Robot cameras snap splash shots in Rio - CNET

"It's revolutionary from our point of view," Pretty said during a phone call from Rio before he prepared to shoot Friday's events. "With these cameras we can cover the whole event as you would above water, only it's under water."

The cameras are attached to the floor of the pool using suction cups and operated from poolside using a remote control that resembles an Xbox video game controller. Pretty relies on a laptop computer -- as well as his instincts -- to snap swimmers coming into frame in split-second fashion.

The cameras have great flexibility. Using the remote control, Pretty can spin, zoom, tilt and pan the cameras. Pretty says that allows him to get tight shots and close-ups in ways we could have never imagined.

"When I first got my hands on it, it was like getting a new toy," Pretty said, adding he didn't know what to do with it at first. Now, he said, "this is pushing me to test my limits."

Pretty, from Sydney, is covering his fifth Summer Olympics and has two decades of professional experience. He says the technology has given him the license to make changes during races in real-time in a way he couldn't before because the camera swivels and pivots. This allows him to reduce the margin of error.

"Rather than plan for one shot, I can get the whole race," he said. "We have a very small window, but if I want to get Phelps doing his dive in the water, I can position the camera and then say, 'Bang,' I got that shot!'"

With two swimming sessions lasting several hours each day, Pretty said there's immense pressure and spirited competition with his rivals to get eye-catching images. As many as 10 photo agencies vie for underwater shots. Each agency is allowed one camera in the pool at a time.