procession

It could only be Bognor Regis.......

Olympus E PL3 12mm f2 at f2.8 1/250 ISO 200

Union Jacks for sale

C'mon buy a Union Jack........it will make us both happy!

Olympus E PL3 12mm f2 at f2.8 1/640 ISO 200

Will the torch be here soon?

It won't be long now, we'll wave our flag and then get a movie for you to watch.

Olympus E PL3 12mm f2 at f3.2 1/160 ISO 200

Waving the flag outside Henry Adams 

An estate agent joins in the with the spirit of the event.

Olympus E PL3 12mm f2 at f2.5 1/250 ISO 200

Union Jacks everywhere

This time they have a practical purpose as this couple shelter from the rain.

Olympus E PL3 20mm f1.7 at f2.8 1/250 ISO 200

The flame stays alight

The crowd are loving this; smiles, applause, cheering and waving - if only the sun was shining.

Olympus E PL3 20mm f1.7 at f3.5 1/320 ISO 320

The torch moves on

All over so quickly. An hour or more of patiently waiting as the heavens open and the Olympic torch heads towards its next destination.

Olympus E PL3 20mm f1.7 at f4.5 1/320 ISO 320

Apart from the photos of the torch bearer all the images were captured using the E PL3 and the Olympus 12mm prime lens. So sharp and fast, ideal for the conditions. It also allowed me to get quite close to my subject which is always necessary in a crowded situation. 

This type of situation again made me start to think about my camera of choice for the future. The Olympus OMD EM5 would make great use of the prime lenses I already have and if purchased with the standard 12mm to 50mm kit lens, it would offer a weather proof option with even better quality than the E PL3. It would be ideal for situations like these, but then the E PL3 does a pretty good job already. It can be a little difficult to grip at times and the controls are fiddly and easily changed unknowingly but the results are very good for a small and discreet camera. Alternatively do I really push the boat out and just trade in the Nikon DSLR gear and buy the new Canon 5D MkIII with a selection of L lenses? Full frame, great quality images and just about every feature I could ever want. A tough decision, so I shall continue to dither and for now I will just enjoy the images from today.