In Gratitude
By Robyn M. Perrin
Thanksgiving in its essence is such an introspective gift of a holiday – a chance to give voice to gratitude.
We at Focal Flame Photography have had so much to be grateful for since our founding. But as a small, locally-owned business, one of the most brilliant benefits of this entire journey has been the ongoing opportunity to witness the character, the antics, and the strength of members of our local community – the Madison, Wisconsin region and surrounding areas.
Take this season, for example. The majority of Focal Flame Photography’s work is in sports photography, and we’ve covered over 21,000 athletes at 23 events and custom photo shoots in 2012. Here are some of the things we’ve noticed:
We’ve seen families and friends cheer on an athlete with such intensity that you could almost feel them pour their own raw willpower into a seemingly impossible task. We’ve seen training partners crossing finish lines together while holding hands and jumping for joy. We’ve seen parents competing alongside their kids; impossible to tell which party wore the broader smile. We’ve seenkids running with their friends, co-workers laughing hysterically as they splashed their way over obstacles and through mud pits, and more than one wedding party that completed an entire triathlon together.
If you’ve become too world-weary watching news headlines about animosity and strife, come out to a local bike trail, or 5K race, or dog jog, or mud run. We’ll show you just how much friendship and love there is in our community.
Work the craft long enough, and you start to see other patterns too. Many of the events we serve benefit local nonprofits or are run by nonprofits. Several of these entities are growing and thriving. The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County (beneficiary of the Madison Shamrock Shuffle) has served 700 children this year (62% increase over 2011) in its summer camp programs for at-risk youth, and 90% of the students in the 2012 class of its AVID/TOPS pre-college program are now enrolled in college. The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, which has long been an effective statewide advocacy organization to promote cycling as a form of transportation is launching its first local chapter in Dane County. Girls On The Run Dane County now offers its 10-week program for girls in over 30 schools, reaching hundreds of students with an empowering, inspiring program. And these are just a few of the stories.
If you have any concerns about the level of compassion within our community, let us show you just how deeply it runs through Madison’s veins.
Today, we give voice to gratitude. We stand in awe of you, of your stories, of your commitment. We celebrate it and honor it, because together – hand in hand - each of you makes our community whole.
Thank you.
From Behind the Lens: When We See Ourselves in Photos
By Clint Thayer
Photo by Monty Montgomery
It happens at almost every race.
A tired participant makes his or her way to the Focal Flame same day event sales booth. I or one of our staff members help search for their photo. Within seconds of their image flashing on the screen, they exclaim loudly, “I look horrible in that photo!”
Then - regardless if the race that day involved bikes or not - the athlete starts back-pedaling.
“I mean, I just never like photos of myself…”
We stand there a moment. Side by side - photographer and subject - trying to reconcile our often drastically different impressions of a photo.
As a photographer, I instantly look for technical details that might be distracting from the quality of the image. Lighting, background, focus. These are issues often within my control. By looking at literally thousands of photos of a single event, I learn what to do differently next time.
What’s not under my control is an individual’s gut reaction to a photo of him- or herself. Sometimes deeper issues like self-confidence and concerns about self-image often come into play.
At a very human level, I can relate. For me, it’s a mental perception. Despite the fact that I’m quickly approaching my forties, I carry about an image of "twenty-something me." When I look at a photo of myself today, I don’t see the person I think I am. I think I’ll see a smiling college kid with a lifetime ahead of him. The Clint looking back from the photo resembles a man moving quickly towards middle age. Quite often, it takes me by surprise.
Some hypothesize scientifically as to why we don’t like photos of ourselves. Photographer Duncan Davidson claims we reject our image in a photo because it doesn’t correlate to the image we see in the mirror daily. Perhaps.
Some organizations are working hard to alter our views of self. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty encourages women to have confidence and feel comfortable with themselves. Girls on the Run, a program to which we've provided event photography services and in which I’m proud to have a daughter participating with this fall, encourages the formation of a healthy self-image in pre-teen girls. I appreciate the efforts of these and similar organizations a great deal.
But some days, when I'm standing next to an exhausted race participant who's trained for months, sacrificed much, and just completed a grueling athletic event, I just want to say something like this:
"That image of you, in that moment, digging deep as you cross the finish line? That's authentic. That's real. That's the face of someone who sweated, and suffered, and questioned whether they could finish at all - AND THEN YOU DID. You know what? I can't think of anything more beautiful than that."
What Belonging to ASMP Really Means
Robert Capa and Alfred Eisenstaedt are probably not names discussed around the family dinner table. But their photographs are.
The Magnificent Eleven, Capa’s photos of the second wave of American troops landing on Omaha Beach, are still printed in history books.
And Eisenstaedt’s photograph of a sailor kissing a young woman at the V-J Day celebration in Times Square is an American cultural icon.
It was the 1940’s. Photojournalism, as an art and profession, was new. The photojournalists of the day, Capa, Eisenstaedt, and countless others, were joining the newly formed American Society of Magazine Photographers. By 1946, the acronym ASMP was well known in the New York magazine and photography world. In 1951, they established a Code of Minimum Standards, the precursor to ASMP’s current Member Code of Ethics.
Set in its proper place historically, it is clear why an ethical code was important for photojournalists. They captured stories through the lens. They told our stories of war and celebration in pictures - stories that have remained.
The photography industry was, and still is, continually re-defining itself. Due to technological advancements, it’s easier then ever to take a decent image and market oneself as a professional photographer. The need for a professional organization is even more important today than in the past.
When starting his business, Focal Flame photographer Clint Thayer noticed a common thread between a few Madison area professional photographers. They were consistently producing well-crafted, story-driven images - and they were ASMP members.
The ASMP, whose full name changed 1992 to American Society of Media Photographers, is stronger than ever. ASMP offers educational resources, workshops, and is a consistently vigorous voice on topics such as copyright, licensing, and photography business practices. Upon investigation, Thayer was impressed with the ASMP’s Member Code of Ethics. He shares, “As a growing professional, I was seeking an organization that would allow the ability to build a business on a well-defined, established list of principles that protects the rights of the client as well as the professional.”
Protecting a client’s best interests and confidential information and stipulating fair and reasonable replacement values for lost or damaged photographs are just two of the principles an ASMP photographer commits to offer their client. “The code of ethics serves the whole community, the clients and the photographers," said Thayer.
"Photographers helping photographers" is a core value at ASMP. The organization undergirds the local independent photographer with a network of support, educational seminars, and staff available for consultation. “Responsibility to colleagues and the profession” is the first section of the ASMP’s Member Code of Ethics. Thayer, who was accepted as an ASMP associate member earlier this year, continues, "The code defines what it means to pick up a camera and use it to narrate the world in front of us."
Knowing your selected photographer has built their business on a commitment to something greater than themselves elevates the standard. Clint Thayer has pledged himself and Focal Flame Photography to a level of professionalism governing photographers since World War 2 celebratory kisses in Times Square. When Thayer narrates the world, not only is the newest story unfolding in front of him. Seventy years of photojournalists are standing behind him.
Guided Tour to the New Focal Flame Web Site
Sometime when you're in the thick of things, it's hard to slow down enough to capture it all. And ever since we founded Focal Flame Photography, being "in the thick of things" has definitely been one of the best aspects of what we do. But after over two years, it was clear: the time had come to update our web site. This was more easily done during the winter season, when the pace of any outdoor pavement-related endurance sports scene slows in the upper MIdwest (although there was plenty of off-road fun to be had, to be sure.) Because, really, hibernating is overrated.
So after many sessions of coffee-fueled writing and coding, we present (drum roll, please) the new and improved Focal Flame web site. For a behind-the-scenes look, here's the guided tour.
Home
The home page has been completely redesigned. Our goal was to present a full-screen slideshow of images with a clean, minimalistic design that kept the viewer's focus on the photographic composition. The navigation bar is subtly placed at the lower right-hand portion of the screen, and social media buttons allow one-click sharing. The photo changes every 10 seconds. Now, try this: resize your browser window by dragging. The home page automatically resizes to fit the new dimensions. How sweet is that?! (OK, we're geeks...but you have to admit, it's pretty cool.) In a nutshell, the home page looks really simple by design, but it's kind of like a sports car: under a sleek hood, there's a lot of power. We've tested it on every browser we can think of and so far it has been bullet-proof and dishwasher-safe, but if you notice any issues please let us know. It's also mobile-friendly for viewing on smartphones and iPads.
Custom Photography
Next, check out the Custom Photography page. We've added some description that helps address many of the most common questions we hear about custom sports photography, and there are links to other pages that describe the process for starting a custom photography project and how you can arrange a session for your sports team or club. We've also added a page about other types of photography services we offer, such as career portraits, family and birthday party photography, weddings, and real estate photography. But the feature that we're most honored to include is the set of testimonials from past clients. Each one represents a custom photography project that was borne out of their determination and dedication as an athlete, and it's hard to express just how meaningful it has been to play a part in recording their journey.
Event & Race
From there, take a look at the Event & Race page. We describe a little bit about our approach to sporting events, because we know that competition day isn't just any day - it's the day that you've been working towards, sometimes for months or even years. You can also see an at-a-glance overview of events that Focal Flame Photography will be covering in the near future. Check back often, because we are adding new events all the time. There are also special pages just for Race Directors/Event Organizers and helpful tips for anyone needing assistance with finding their images and purchasing photo products. The Event Status page provides up-to-the-minute updates on photo availability for events that we've covered.
We'll just take a brief pause in the guided tour to point out that the new site is extremely social. Every page can be shared with your contacts via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or via e-mail with a single click. So go ahead - chat it up.
Commercial Photography
Next, let's take a look at the Commercial Photography page. We admit it - we love visual storytelling, and businesses and organizations are just bristling with both energy and photo opportunities. For several case studies, take a look at the links on the right-hand side of the page.
Fine Art Photography
The Fine Art page is our creative playground. We believe that art is essential, and that fine art photography really does have the power to change the world. In addition to an Artist's Statement by Focal Flame Photography founder Clint Thayer, there are links to descriptions of exhibits and projects on the right-hand side of the page. We have several creative projects in the works at any given time, so check back for updates.
Portfolio, About Us, and Store
The Portfolio page provides several galleries featuring sample images in a range of subjects, and once again, content will be updated periodically. The About page tells a little of our own journey, and also provides a link at the right-hand side to some of our Photolanthropy efforts. (Not familiar with the term "photolanthropy"? Visit the page to learn more.) The Store is, of course, your one-stop shop for dozens of galleries from events we've covered, and the Blog is...well....if you're reading this, you're already familiar with it!
So there you have it. We've tried to illustrate the range of photography services we offer, and the types of creative projects we undertake. Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear them. Just drop us a line.
And as always, thanks for your support. Your passion, dedication, and determination is what inspires everything we do. Let's get ready for a terrific 2012! On your mark, get set.....GO!
To follow these and other stories, join the Focal Flame Photography facebook page and follow us on Twitter!
Capture That Moment
On the eve of IronMan Florida in Panama City Beach, photographer Clint Thayer took an oceanside walk. While a boy played in sunlit water, Thayer re-discovered photography memories from his youth. Here, he shares his thoughts.
I grew up in northern Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. The first subject matter I studied with my trusted Pentax ME Super film camera were 15- to 20-foot storm waves breaking over the ~600 foot long dock in my hometown of Lakeside. For a teenager living in a small town these sessions bridged both my early love of photography, and my more rebellious side. Getting the images I dreamed of involved some small amount of risk, and more importantly, a rhythm. I would stand halfway out on the dock (closed due to the storms) - wait for the waves to hit a specific corner - watch them - crouch down and SNAP! I wasted a great deal of film, and got really wet.
I had almost forgotten these first days with my beloved Pentax until tonight. I was walking along the beach in Panama City on the eve of shooting another IronMan race. As I waited for the sun to dip low enough to paint the sky an amazing spectrum of pinks and reds, I noticed a kid having a little fun in the water. Instantly, I was back on the Lakeside dock. Watch the waves - wait for the right one - there it is - crouch and SNAP!
There were no storms, no 20-foot swells, but capturing that simple moment in time reaffirmed my desire to pick up a camera. In a few days I'll be strapping on photo gear. My field bag is filled with maps, supplies, and my trusted notebook with logistical information needed to capture that moment in time when a human does something truly amazing. And I'll be looking for the rhythm, the motion, and those split-seconds that tell a story.
To follow these and other stories, join the Focal Flame Photography Facebook page and follow us on Twitter!
Announcing the Winners of the "Honoring the Athlete" Contest
Launching a contest is a lot like organizing a new race: you never know at the outset how many people will show up.
In late March, we announced the Focal Flame Photography “Honoring the Athlete” contest, inviting nominees to enter themselves or someone they know to win $700 worth of photography and written athlete history services.
After reviewing the nominations, we have to say, simply… Wow.
We were overwhelmed by the stories that were shared. Athletes new to their sport. Athletes with years of experience. Athletes who began their athletic endeavors at age 40, 50, and beyond. Athletes who overcame loss, injury, disease and circumstance. Amateur athletes who compete passionately while balancing the demands of work, parenting, or both. Athletes who encourage teammates and newcomers, and who give back tirelessly to the community with charity work.
We were moved to tears more than once.
And then the dilemma was clear: how could we pick just one winner?
In the end, we couldn’t. So we’ve chosen one overall winner and three runners-up in the 2010 “Honoring the Athlete” contest. We can't wait to share their stories with you during the 2010 endurance sports season. The winners are:
Overall winner: Ed Peirick
Ed will receive 4 hours of custom sports photography sessions, interviews to document his athlete history, and a story + photo book. We’ll also work with him to develop an article or letter that he can use in his charity fundraising efforts. From the nomination:
"5 years [ago, Ed] lost his home in a fire and discovered he had cancer - all within a matter of weeks! Ed rose to the challenge, recovered from his losses, BEAT cancer and is on his way to competing in his first ever Ironman at the very young age of 59 (or 60?)!‚Ä®‚Ä® Ed is an amazing athlete and friend who has overcome adversity in his darkest of times and risen to the challenges before him….He saw me through both of my Ironman races and trained and competed along side me for many triathlons and running races in the last several years. No matter what his own goals and passions, Ed always had the time and energy to cheer on his friends and support them in achieving their dreams."
Runners-up
Each of the runners-up will receive 1 h of custom sports photography, digital images, interviews, and a 500-word profile. We’ll also work with those engaging in charity benefit events to develop an article or letter for fundraising efforts.
First runner-up: Kitty Cole
From Kitty’s nomination:
"My older brother was a marathoner in the 80's and he wanted me to train and run a marathon with him...which I didn't do because I thought it/he was crazy. My brother died running in a race in Madison and I never got a chance to run with him. At his funeral I promised him I would train and run one marathon to honor him and his passion. With my 45th birthday looming, I decided it was time to make good on my promise. I trained myself and in 1998 I ran the Marine Corps Marathon to celebrate my hero and pay homage to his memory. I crossed the finish line and "got" what his passion was all about. Within a month I was signed up for my 2nd marathon and I have now run 17 marathons and have completed a marathon on all 7 Continents, each one in celebration of my big brother. I've added triathlons (as I think he would have) and am now in training for IM-Florida. I've attempted IM-Wisconsin 3 times, with 3 DNF's for varying reasons so the motivation to cross the IM finish line is very strong. I feel my brother's spirit any time I run or race and many times that is what keeps me going when the going gets tough. I am now 56 years young and plan on running until I get to cross the finish line of a race with a grandchild. As I don't have any grandchildren yet, I will keep training!"
Second runner-up: Darren Fortney
From the nomination:
"Darren is a twenty year cancer survivor. Also, during a back surgery his spine was nicked and he was told that he would probably never walk again. Darren proved everyone wrong and is not only walking, but running, biking and swimming. He completed the Badwater 135 ultra-marathon last July, which is a 135-mile foot race through Death Valley. He used the event to raise money for Gilda's Club. He also organizes an annual ultra-swim in Madison, Wisconsin to raise awareness of water quality."
Third runner-up: Arrietta Claus
From the nomination:
"Arrietta has a PhD in Chemistry, works at UW in the chemistry dept., she is also a Mom with 5 kids ... the youngest are twin boys who just started college ... and now she has time and tonnes of energy for her own training. She is training for Master's Nationals to be held in Louisville in Aug. - and I think she is going to win!! She is a tough, competitive woman with a big smile!"
Many, many thanks to all the entrants. We wish we had unlimited time to work with every single nominee; there were so very many deserving stories.
To follow these and other inspiring stories, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
"Honoring the Athlete" Contest
You know an athlete who has a story to tell.
Maybe it’s an athlete who is working hard to break into the next level – a new competitive class, a championship event, a qualifying race. Maybe it’s an athlete who has engaged in sports to help overcome a challenge: an injury, an illness, a personal turning point. Maybe it’s an athlete who is 23 years old…or 47…or 89.
It could be a teammate. Someone you coach. A triathlete who flashes a big smile after the most brutal workouts.
Maybe it’s your husband. Your neighbor. Your sister.
Maybe it’s you.
Between now and Wednesday, April 14, 2010, nominate yourself or another athlete in the Focal Flame Photography “Honoring the Athlete” contest. One person will be chosen to receive up to four hours of photo session time (valued at $300), personal interviews with our writer, and a 36-page custom story + photo personal documentary book (valued at $400).
Let us know why you think the story deserves to be heard. We’ll help the winner capture a living legacy – one that honors who they are, and what they do.
On Your Mark
There’s no denying it now. The snow piles, which seemed invincible in mid-January, are subsiding. They leave in their wake about half a ton of grit and road salt at every intersection, which makes for lots of flat tires on bike rides and crunchy, tenuous footing for runners. But that doesn’t matter. Spring is here, and it’s a beautiful thing.
This weekend marked the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, and with it another hour of precious training time in the evenings. Teams and individuals everywhere are gearing up for events of the season.
And there are an abundance of competitions in and around the south-central Wisconsin region to enjoy. On the triathlon scene, there is the J-Hawk Earlybird Triathlon, the Wisconsin Triathlon Series, the Racine 70.3 Ironman, and the granddaddy of them all –Ironman Wisconsin. Runners can gear up for the Crazylegs Classic, the Madison Marathon, MadCity 100k, and the Madison Mini Marathon. Cyclists have an abundance of choices, including the Wisport series, WCA series, and ABR series. Possibly the biggest new development for cyclists in 2010 is the inaugural year of the Centurion Wisconsin in Middleton, which will bring up to 3,000 cyclists to the rolling hills of western Dane County.
And those are just a handful of the competitive events available for endurance sports. Tours and charity events abound as well, from the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure to the Horribly Hilly Hundreds bike tour. If you’re in the mood for something really different, there’s always the Syttende Mai Run, now in its 38th year and possibly the only running event in the US to be paired with the Norwegian delicacy of lutefisk. And for the truly insane, there is the MC200 relay – a 200 mi running relay event from Madison to Chicago.
So let’s hear it: what are you training for? Is your team organizing a race, tour, or other event? Are you training for a charity event and raising money for a cause? Share your thoughts in the comments – and enjoy the sunshine!
And So It Begins
by Robyn M. Perrin
You could say that my business partner and I know each other pretty well. We’ve been together since 1993, when we met on my first day of college. Cycling has played a big part in our lives. We started road biking on a whim when a college buddy invited us to a charity bike tour, and felt invincible after finishing 50 km on a hot Midwestern day. Eventually we trained longer and harder, and in 2003 we decided to race as a tandem team.
Which, of course, necessitated a new bike. She was a beauty. Gleaming white with black letters and longer than a subcompact car, we named her Bessie in honor of her bovine lines. She must have felt a kinship with the Holsteins on the farms we passed.
And oh, she was fast. Two people on one bike makes for difficult hill climbs, but on flat terrain Bessie flew. Descents were an exercise in total exhilaration mixed with complete concentration.
It was an amazing summer. We traveled all over Wisconsin, biking nearly every weekend. We won a few races, some due to luck and some due to skill. We hauled up hills, tucked tightly onto Bessie’s back, and used code words for calling out tactics. And we learned from other cyclists – when to surge ahead, when to hang back, how to lead a paceline.
It was awesome.
I wish I could show you a photo. But other than a couple of distant shots snapped by a friend, there aren’t any.
After all, you can’t photograph yourself when you are on a bike. There’s no scarcity of images in my head: landscapes, fellow cyclists, sunsets. But mental images are impossible to share. And in time, they fade.
It was a turning point in our lives. The next year, our first daughter was born, and we stepped back from competition. But as Clint devoted more of his creative energy to photography, he said, “I’d like to specialize in photographing subjects that are passionate about what they do. I want to do something that just feels…totally true.”
I smiled. He’d already been photographing local bike races, and the images immediately evoked memories of our competitive season. Somehow he had captured the intensity and aesthetics of sports in a way that made me re-live it again. The idea of helping athletes share their dedication, joy, and energy was irresistible.
And so Focal Flame Photography was born. Our initial focus is custom sports photography for athletes of all ages and every level. Because we know first-hand that behind every athlete, there’s a tale to tell.
That’s our story. What’s yours?