Behind the Lens: Thinking on Your Feet
by Clint Thayer
I recently had a master class assignment in which the premise was to toss you outside your comfort zone. We were to imagine that all our photography gear had been lost in travel yet we still needed to “nail the gig” sans lighting equipment. The gig was simple - but it still needed the bare minimum of lighting to be an effective piece.
Photographers often hold a fundamental rule: carry two of everything. But sometimes circumstances don't work out in your favor and you're left with the only thing you can’t really lose, forget, or misplace... you.
I grew up in rural northeastern Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie, a travel destination for vacationing families. A local tourist trap named Mystery Hill was prominently placed to lure travelers in on the way in or out of the beachfront areas in Ottawa County. Though no longer in operation, the 2-story-tall, garishly painted fiberglass dinosaurs at the entrance of the Mystery Hill and Prehistoric Forest roadside attraction just begged to pull you and your 9-year-old kids in. The place existed primarily to suck the cash right out of your wallet.
After a quick stop at the ticket booth you were sent to me: a young tour guide working a summer job to earn cash for college. My responsibility as a tour guide was to use my wits to give you and your family an “unforgettable” afternoon. The gag of Mystery Hill was that the building was constructed on a 45 degree angle to the ground and surrounded with tall fences. It was constructed to immerse the participant fully in the sensory illusion of water appearing to run uphill, building angles that didn’t make sense at first glance, and the like. As I walked guests through the slanted house using phrases like “7thwonder of the world” and “UFO crash landing site” I could often see the hint of dismay arise on Dad and Mom’s face. (The kids, in contrast, were usually happy as clams.)
Every photographer who has been shooting long enough has seen at least one moment like this - a flicker on a subject’s face that might indicate loss of trust, confusion, questions, and maybe even anger. Making a photograph is a dance between subject and photographer, and even Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers stepped on each others’ toes from time to time. The vulnerability of those moments is never fun to experience, but it’s times like those - the uncomfortable moments - that remind me of Mystery Hill and those moms and dads. If I had never learned how to read a situation, accommodate the unknown, and set people at ease and start them laughing again, I doubt I’d be half the photographer I am now.
That’s the moment you lost all your photo gear. The moment when you lost your primary and secondary camera, the lights, and the assistant. (Yep - I always pack my assistant in my carry-on luggage. Rollers make it easy!)
It forces you take a step back and think. Not about the mistake (there will be time to pick that apart later), but how are you going to pick up the pieces in the moment and move forward. It helps to have life experiences like good old Mystery Hill to fall back on, but don’t just rely on that. It’s never a good idea to self-induce this situation with your trusted clients. Plan ahead. Pick a free afternoon and stage a “worst case scenario.” Plan as far as you feel you need to gain some experience but make it really, really tough on yourself. Then put your mock “gig” in action, take yourself far outside of your comfort zone, and see what happens.
Here are some things that have always helped me:
- Keep a positive attitude. It’s the root of success, and if you don’t have it in the worst of times, you will fail to turn around the situation.
- Trust yourself and the people you work with. If you are spending more time questioning yourself, that’s valuable time lost to finding a solution.
- Always, and I mean always - arrive early. Time is your biggest asset aside from the grey matter between your ears.
- Really understand light. Know how light works through common materials like glass, plastic, and bed sheets.
- Last, and likely least, know where the closest convenience store is located near you. I’ve saved an entire day’s shoot with one stop at a Walgreens.
You might find the more you push yourself into the uncomfortable zone - the more it might feel... comfortable!
Commercial Product Photography for Rocket Bicycle Studio
Focal Flame photographer Clint Thayer is gifted in capturing movement. His photos ofcyclocross athletes in action were featured in the January 11th Isthmus insert for the 2013 Cyclo-Cross National Championships, which were held in the Madison area the following weekend. But the fact remains that every moving bike becomes a still life with the click of the shutter. To leave a lasting impression, each photograph needs to be a work of art. Peter Oyen, owner of Rocket Bicycle Studio, recently tapped into Thayer’s knowledge and experience with bikes for his product photography needs.
Since its founding in October 2010, Rocket Bicycle Studio (RBS) has held a core value of “Fit First” - meaning that no matter what level of cycling an individual pursues, from triathlon, cyclocross or even commuting, a proper pre-bike fit is very crucial. Towards this endeavor, Rocket Bicycle Studio has partnered with SBR Coaching, which holds exclusive license to the GURU Dynamic Fit Unit in south-central Wisconsin.
Darla Hofmann, a recent Guru bicycle purchaser through Rocket Studio said, “I had heard a lot of great things and how happy peer athletes were that had the Dynamic Fit with Rocket Studio Bicycles. I have a lot of confidence in Jessica Laufenburg (SBR Coaching) and Peter Oyen, (Rocket Bicycle Studios) so I scheduled my appointment.”
Hofmann's order of the custom Guru started with finding the proper frame size and adding the parts and components she’ll need for her upcoming challenge, IronMan Wisconsin 2013. Personalizing the purchase experience involved choosing paint schemes and colors, colored bar tape, and wheels. Oyen said, “This makes Darla Hofmann's bike all that more unique, different, and creative. The bike is an extension of her, and each customer’s, personality.”
Small business photography plays a critical role in illustrating this process. Capturing the unique personality of each customer as expressed through the creation of their new bike is where Focal Flame Photography comes in. Every custom bike takes roughly six weeks production time. Toward the end, RBS schedules a photo shoot with Focal Flame owner and professional photographer, Clint Thayer.
Thayer shared that his goal is to highlight the bike’s story and singular nature. The gears. The paint job. That specially chosen handlebar tape. And because Thayer can concentrate on both the scale of both the bike as a whole and the detail of every component, commercial product photography shoots for Rocket Bicycle Studio allow the ability to focus on both small product photography (gears, brakes, drivetrain) and large product photography (the bike in its entirety). This is in addition to mindful treatment of product photography lighting.
Thayer’s eye for composition and abstract art makes Focal Flame the logical choice for Oyen’s product photography needs. Oyen stated, “The bikes are works of art. Not 'just a bike,' but more than that.” Thayer’s experience with Miksang photography gives him insight into how an image can represent something bigger and create a strong positive emotion or feeling.
Each new owner is presented with three professional 8x10 photographs of their bike on the day of pick up. One might call these “birth photos” for the new proud parent commemorating the bike’s homecoming. Like photos of a boat hanging in the executive’s office reminding him or her of good times to come, RBS customers are delighted with the photos of their bike and what they represent. Darla shared, “The photos from Focal Flame were such a great surprise!! I can't wait to get a couple of them matted and framed....they are a piece of art that I will be proud to display. They were definitely the icing on the cake!”
Focal Flame Photography is proud to assist Rocket Bicycle Studio in honoring the creation of each custom bike. And we commend RBS’s ingenuity in using product photography to enhance their customers' experiences.
Are you a small business owner? Interested in innovative ways that photography can provide value to your customers? Contact Focal Flame Photography today!
2012 by the Numbers: The Pace Isn't Slowing at Focal Flame Photography
We have learned first hand how important numbers are to athletes. Common phrases include, “Is my time better than the last race?”, "What was my average pace this season?", and “How many miles did I log this year compared to last?” When it comes to keeping track of metrics, we wholeheartedly share this interest. Here at Focal Flame Photography, we've been doing a little end-of-the-year reflecting ourselves and thought we would let you know some of our stats.
In the area of event photography, Focal Flame Photography cranked it up from serving 8 events in 2011 to 22 events in 2012, a 275% increase! Our photographers took 43,665 photos at those events in total and 85% - or 37,907 photographs - met our standards for lighting, focus, and composition.
Translation: Racers had better photos.
Reducing the time it took to get photos into race participants’ hands was a priority for 2012 and our pace quickened dramatically. This year, we processed photographs for events with up to 4000 racers in 24 hours. Photos for events with less than 1,000 racers were often ready for purchase the same day.
Translation: Racers had faster and improved access to their photos.
With the improved speed at processing photographs, Focal Flame Photography was able to offer two brand new event services in 2012: Same Day Sales and complimentary photos. Our Same Day Sales tent, offered at six events, provided racers the opportunity to view, select and purchase a print of photos of the race they had just finished. Race participants left each event with a photo in hand of their accomplishment. We like to envision those prints in homes and offices across the Midwest.
Additionally, we were able to work with some race sponsors and directors to offer complimentary digital photos for select races. These digital images were not "free," but rather sponsored by event directors and/or sponsors who wanted to provide race swag that is completely personalized, environmentally friendly, and way-cooler-than-a-plastic-water-bottle. The response for the complimentary photos was enthusiastic. One race director received over 60 emails after one event alone. A customer shared, “Getting free photos from a race is unheard of. I have been awarded free race entries, but never a complimentary image, much less all of them. Thank you very much, this is greatly appreciated!” We look forward to extending these services to events Focal Flame Photography covers in the future.
Translation: Race directors now have choices.
Focal Flame entered 2012 known to specialize in sports photography, but we also focused on increasing our offerings in other areas. In 2012, we offered career headshots (professional portraits) to both individuals and staff photographs for entire businesses. Given today's competitive job market, career portraits are an investment in your own future, and we loved hearing not only how much our clients appreciated being able to show their professional selves to the world on LinkedIn and their business web sites, but also how much they genuinely enjoyed the photo shoots.
We even expanded into other areas, such as pet photography! Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post about a VERY fit athlete who just happened to have four legs (er, paws).
Though December through February are typically off-season months for sports event photographers, the pace at Focal Flame Photography has not slowed. We’ve been busy planning for a fantastic 2013 season. We’re getting calls and emails daily from race directors making plans for 2013. (Thanks everyone! And if you haven't contacted us yet, please do so quickly so we can reserve space on our calendar.) In the process, we are finding our 2013 schedule is filling very quickly.
Finally, we have to give a shout-out to the outstanding staff here at Focal Flame Photography. As a small, growing business, we believe in creating local jobs and rely on the skills and professionalism of our employees to deliver outstanding service to our clients. Our professional editor, photography assistant, and sales staff are top-notch and work very hard to help make sure your experiences are enjoyable from start to finish.
Thanks for being part of the journey in 2012, and we look forward to a fantastic 2013 with you!
The Best of 2012
The recent blizzard here in Madison has given us reason to slow down, curl up with some hot chocolate, and reflect on 2012. Wow! What an amazing year it's been for Focal Flame Photography. We'll be sharing some numbers next week that will explain that a bit more, but for now we thought it might be fun to tell the year's story in photos. Here's what we consider to be a few of the best of 2012!
Focal Flame Photography was founded to share our passion for sports photography and enable our desire to help athletes tell their story through photographs. This shot, taken during the Madison Capital Criterium, which was the final stage of the 2012 Tour of America's Dairyland (T.O.A.D.) race series, reflects the determination and intensity we see time and again on the course.
When you sign up for an event we're covering, Focal Flame Photography considers you the most important customer of the day. We go to great heights to fulfill our commitment to each participant and every race director - sometimes literally. This photograph shows the start of the Dane County Girls On the Run 5K in November 2012, and was taken from a ladder truck kindly made available by the Waunakee Fire Department.
We love Madison - a city that is bristling with kinetic energy. There are action photographs to be made on every corner. This photograph shows the elite women's field at the Madison Capital Criterium during the Tour of America's Dairyland on July 1, 2012.
By instinct, photographers are people watchers. We look for moments that need to be preserved forever. This was one of them. Read more about the impact this photo had on us.
Focal Flame Photography will capture you when the race is hard and you're giving it all you got. And we'll also catch you when you're simply falling into fun! This photograph was taken at the Dirty Dog Mud Run on October 6. After a long, hot summer, the 45 to 50-degree F temperature that morning took some racers by surprise, but this team of friends wasn't daunted.
Don't worry....We'll seize that moment when the real you sneaks out! Here, Ryan Griessmeyer of Race Day Events LLC shows a game face. (Have no fear, folks. He's a teddy bear at heart.)
The intensity required to persevere through a competition often mirrors the courage needed to face life's challenges. This image of custom sports photography client Michael Thompson shows him during a pivotal moment on the IronMan Wisconsin bike course. Can you see the thousands of hours of training, the mental preparation, the support from family and friends, and the depth of concentration captured in this instant?
Kids are the ultimate in high-intensity action, and when it comes to teamwork, families can be a coordinated force to be reckoned with. (Heck, many families could give consulting advice to professional sports teams about logistics and coordination.) In 2012, we've been honored to increase our portrait and family photography services. Witnessing the dynamics of people in harmony with one another has been truly meaningful.
Thank you everyone for making 2012 one of the best years we've seen yet. What are you looking forward to in 2013? Let us know in the comments!
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.
IRONMAN WI: Michael Thompson Gets it Done
by Kim Rankin
“Strong and steady” were the words Madison, WI photographer Clint Thayer used to describe theIronMan WI performance of custom sports photography client Michael Thompson. “He never stopped, but just kept going.”
When Thompson crossed the finish line Sunday night, a support team of family and friends were there to meet him. Not letting himself or his team down was Thompson’s motivating goal from the beginning.
“I know there are going to be spots that will be crappy,” shared Thompson before the race.“I’m not obsessed with how long it takes. It’s a matter of getting it done. When I get to that point when I don’t want to go, when my body says I can quit… I don’t want to be the person who says, 'I couldn’t find a way to overcome.'”
The desire to overcome life's challenges is something Thompson shares with his brother, Chris, who has battled cancer. “My brother told me his personal goal is to be able to stand up out of his wheelchair unaided as I cross the finish line. He’s going to be there to give me a hug. So when I’m out there on the course, and I don’t want to move forward, I’m going think of him, of how he struggles to get up out of his wheelchair. I’ll go forward. I'll get to the end.”
Going forward is something Thompson did amazingly well all day Sunday. His performance on the bike was especially outstanding. “He flew!,” said Thayer as he narrated Thompson's IronMan through the lens. Thompson entered the 112 mile bike leg of the race ranked 280th in his age division. He left his bike ranked 191st. While reporting from the course, Thayer said “He is passing people like crazy. He came over the climb at Midtown looking strong and digging deep.” Thompson wrapped up the day with an equally strong marathon, averaging eleven minute miles.
Thompson’s road to IronMan WI 2012 started with a run five years ago. He did the CrazyLegs Classic, an 8-km race, with a group of friends - motivated primarily by the free beer at the end. “I started big, fat, and lazy,” he said, “but realized after running a bit with a buddy that I was losing weight. Hanging out and running with friends encouraged more interest [in sports].”
Thompson entered his first marathon in 2007. He completed two triathlons in 2009, the Lake Mill Sprint and the Olympic distance race of the Wisconsin Triterium in Verona. In 2011, Thompson completed the IronMan 70.3 Racine in just over six hours. His girlfriend, Jodi Hemp, was also instrumental. Hemp and Thompson have been together for over ten years. "She encouraged me to sign up for IronMan WI," said Thompson. "Without her support every day, I would not have made it."
Thompson’s buddies took that encouragement and created a goal. Travis Welch (Ironman WI 2008), Shawn Killebrew (Ironman WI 2009) and Brett Fenner (Ironman WI 2010) were vital to Thompson’s motivation and training for Sunday’s event. “We talk daily. We run or bike every time we're together,”said Thompson. Jessica Laufenberg of SBR Coaching was also instrumental in Thompson’s preparation, planning every workout from December 2011 until IronMan Wisconsin on Sunday, September 9, 2012.
“Anyone who says they do this by themselves is lying," said Thompson. "Everything your support team says and does every day makes it easier or harder to reach the goal.”
Congratulations to IRONMAN Michael Thompson, his brother Chris, and Team Thompson for turning goals into reality!
For more stories about dedicated athletes fueled by passion and determination, join Focal Flame Photography onFacebook, Twitter, and Google +!
Training for a sporting event? Ask us about custom sports photography - we'd be honored to help document your journey.
Nathan Labecki: Cyclocross Photography at the National Art Museum of Sport
By Robyn M. Perrin
Walking through the National Art Museum of Sport evokes an odd sensation. Wherever the eye gazes, it is met with images of athletes – sprinting, swimming, hurling javelins, launching themselves into full-body tackles. Amidst so much motion, it hardly seems appropriate to stand in stillness and take in the colors and textures of the human figure.
Hugging one wall of an exhibit named “Speed and Motion: Racing to the Finish Line,” a fine art photograph is displayed as a five-foot-by-nearly-four-foot canvas. Entitled “Focus,” it shows a cyclocross racer. The compositional elements include strong lines and angles: an oblique tree trunk frames the right side, a slash of red barrier tape provides a directional blaze, and bike handlebars tilt to support the rider’s powerful pedal strokes. Mud draws the viewer’s attention. It is spattered across everything – glasses, bike components, helmet, face.
And that face itself is a study in determination. Gazing at the path ahead, the rider is fully immersed in the throes of competition. His entire figure is poised to explode with forward momentum. A competitor is visible a mere bike length behind him.
Who is the subject of the photo? None other than Nathan Labecki, an up-and-coming cyclist from Milwaukee, WI. Labecki was in the fall semester of his senior year of high school when the photograph was made by Clint Thayer in September, 2011. Nathan’s love for cycling was encouraged by his father, Jay Labecki, who shares a passion for the sport. Throughout Nate’s high school years, father and son had trained together and traveled to race after race – not only in cyclocross, the human steeplechase of the cycling world in which riders traverse unpaved courses and carry their bikes over obstacles – but also road cycling and mountain biking.
“There’s never a bad day on a bike,” said Jay, while describing Nathan’s experiences at the USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross National Championships in Madison in January, 2012. The Championships were plagued with an unusual warm spell that made the course the consistency of modeling clay, followed by a cold snap that left stone-hard 3-inch-deep ruts. Nathan started the day intending to race on tubular tires, a type of racing tire that is glued directly into the rim – fast, but leaving no options to swap the tube if the tire flats. The tires did flat, but thankfully during the warm-up.
“It worked out,” said the elder Labecki. “He’s a strong rider.”
Strong, indeed. Nathan spent the spring of 2012 racing in Belgium. “He had a good series of races,” said his father. “He took a 3rd place in one of the races, a 4th in a field sprint in one of the other races, and led his teammates out for several good finishes.”
Nathan spent the rest of the summer competing in the U.S. and Canada against some of the fastest juniors in the world. Jay Labecki said that during the Tour of America’s Dairyland, Nathan “…was on the podium everyday, won the Downer Avenue race, and in the end took the overall yellow jersey for the Junior series.”
It’s no wonder that Labecki was recruited by Marian University – which, like the National Art Museum of Sport, is located in Indianapolis. Marian runs one of the most competitive cycling programs in America. Now, nearly a year after “Focus” was taken, Labecki is racing at the collegiate level for the first time. He is planning on racing at upcoming National Championships in multiple disciplines, including track, mountain biking, cyclocross, BMX, and possibly road cycling.
When asked about his thoughts on his son leaving for college, Nathan’s father paused for a moment. “We’ve biked together for so many years,” he shared. Although he is overjoyed at his son’s successes, “When he leaves for Marian, it’s not only a matter of seeing my son leave the nest. I’m also losing my training partner.”
But, in “Focus,” the intensity of Nathan’s competitive spirit as a junior rider on a brilliant autumn day remains forever frozen in time.
Editor’s Note: “Focus” is one of six works that have been displayed at the National Art Museum of Sport. All are available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds supports the museum.
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.
Professional Headshots
Getting quality professional headshots in Madison, WI used to be something only actors worried about. But in our increasingly visual age, where LinkedIn is the new business card and networking though Facebook might lead to the next job interview, people in all fields need a professional image.
Professional headshots, also referred to as corporate headshots or business portraits, have one purpose: to present a powerful visual element that coincides with business or personal goals. The professional headshot offers instantaneous association between an individual's professional persona and their image. By authentically reflecting a person’s personality, the portrait can increase personal and career branding.
These exact reasons influenced Kim Beck Seder’s decision to have her picture taken. Beck Seder, a graduate student, had been awarded a scholarship by the American Musicological Society. “I decided to get a headshot taken since the governing body in my field wanted to put a picture of me up in front of everyone at the annual business meeting. I figure it can’t hurt to have a professional photo taken to be displayed in front of so many people, some of whom might be interviewing me for a job in the near future.”
In addition to her very specific need for a headshot, Beck Seder realized some future employers may request a photo along with her application. Other uses of professional headshots include social media and websites, corporate publications, and promotional newsletters. Presenting a consistent professional image that communicates BeckSeder’s personality was important and influenced her selection of a photographer.
Needing professional headshots taken in Madison, WI area, Beck Seder turned to Focal Flame’s photographer, Clint Thayer. She said, “I know Clint’s work and his passion for capturing excellent images – still or moving. I also knew we’d have the flexibility of doing the photos outside, which really suits my personality and lifestyle. One of the things I really like about my favorite headshot is that I look professional and engaged, but also youthful and energetic, which is needed in my field.”
The importance of facial recognition to personal branding can not be underestimated. The unifying element between the LinkedIn page, the personal website, and the face-to-face handshake is a quality professional headshot. Thayer, who has shot dozens of professional headshots in Madison, WI for UW Department of Medicine, points out, “The value of a headshot is that it captures an individual visually just as a resume portrays them in words.”
Beck Seder concludes, “I definitely think I made a good investment in having these photos taken. The professional image you send out in the world is more important than you think.”
Looking for a professional headshot photographer in Madison, WI or Milwaukee, WI? Contact us today! Join the conversation on the Focal Flame Photography facebook page, Twitter feed, and Google+!