Capturing the Action at the Indy 500 with Chris Owens

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chris Owens (00:00):
If you see all the photographers are standing over

(00:02):
there, you go somewheredifferent because now you have a
one of a kind new differentperspective that doesn't exist
in the world except for yoursbecause no one was there but
you.
Pick somewhere new.
Go somewhere new.
Go somewhere different.

Raymond Hatfield (00:16):
Hey, welcome to the Beginner Photography
Podcast.
I'm your host, Raymond Hatfield,and each week I interview one of
the world's most interestingphotographers to learn what it
really takes to capturebeautiful images so that you can
start to do the same.
In today's rewind episode, weare chatting with the director
of photo operations for IndyCar.
Yeah, Chris Owens about what ittakes to shoot the Indie 500.

(00:40):
But first, the BeginnerPhotography Podcast is brought
to you by Cloud Spot Clouds Spothas everything you need to build
a thriving photography business.
Impress your clients, deliver aprofessional experience and
streamline your workflow all inone platform.
Grab your free forever accounttoday over@deliverphotos.com and
only upgrade when you and yourbusiness are ready.

(01:01):
Now, I know that the Indy 500 isa big deal all around the world,
but it's especially so, here inIndy during the month of May.
The 8,500 is the biggest singleday sporting event in the world.
So today I chat with Chris Owensabout what it takes to
photograph an event of this sizeand this caliber and speed with
cars whizzing by you at 230miles an hour.

(01:23):
Where you don't have time tofigure it out on the fly.
It's a fun conversation.
And side note, since thisoriginal conversation, I've had
the chance to meet Chris inperson on a few occasions and
he's one of the nicest dudes youcould ever meet who genuinely
wants to share his knowledgewith those who share his passion
being photography grew.
Great dude.

(01:43):
So with that, let's go ahead andget on into today's interview
with Chris Owens.
Chris, thank you so much forcoming on the podcast

Hey Raymond, thanks for having me.

I am really excited to get into this,
episode, obviously living herein Indianapolis.
I'm actually kind of atransplant to Indy.
But growing up, my family's beeninto racing, so I've always
known of the Indy 500.
So moving out here was reallyexciting.
And this year, actually, afterhaving been here for, seven
years, was my first time goingto Indy.
And it was,

it was,

it did, it did, but it was an amazing
spectacle, to actually see inperson and then to find out that
you, who I've been following onInstagram for a long time for
that reason, To actually see youworking was a really cool thing.
But before we get into, like Isaid, the logistics of shooting
an event like the 500, can youshare with the listeners how
you, first got your start inphotography?

That's kind of a, there is really a few ways.
It's, kind of interesting.
I more sometimes say thatphotography kind of found me.
Growing up as a kid, I went to alot of events and of course car
races, which kind of explainswhere I am today, but, I was
always gifted a disposable 35millimeter camera when we go to
those events and, I was sopassionate and so interested in,

(02:56):
like, Indiana Pacers and, NBAbasketball and car racing and
all that growing up.
It was really important to me tocapture these events on this
camera, and it wasn't, thecamera wasn't something I was
asked for, it was just given tome.
so that was really great to beable to not forget, which is a
lot of my relationship withphotography, I think what also
interested it.
And me growing up was just Ididn't want to forget some of

(03:18):
these special moments So, youknow between that and then
actually early childhood thestrangest thing I was actually
gifted as well as like a toy i'mtalking like four or five years
old This old like german cameramy grandfather brought back I
guess like my parents didn'twant to mess with it or wasn't
important to them or whateverbut This was literally in my toy

(03:39):
box.
I can remember like walkingaround and like marking things
up with this camera andliterally saying the words, you
know, make it work, make itwork.
I knew it did something.
I knew it wasn't just, you walkaround with this.
So I think that like, that wasreally in bed with me at a young
age.
And then, um, actually as ajunior in high school, they
offered a photography class, atschool and.

(04:01):
I instantly knew whenever Iheard and you know, saw that was
on the list.
I was like, yes, I will be veryinterested in this.
because I had already, you know,been shooting all these things
with my disposable 35 millimeterand also, even like buying them
with allowance, which is kind ofweird for a kid to do, you know
There's all this stuff, but

I did the same thing man.
I'm right there with you

Yeah, and I I remember I actually had even
these 35 millimeter negs wherei'd set toys up in the yard And
moved them and shoot like triedto make a flip book Of course I
had like no tripod and Out offocus and everything so it
looked horrible.
But um, you know thatphotography class i'd always
been being so young.
I wouldn't say a photographer,but I had an interest in new of

(04:44):
Photography, so, once I gotgoing in that, things just
really took off I had a greatphotography teacher, lenny
beyerwalter at high school andhe was just super supportive of
my Just me being overzealous forphotography, which it's quite a
bit stranger from there So aftertaking that class and you know
being a senior in high schooland making these like life

(05:05):
decisions of like What am Igonna go to school for?
What am I gonna do?
Well, as I'm kind of goingthrough those moments in life,
kind of started to venturetowards media, which is kind of,
obviously in the same realm, butradio.
And, then with the day yougraduate from my high school,
they give you a letter.
Okay.
That you don't remember becauseyou write it to yourself when

(05:27):
you're in fourth grade.
All right.
So I opened this letter and I'mlike, this is the coolest thing
ever.
What is fourth grade me going tohave to talk about.
What's that?

You don't remember writing this letter at
all?
I

mean, now I do.
I do now.
But when you're a senior in highschool, you don't remember, you
didn't remember that I waswaiting on you.
Does that make sense?
Of course.
Until you get it and you go, ohyeah, we did this years ago.
So, you know, there's some predrafted questions that teachers
make up for you and to how doyou answer?
Well, mine was, what do you wantto be when you grow up?

(05:59):
Don't ask me why.
Some reason on this day I writea ESPN or Sports Illustrated
Photographer.

No way.

It gave me chills.
It shook me.
I was like, this is weirdbecause I'm really right in my
life.
I'm really interested in thephotography.
And then that's when I think Ieven realized that at that age
of 18, like, This is somethingthat's kind of been with me for
a while.
From there I got to school andstarted doing the radio and the
media thing and I was like No,i'm a photographer because all I

(06:31):
was doing in my free time wasrunning around taking pictures
so from there, you know, I justkind of started to pursue my
passion for photography.
I've always photographed myfriends and just snapshots are
my favorite.
I know that sounds awful becauseeverybody's trying to be an
artist and they're trying to getall these creative images and I
am too but I find that I get alot of those by just messing
around taking snapshots.

Yeah.
Yeah, I get that that's anincredible story.
So before we actually get intohow you started working at the
indianapolis motor speedway Canyou tell me first what your job
title is?
entails

At the speedway.

Yes

Yes.
Okay.
So i'm the manager ofphotography for the inneapolis
motor speedway and indycarseries And that has a lot of
responsibilities and a lot moreresponsibilities than the fun
part, which is shooting.
Um, There's some days I feellike i'm lucky to get out there
and shoot but I have anincredible staff that helps with
that.
So I guess sorry to back up Youto answer your question, just to

(07:31):
say a little bit about what I dothere, I guess, as the manager
of photography.
that would involve Selecting allphotographers who, uh, for my
staff, for the IndyCar and IMSstaff that go to all IndyCar
races, picking their traveldates, you know, making sure
they get hotels, all that kindof stuff.
coordinating shoots, bookingshoots for our studio days where

(07:52):
we do our like white backdropmedia portraits.
I shoot day to day whatever popsup and most of what my job is is
pop ups.
So that will be like so and sofrom the Indiana Pacers is
dropping by.
We're gonna take a tour of themuseum and go for a pace car
ride and all that.
I'm your guy.
I'm there.
So when you see the picture onTwitter, Instagram, Facebook,

(08:15):
uh, or the spill at thebeginning of the YouTube video,
that's something that me or mystaff, shot.
Yeah.
From there, just, yeah.

I think that sounds like a dream job for a
lot of people.
A lot of people love thecreativity of photography, but
maybe they're they don't want toventure into the business side
of things and I think the ideaof of working under a company or
something to still be able tocreate what it is that they want
to just sounds amazing andmyself included.

(08:46):
I think this sounds very cool So

yeah, and it is but I will say as a photographer is
huge adjustment for me To gofrom being a staff photographer
and having people, Being justbeing a shooter, you know,
that's a lot different I couldhandle that and I I did handle
that and I love that And I lovebeing obviously in a manager
role, too It just means a lotmore emails and a lot more

(09:13):
meetings and planning.
And really when it's event time,every time that you're out
shooting, doing what you love,that's actually a moment you are
getting behind on planningtomorrow's, a front row photo
shoot, and it comes down tolittle things like making sure
there's chairs, they're makingsure there's a flag of the
nationality of the pole sitter.

(09:34):
I was running around the officesat Indianapolis Motor Speedway
at 5 a.
m., frantic, the day of thefront row shoot, looking for
Simon Paginot's French flag.
There's a lot of things peopledon't understand, yeah, about
that.
If you want a role like this,obviously starting as a beginner
in photography, but if you wantto grow into a role, something

(09:56):
like this, they do exist, I'mproof of it, but you just have
to know that shooting becomesthe thing.
Sometimes you're far too busytaking pictures to even go take
pictures, if that makes anysense at all.
No, it does.
Taking pictures that arerequired parts of the job.

Yeah, yeah, so thank you for sharing that
that's a great insight into yourposition Can you tell me now how
this job became available foryou?
How you found out about it andhow you pursued it?

Well, I first basically my first introduction
to the Indianapolis MotorSpeedway was like 2004, I think
I was 14 or 15, a youth group,at school, which, you know, I
wasn't a part of, but I wasreally into car racing and drag
racing and all that as a kid.
So I, living in Indiana, youknow, this Indy 500 thing,

(10:45):
right?
Like you were talking aboutearlier, I'm just like, you know
what, I need to check mark offmy motor sports adventure list.
I want to go with these people.
So I'm like, yeah, I'll go, I'llgo.
We went, they sent us there, wewere supposed to flip burgers,
like in a, uh, one of theconcession stands for the youth
group or whatever.
I see.
They said somebody needs to takea break first.
I was so jacked up about theplace, like, I'll take a break

(11:07):
first, you guys work, I'll comeand shift, you know.
I left with a few friends.
We never came back the wholeday.
They were, pissed.
The bus was waiting on us.
Like, it was full.
All the kids were mad.
We left like an hour because wewere over, like, trying to beat
Victory Circle.
So, you know, that, that really,watching those cars, anybody who
has been to a professional carrace, or especially the Indy

(11:30):
500s, seeing those cars comepast you for the first time,
you'll never forget.
It's incredible.
And, at the same time, I havepictures from that day because I
had my disposable, you know?
Yeah.
So, these wheels were turningfar before I knew.
You know, from there, kept goingto the race.
And as I got, as a senior inhigh school, like we were
talking about, May's when yougraduate, May's during the 500.

(11:52):
I'm thinking about it, Iremember sitting and turning
through with my camera going,There is a person who works
here, this is their job, to takethese photos.
I couldn't never have this jobbecause someone has it but I
could have a job like this oneday I remember telling myself
that in the inside of turn threeand from there ended up
transferring Really to be closerto Indianapolis the city and the

(12:15):
track I've always loved thetrack transferred to
Indianapolis to go to art schoolhere just started knocking on
the door out there at the track

Really?
Like you showed up.

Yes, like showing up I showed up twice there and
the manager of photography thattime director of target.
He wasn't there But I was givena phone number and an email
address Started sending to thatstarted sending that wasn't
hearing anything back Andreally, all I wanted to do was
try to build a portfolio and, bea fanboy at the same time, get

(12:46):
pictures of my favorite racecars and race car drivers.
And, after doing that longenough and sending those emails,
just being persistent, just keepgoing like, monthly sending an
email.
Hey, hey, hey, just because Iknew I had one shot.
So, um, if they don't respond,you keep going.
And I would tell that to anyphotographer, that wants a

(13:07):
position.
Sometimes people, they're notignoring you or stuff.
They don't like you.
They're just busy.
And I feel horrible because ithappens to me.
Sometimes people are like, Isent you an email on May,
whatever, a random April weekendwhen I'm in Long Beach shooting
Long Beach Grand Prix.
And I'm like, I got 40 emailsthat day and I was doing another

(13:27):
shooting as well.
You know?
To finish up on that though, howI got there eventually, I was
working, selling cameras andalways kept, at a retail store
and I always kept a portfoliobook on the table.
Right.
because as a photographer, youshould always be promoting
yourself and show, you know,showing your best work.
And I always wanted, to keepthat there, hoping maybe I could
land a job from that inphotography one day.

(13:47):
right person saw it and said,these are great race car
pictures.
I should show these with myfriend, who is the director of
photography.
No way.
With a speed light.
I was like, yes you should,because I've been trying to do
that, for a year, and so, youknow, she did.
I was lucky enough that thatperson came into my life that
day and did that and sent thatemail.

(14:08):
I don't know if, he owed her afavor or what, but he responded
that day, said, I look at yourpictures on your Flickr.
I love them.
They're the kind of thing we'relooking for.
because at this time,photography, and especially,
photography is kind oftransferring from digital to
digital.
There's still some guys thatwere, they weren't shooting
film, but they were fresh todigital cameras in this, you

(14:28):
know, in 2007.
They've been under 10 yearsshooting digital.
So from there, I got in just asa volunteer.
I would, take time off work,unpaid, just to go out there and
try to shoot every day.

Okay, actually, I got two follow up
questions for you.
One of them, you talked about,being persistent and following
up and keep sending emails.
As somebody now who's in thatposition, who is continually
getting emails, is there, a fineline between being persistent
and being pushy trying to followup?
I know that's something that alot of

I'm not sure.
And I'll tell you why.
for me, I like to be, if someoneis trying to offer me something
that, Maybe sounds great andit's great, but at that point in
time, I can't use or maybe, mycredential allotment is up.
I'm not allowed to add morepeople or things like that.
you know, or I can't shootsomething for them that they

(15:23):
need shot.
For me, it's just important to,to tell them, tell them quickly,
be fair and be transparent andclear and say, Hey, look.
Thanks for reaching out.
I can't do that for you rightnow.
So I think that's also up towhoever you are trying to be
persistent towards Yeah, they'reanswering you or they're not
giving you clear answers mepersonally that's my
personality.

(15:43):
I would say, hit them up keepreturning on your thoughts until
they tell you until they areweak and say yes, or they decide
they do need what you have tooffer, or they just say, Hey,
look, I'm sorry.
We can't do that right now.
I've had people do that to me.
And, I think that.
I would say, yeah, be, you know,you don't, I don't know that you

(16:04):
want to send some eight emailevery day saying, Hey, I'd love
to shoot for your product or,Hey, I would love to be on,
shoot for your, team companybrand, but, um yeah, I would say
do it until you get a yes or no.
Right,

right, right.
Okay.
I gotcha.
that's a great answer.
So this is what you did.
You finally got the opportunityto show up and volunteer your
time.
Were you following somebody orwas it, Hey, here's your
credentials.
You can just walk around andshoot whatever you want.

I gotta be honest with you.
I had no idea what I was doingat first.
I couldn't believe that broughtme on.
I've looked back at some of thepictures I sent as portfolio.
They were like, a lot of themwere like out of focus, you
know?
I think that they acknowledgedthat they needed new blood.
They needed to keep rotating andgetting new photographers, new
styles.

(16:55):
But at first I really didn't geta lot of attention paid to me
and I contribute that I actuallythink that that really helped
because it was literally like Imean I was 19 years old they
were like, yeah, man, here'syour credential Don't go over
the pit wall.
Don't get hit by a car thingslike that, which is easy to do,
it's easy to stay out of the wayBut um, it was kind of those

(17:17):
things So stay out of the wayand come back with some neat
pictures.
I did it I mean I was hardlycoming in and sitting down I was
just out shooting all daypopping whatever I thought
looked neat, Taking trying toget a unique perspective really
without even knowing I wasbecause they'd all been doing it
So long a lot of them were doingit the same way.
Yeah, I really contribute beingnot having assignments at first

(17:40):
my first year or two not havingassignments not having anything
You I was responsible forallowed me to go out and kind of
make great pictures.
So I hope that answered yourquestion.
I already forgot what you're

It was when you first started, did you have
assignments or were you kind ofoff given free reign?
And, uh, you did answer that.
So, let's transition a littlebit because now You're in this
position.
So let's talk about the 500 the500 indianapolis 500 is arguably
the probably the most highprofile event that you guys
shoot at the speedway I mean,

without a doubt, it's one of your larger single
day sporting events or claim tobe the largest single day
sporting event in the world.

I did not know that.
That's interesting.

Yeah.
I mean, there's events thatbring in more people.
And festivals and things likethat, but it might be over a
weekend or a week or like theolympics, More people that's
kind of going but for like aneight hour day.
It's the time Yeah, it's themost people it's the biggest
single largest sporting singleplay sporting event in the world
it's right here in in indianaright here in speedway where I
live every year

every single year.
So For an event like that.
How far out does Preparationstart for the 500 for you.

That is also interesting because for us it
can be almost a full year effortand why that is Is because when
you think about what would makesense is yeah a few months
before we should really startramping up and transferring our
lenses and our computers andloading in and all this stuff
and starting to think aboutshots from our creative

(19:10):
standpoint and marketing whichthey do earlier in the year but
Us sitting down as a team andstarting to talk about it You
think about us doing that a fewmonths before but the reality is
a few months before we'realready working a car race In
st.
Petersburg, florida the streetrace, the grand prix of st
Petersburg or the long beachgrand prix, uh, we're in

(19:30):
birmingham alabama You know, wehave a schedule the list goes on
so if working on the IndyCarside, that is, the IndyCar
series is a championship justlike any other sport, but they
travel from event to eventinstead of playing team to team,
it's event to event trying towin.
So yeah, I mean, a few weeksbefore the 500, I'm in another
city shooting a car race.
So that, that makes it verydifficult.

(19:50):
You're doing a lot of yourplanning on, Wednesday,
Thursday, Monday or Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday, because
Thursday, Friday, Saturday,Sunday, you're off in another
city.
You have to make quick, quickdecisions and, you know, you
have a lot of long hours andthat's something you'd have to
be committed to, to have a jobin

politics.
Of course.
And I think if it's somethingthat you like tried to pursue,
that makes it probably a littlebit easier to do those long days
rather than just kind of takinga job because it was the only
thing available.

A hundred percent.
I truthfully, I'm lucky enoughto say I worked very hard, We've
all had jobs, and we all havejobs, and we work.
I haven't really worked in along time.
You know what I'm saying?
Of course.
Because of what you just said,when you do what you love, it
doesn't feel, you said ityourself best, it doesn't feel

(20:38):
as much like work, and it's funfor me all the time to when I
met, a party or with friends ormeeting new people, I have a lot
of pride in getting to say whatI do when they say, well, what
do you, and it's, it's, that'sgreat feeling in life to be able
to do that, but somebody say,well, what do you do?
And just to go, I'm a race carphotographer and just watch
them, watch them just be like,what this person is an

(21:01):
accountant and there's nothingwrong with that.
Or this person, does heating andcooling.
What do you do?
I take race car photos.
Well, what do you do?
Like that's it.
That's how I get It'sincredible,

right Absolutely, absolutely.
I had the fortune of believe itwas two years ago now
photographing when Red Bull cameto Where was it just I guess
that whatever what's the otherrace

or the motorcycles?

No, no, no, no.
It was their, like, WorldRallycross that they were doing.
They had, like, a Rallycrossseries.
And I had the fortune to be ableto go and, like, shoot that.
And it was an incredibly taxingday.
Like you said, you're on yourfeet all day.
The race isn't very that long.
It's a bunch of different legs,so you got to really be prepared
and preparation was a huge thingthat I had to learn to expect,

(21:46):
right.
To look forward to there.
But at the end of the day, myfeet were sore.
I was sweaty because it was like200 degrees that day and it was,
I didn't even do anything withthe photos because it was just,
so like, enjoyable for me, thatat the end of the day I felt, I
felt fulfilled.
So, you're absolutely right,you're absolutely right.

That's where a lot of my work starts is, Whenever
you're done, I then am like, youhave to sit down and crank out
because you're working for themedia as well.

Yeah, yeah.
No, I definitely want to getinto what happens after we
photograph the images, but realquick, I want to go back again
to kind of the prep side of theIndy 500.
So how many photographers are,under you?

Currently I have somewhere between 15 and 20
photographers, and that kind ofcan adjust.
Yeah,

well Those are like staff photographers?

They are staff photographers, and you might
ask, why would it take thatmany?
That was my next

question

Yeah, I mean lot of people think that what i'm doing
So how about this going outtaking the pictures of the race
cars?
That's the easiest part That'swhat everybody wants to do that
is like this much of what isneeded for my job because you
know whenever you're shootingfor a company and this might be
interesting to anyone who'sinterested in any kind of Event
photography or shootingsomething they're passionate

(23:56):
about, What I'm doing issometimes what I'm responsible
for may be like, hey, we needpictures of beer sponsor is
having a party in a paviliontent during qualify.
I need someone to go over thereand take a picture of their
event or what's going on whilequalifying check presentation

(24:17):
type thing is going on.
You know what I mean?
So obviously someone has tocover that because it's the
racing That's why we have jobsand we're there but at the same
time there's something elsegoing on and then while that's
going on there may also whoknows be something that's
important to the marketingdepartment some poster
autographed poster giveawayThat's going on at the same time

(24:37):
because at these events, there'sthings going on for different
demographics of people atdifferent times.
we have requests throughout thewhole company.
Someone from facilities may sayto me, Hey, we need a picture of
every branded garbage canbecause that brand paid a lot of
money to have their namesstapled on every garbage can You
didn't think about stuff likethat.

(24:58):

I did not

all this is going on what on a friday Practice
session while you know, there'sa lot going on.
It takes a lot of people andlike at this point I have
myself.
I love race car photography Ihave so many, photographers on
my staff who are so talented atrace car photography You what's
really important to us is ourstaff the most valuable right

(25:21):
now are the staff that can goout and take a picture of a
Hospitality event after hoursguests doing track laps things
like that Those are the kind ofthings that are less, glorious
about the job.
People here sometimes are like,oh, yeah Well, I'm up at or you
know, you're out shooting racecars and having a good time and
doing all this stuff It's likeI'm also there at 7 a.

(25:43):
m.
With of a sponsor while theytake Uh, two seater ride along
pace car laps.
That's not as cool as being in avictory circle for the Indy 500,
but it's part of the job and, Igot where I am by paying my
dues, volunteering and doingthose things.
and that's how I'd say part ofhow I got the call for the job,

(26:05):
was because there was a timewhere I, left Indianapolis.
I moved to Fort Wayne, to behome for about six months.
The Speedway would still callme.
They thought I lived inIndianapolis.
They'd say, Hey, on a Wednesday,they'd be like, Hey, can you
come take pictures of thesepeople?
Doing Pace Lab rides on aWednesday in October tomorrow.
I'd be like, yeah, I drive twohours just to go down just to

(26:28):
stay in good graces and to showthem that I was committed to
them And that's the kind ofdedication you have to have
Those kind of jobs

And you said how many years it took you to do
that kind of get the attention?

Yeah, let's see.
been about three years of doingthat until, um, you know, they
got to the point where thedirector of photography had
retired.
And they kind of started lookingaround for a I guess lack of a
better term a new and youngperspective and they called and
asked me if i'd come in and talkabout it and I lost my mind That

(27:02):
was the coolest day of my lifeAt that point.
It was pretty awesome.

Yeah.
No, I can imagine I can imagineThat is an awesome story for
those who have never been whohave never had the ability to go
to the Indianapolis MotorSpeedway, it is, it's huge.
So I did a little research andwithin the walls of the IMS, you
could fit, it's like the RomanColiseum, all of Churchill Downs
where they have the KentuckyDerby, all of Liberty Island

(27:26):
where the Statue of Liberty is,the Rose Bowl Stadium, which is
the second largest collegefootball stadium, the Taj Mahal,
the White House.
And the entire Vatican City, oh,and Dodger Stadium, all of this
can fit within the walls of theIMS.
It is massive.
So, on race day, for the 500,there's no way that you could

(27:49):
possibly shoot everything.
How do you decide what getscovered and what doesn't?

Yes, Also to follow up when you're saying how big it
is, Sometimes it will be pouringrain in turn three.
We will be on the front stretchand they'll call a yellow flag
for safety.
And we're like what's what'swrong?
It's a sunny day over here.
It's that big.
I'm not kidding.
That's not a joke That'sincredible three and three and
you look and there's like acloud over there.

(28:15):
But um, your question is how doyou choose what to do?
How do you get it all?
How can you attempt to get itall you can't it's too big Too
and too big of an event and toomany things going on First off
that's why obviously we work ona staff.
But um, like you said it's aboutpreparation there's not a whole
lot of time to prepare during anevent like this because I'll be

(28:36):
shooting the day before a coupledays before the 500 or even the
day before the 500 I have eventsto shoot and sometimes you're
not leaving there till 9 or 10at night done with your product
with your photos editing and allthat.
So, you know, you're not goingto stay there longer.
You can, I have, but to planthings, you've got to do a lot
of this earlier in the month anda lot of what it comes down to.

(28:57):
seeing what other photographershave done saying, Ooh, this is
great, but they, that's a nicephoto that somebody took in the
500.
They kind of missed this.
I would have done it this way toput this in.
So basically.
lack of a better term.
I don't want to say stealingother people's images, but all
creative thoughts and images,they've all already been made.

(29:21):
The only thing you can do iselaborate and make yours and
make a different way.
What kind of others have done.
And sometimes in the process,you make something that you've
never seen.
And that is new and fresh.
And to me, that's the bestadvice, on being creative, and
doing something new.
But for me, really doing thatimage investigation from what
I've shot, from what others haveshot in years past.

(29:44):
How do we make it better?
Cold day in the winter whenthere's not as much going on,
going somewhere in the facilitythat you have an idea for of a
car, where a car would look ontrack or where the fans are
going to be.
I've done that a dozen timeswhere I'm up in the stands with
a camera and.
know

That

might work.
I have to wait till people gethere.
I have to wait till there's carson track But um, preparation
just being prepared thinkingahead Throughout the year
keeping notes.
I like to kind of keep a nextyear's 500 note on my computer I
recommend anybody who shoots anevent or shoots a regular
reoccurring event does that Doit when it's fresh, you kind of

(30:23):
jot it down, and then by thetime you get ready to
investigate it, if you canremember what your notes mean,
you can, you know, you might beable to make something neat,
from it.
Also, my rule of thumb is, Tostart really This this might
sound silly too, but kind ofplanning equipment even the day
before I know it's a stretch butum, even like, you know before I

(30:47):
go out and do something I usedto have an issue a lot where I'd
get out to a point like oh, Iforgot the polarizer I forgot
this I forgot that You reallyhave to almost make yourself a
shot list, which is, you know, apersonal shot list.
Obviously we have one for allour photographers, but one for
you.
What do you want to achieve andwhat equipment are you gonna
have to take with you?
I've been known to make a smallon my phone.

(31:10):
I'll make basically a small listof, I mean, this equipment for
the day.
And that's, that's how you don'tforget it because it's crazy
running in and out the doorshooting assignment needs to be
uploaded quick.
You walk back out the door andyou go, I forgot what I was
going to bring with me.
Yeah, hopefully that's some goodadvice on preparation, but it's
for sure, you know, it's veryhigh paced doing the racing.
It's just, it's crazy becausethere's so many items on a daily

(31:31):
shot list.

Yeah.
So there you go.
mentioned the shot list.
I kind of want to know a littlebit more about this.
Does each photographer havetheir own?
Like, region of the, speedwaythat they have to cover, and
then things within that, or isit all free reign?

No, it's not free reign, and it's kind of all over
the place, and back to, when youfirst asked me some of the
responsibilities of my job, thisis one of the hardest days of
the year.
The day before the 500, I have ahandful of things I shoot in the
morning, and then from there, Ijust, I kind of shut off,
because, I have to make, I don'teven know how many items, it's
well over a hundred item shotlist, okay?

(32:09):
And that is things from,credentials has, assignments
that they, for me, they wantthings shot for their next
year's ticket.
Something specific, or their,their ticket or their lanyard.
You know, ever facility, likeback to facilities, I just don't
have the garbage cans, all this,all that stuff I was talking
about, that is all on this raceday shot list.

Oh my goodness.

So I have, it's like making a puzzle that
nothing fits, but you have aknife.
So you're able to like kind ofbend all the pieces and make it
flat.
That's kind of like what makingthe Indy 500 race day shot list
is.
And I mean, there's everythingon this from who's responsible
for shooting, The dead centercar coming in at victory circle,

(32:51):
you know, and who's going to getthese milk shots all the way
down to Yeah, who's going totake the trash can?

Yeah

So, um, that literally takes me an eight hour
day That takes me a full day toput everything that everyone
that works in our company thathas an image request that they
need onto one document piece ofpaper.
it's like triple padlocked in abriefcase.
So I don't lose it.
it's very It's it's um,

yeah important right to the speedway and a lot
of people

just going out taking pictures, man You know
and and this is kind of wherepeople who do want to start
something in photography have todecide is that your kind of
workflow?
Do you want to work like that?
You know?

Yeah, of course.
And it was you who, uh, do youplan yourself in the great
chats?
Cause If I remember right, froma post that you put on
Instagram, you were the one whophotographed, Will Power last
year, drinking the milk thateventually went on the, uh,
everybody's tickets.
Is that right?
Yeah,

I mean, that's kind of the perk, right?
I've got a couple things that Ikind of planned myself.
I mean, that would be

framed in my house.
I would keep That's totallyright,

if I have to do all the work.
Yeah.
Yeah, so I normally take,obviously being the track
photographer, the seriesphotographer, IndyCar, I
normally do the dead center low.
Yeah.
car coming in, the celebrationof the winner, and What's really
though is great is I have ourstaff photographers peppered all
throughout that grandstand, toget the winner.

(34:15):
And they get better stuff than Ido.
They get great shots, they getincredible stuff.
Yeah, I mean, really just havingan amazing staff of guys is
what, that's what makes me lookgood.
Those guys are awesome.
And then I get to do the thingsthat I wanna do as well because
of them and wouldn't be able todo it without them.
And we've just grown so much.

(34:35):
We're getting really good, man.

Yeah, that's awesome to hear.
I mean, every photo that I seecomes out is just like, it's
not, the old NASCAR photos thatI saw growing up in my uncle's
garage.
Like, this is new.
Oh, it's art, man.
It's fun stuff.
It kind of brings me into mynext question, which is
obviously when you're shootingfilm it costs a lot of money or
at least it costs money when youtake a lot of photos.

(34:58):
It costs a lot of money sohaving the ability to shoot
digital You kind of have thisfreedom to be able to play
around to add more context toyour photos And ultimately what
we're trying to do with thephotos simply just tell a story
within a single frame so I wouldimagine that a photo of a car
going, 230 miles an hour aroundthe track can only tell so much.

(35:20):
How do you incorporate morestory into your images?

That is interesting and it's kind of evolved for me,
over time.
There was a point in time wherefor me, Just getting the image,
the car in the frame and hittingit sharp.
I was like, hell yeah, turn thatin.
But as time goes on, I've kindof explored myself.

(35:43):
with different, you know,different techniques of doing
that.
what I like to do, in the lastfew years ago, what was really
big to me was I wanted to startshowing more of the racetracks.
So where a lot of people aredoing what I said, they're just
zooming in with a zoom lens,they're getting a shot of the
car still.
to tell its story, I was kind oftrying to do more of these big
sky shots.
Car small at the bottom, bigsky, and incorporate some

(36:07):
motion.
Slow shutter speed.
photography, which is anotherthing obviously to look into,
but you know, showing motion inthe images any way you can,
showing a little more of thevenue, that's kind of what's,
important anymore, me.
and then from there justgetting, you don't always have
to shoot the car from the back,or from the front, sometimes you
can shoot the car from the back,you know what I mean?

(36:28):
Any angle, any photographer, anyrace car photographer who's
truly invested.
These guys, they're likecockroaches.
These guys are crawling all overeverything.
They're up in the streetcourses.
We're up in the buildingslooking down where, you know,
we're, you're laying on theground and shooting through a
crack through a separation inthe wall.

(36:48):
and it's really, that's animportant thing to tell
beginning photographers is, um,that's what makes a good
photographer.
A lot of photographers are goingto these predesignated photo
holes that are, a safe bet, youknow, you're going to get a
photo from it for credentialedphotographers, but some of your
true, your best images.
are from somewhere different.
Because think about it,everybody's going to that same

(37:09):
hole.
So if you're doing somethingsomeone else isn't, whether your
image is good or not, there's nocomparison.
Another one doesn't exist.
Yours is the best, because it'sthe only one that exists.
Now if you and I both shoot outof the photo hole, you might
beat me, right?
You might get a better shot,because we shot the same
picture.
Am I making any sense here?

Oh, a thousand percent.
So I would

tell photographers, the best way I can find to make
myself useful, and I've alwaysthought this, and I still try to
stick with this, is how manyphotographers can I turn myself
into in a shoot?
So I want to be the guy standinghere getting the main shot,
right?
Because that's the shot, andthat's the safety net, and
that's what we need, that's whatwe're all here for.
All right, I'm shooting, I'mshooting, I got it, I got it, I

(37:50):
got it, I'm done.
Let them stay there, and you goaround.
Now you go, as long as you'renot in their shot, move around
and get something different, youknow?
Or if it's something that's notoverly important to you, or
you're not overly invested, butyou want a nice photo of, If you
see all the photographers arestanding over there, you go
somewhere different because nowyou have a one of a kind new

(38:10):
different perspective thatdoesn't exist in the world
except for yours because no onewas there but right, but you.
Pick somewhere new.
Go somewhere new.
Go somewhere different.

That's a great tip.
I think just kind of in life,you know, if you just replace
the word shot with decision,that's like solid life advice
right there.
Maybe, maybe

I ought to have a job doing this, I'm kidding.

thank you for sharing that.
I think a lot of people aregoing to get a lot of value out
of, that statement right there.
It is something that I don'tthink is taught.
as practical as that, as clearas that.
We're told to get differentshots, but there were some real
concrete examples there,including laying on the
concrete.
So, yeah, again, thank you.
Um, so, does, camera gear workin a position like this?

(38:55):
Is this a job where you bringyour own camera gear, or is gear
provided?

Well, it's kind of a mix of things.
So, obviously for my staff, wehave a great partnership, with
Canon cameras where they let ustry out and loan.
loan equipment to try.
We own our own, equipment forthe company.
The staff and our photographershave their own equipment, but,
um, with the backing of, CanonProfessional Services, which
travels to a lot of sportingevents and events in general

(39:22):
and, and car races, those guysare awesome.
they provide a lot of, uniqueequipment for us to try.
And, then if we, like that,that's something obviously to
purchase, down the road.
So, Canon is pretty awesomestuff.
it's great equipment for actionand sports.
It's always been known for that.
myself, I've shot Nikon in thepast, and that stuff was great.

(39:43):
but you just, you really can't,you can't beat the Canon
professional services as aprofessional photographer.
Mm hmm.
And their equipment, theirpeople.

so I'm going to kind of branch off here.
Let's say that you have an ideafor an image in your head and
it's going to require somethinglike a, something super, super
specialized, either tilt shiftor like a 800 mil lens and you
don't.
is that something that you wouldreach out to Canon and say, Hey,
we want to try this shot.

(40:11):
Can you ship something out?

You know, that is, I'm not sure what that, I'm not
sure how that relationship worksfor all photographers, I know on
site at a lot of events, that'san option.
but yeah, my staff, yeah, ifthat's something Canon has
available,

yeah,

that's something that they could help out with.

Very cool.
Very cool.

they do that.
Like if you're at a, if, youknow, let's say you were
shooting.
I don't know.
That's some kind of sportingevent and can of professional
services there.
And you're a credentialedphotographer.
You can go to their booth andtalk to they'll clean your
lenses.
They'll clean your camerabodies.
They'll let you borrow a lensfor the day if you want to try
something new.
So, for photographers who arecredentialed events that CPS can

(40:50):
and professional services is at.
Yeah, they'll hook you up andthey'll do it with a smile.
They'll clean your camera.
Hell of a deal.

So for an event like the 500, which is
really a once a year event foryour staff photographers, how
much do you stress getting thesafe shot versus getting that
crazy equipment and doingsomething that's never seen
before?

Oh man, that's so, we need it all.
We need it all, I think mostphotographers in what I do and
what, and in event photographyin general, maybe this, I would
imagine this is mostphotographers.
That's the first thing you do.
You get your safe shot, you getyour sharp, still, well exposed,
you get those out of the way,and then you play.

(41:33):
And I try to do that witheverything I go do.
So if I need to document, Theway the crowd looked from the
stage.
I want a picture of a crowd.
I just go wide pop it I normallycarry two cameras.
So I'll go wide high shutter.
So it's nice and still and sharppop it Then if I want to do
something if I have anothercreative lens with me or I want
to do a zoom You know in or showsome depth then I play from

(41:55):
there But I think that'sprobably you know, I do that
with I my on the side I doconcert photography and I do
that with that too.
I think that's safe you reallyas a photographer I mean
everybody wants the flashy, thebanger shot, the amazing
picture.
You really got to cover yourbases first because that's how
you have clients.
That's how you keep clients.
So, get your staple, get yourstuff out of the way that you

(42:17):
know is required and then play.
Because at the end of the day,the stuff they're probably going
to use is going to be all yourcreative stuff anyway.
But if you don't get the stillsharp documentation shot, then
what'd they hire you for?
You know?
Yeah.
It's a torture game, this wholephotography thing.
It's a lot of fun, but it'sYou're constantly in your head
bouncing back to not wanting todo what you're doing and wanting

(42:39):
to do it a different way.
You're just being torn,

I haven't thought about it like that.
that's very true though.
That's very true.
Yeah, they'll always be mad ifyou don't get the safe shot.
Yeah, that's true.
But you'll never be mad if youget a more creative shot.
It's smart.
okay, so, we go, we know whatneeds to be covered the day of
the 500.
We know who's going where, whatshots they need to get, the
equipment that they need to useas well.

(43:02):
Winners, the winner wins, yougo, you photograph the milk, you
photograph the kiss of thebricks, you come back, and how
many photos would you say thatyou have at the end of the day
of the 500?
Do you happen to know from thisyear's numbers?
I mean, is it thousands?

Yes, yes, yes, I would guess that it's in the
years past, I would sayprobably, for some reason the
number like four or fivethousand sticks out to me, that
might be crazy.

Just for you.
On a staff of 25 photographers.

Yes, just for me.
But, at the same time, I havelearned, and having more
responsibilities and moreassignments, and understanding
what will and won't work inphotography and at the track,
that number for me has gone downa little.
I recommend for anybody who's anew shooter, shoot a ton,
because you have more things tochoose from.
And especially if you have timeand not another job following

(43:53):
up.
You know, me, after shooting the500 on Sunday, I then have an
assignment the next morning atlike 8 a.
m.
with the winner.
So I've learned over the years,if I take 5, 100 photos, that is
5, 000 pictures I have to lookat.
And I have to spend five secondswith making a decision whether

(44:13):
I'm going to use it, whether I'mgoing to scrap it.
So think about that too, youknow, of course.
I want to say like this year isprobably quite a bit less,
probably half of that probablytook a couple thousand photos
and race day.
Tons of them are from victorycircle whenever, you know, when
the winner gets out of the carfrom there, I'm not going to lie
to you.
It's, you know, the still thatyou see, that's the one.
It's not some creative genius.

(44:35):
It is a one picked out of 300from a brrrrrrrrrr, you know?

Yeah, Again, you gotta get that safe shot.
I get it.

Yeah, you got it.
I could wait for the one secondfor the decisive moment, but I,
no.
You

have a job to do and there's a lot on the
line.
So I get it.
So, you mentioned earlier thatyour job kind of starts At the
end of the race, right?
Because now you have all thesephotos.
So what happens to the imagesafter race day?

last couple years the way we've done it is, I'll
kind of stand there.
I'll wait I'll get that reactionshot from the winner and then
once those shots are done Thewinner goes out to the yard of
bricks and does their Kissing ofthe bricks and some other
traditional shots at thespeedway You at that point, I
then literally sprint, like Irun into the media center, throw

(45:27):
the card in, because at thatpoint, that moment's already
five minutes ago and that'swhat.
The racing world is, in sportsworld is waiting for.
So, I have then someone fill infor me and do some of the other
sponsor commitment photos withthe winner.
and then from there, you'rejust, you're there.
So, if the race gets over and Idon't even know, cause I never

(45:48):
gonna have time to look at theclock three, four, whatever it
is.
I'll be there till 9 30 or 10.
And then eventually you just,you call it quits.
You go, you get tired and yougo, this is what I'm going to
have.
These are the images I'm goingto have from this event, bundle
them up, ready to turn them intoour, our internal archive.
And I put them on our media pagewhere media goes to, to get
images, after our events.

(46:10):
And of course, some of them aremore important than others.
So I'm throwing some of those upwhile I'm trying to finish the
rest.
I mean, it's a juggle and it's aconstant brain assessment of.
What's the use of this image?
How important is it?
Who needs it?
Can they wait a day?
Does it need to be shown to theworld now?
You're just firing up allcylinders mentally and
physically for an entire day ofthe Indy 500.

(46:31):
and you know, when you're outshooting, sometimes you're
waiting on a shot, you see thisawesome shot, the one you want
the shot, and you go, I can waithere two more minutes for this,
because there's so many otherthings going on.
So for me, it's just an entireday of celebrating your
victories and, you know.
Like not, walking away from yourlosses and then having a plan

(46:51):
before the day starts before themonth starts up on race day.
I want to go to this spot andget this shot.
I want to do a shot.
I want to do this shot this way.
I want to do this shot this way.
having them in mind.
And not spending too much timeanywhere

Yeah, I would imagine that for every shot that
you do get there's got to be atleast one or ten more shots that
you Don't get that you every

year.
Yeah that I was a part of I wasthere for i'm just like Okay,
but it's not that cool,

right, right, right okay, so just to clarify
when you run back to the mediacenter and then you said that
you're there all night You'regoing through those photos.
You're selecting the images thatare going to go out, right?
You

Yep, correct.

Okay.
when you're doing that, abouthow many images would you say go
into the, I believe you said thearchive of the, the race?

You know, for the day, I probably contribute, I
would say under four, aroundmaybe 400, 300.

And that's between all the photographers?

No, that's myself for the day.
Just for the five, like a racephotos.
Yes, those are just mine andothers, they have, they might do
the same or more.
I was told, from my photographyteacher young and I stuck with
this that a photographer onlyshows their best work.
I don't find benefit in turningin a ton of images.
a lot of times I just find forclients that that gets them

(48:11):
confused on what to pick.
You're putting creativedecisions in their hands.
they paid you to make thosedecisions.
You pick the best one You givethem that and it never fails as
a photographer.
I've heard this everywhere andit happens to me daily The photo
you like the least, that's theone they're going to use

every time.

So don't, don't give them to, you know, you
don't want to give them toomuch.
You want to give them what'sgood.
so yeah, that's the way I do it.
Probably race day between three,I'm guessing it's under 400,
probably 300.

Yeah.

but we're doing, we're not doing an any 500, but
we're doing events.
And practice and qualificationtime trials all that kind of
stuff And in a road course raceat the beginning of the month,
we're doing that every day inmay So I mean by the end of the
month Like, I am in tune withthis camera.
I'm one with this camera.
Two years ago, I got a little,like, rough, almost patch like

(49:04):
callus on the tip of my nose.
No way.
From hitting a camera against myface for a thousand pictures a
day or whatever, like, That'sincredible.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
That is a badge of honor

right there.

Yeah.
I ramble.
What was your question?
I'm sorry.

I mean, really that was it.
I was really trying to figureout how many images get added to
the archive at the end.
That makes sense.
That makes sense.
really delivering the best workis still part of your job.
it's not just taking the photos,but it's delivering the best
photos.
I would imagine that having to,deliver photos quick for the
rest of the world to see thatthere's.

(49:41):
Next to no editing being done tothe image itself, right?

You're just we're moving quick.
I'm moving quick man.
I'm getting him in there and Ifit's a slow day, not a race day.
I have time where I play withthem, you know, I do a little
manipulation I just I don't dosuper heavy manipulation part of
that is because i'm trying tomake editorial images that are
used

Sure,

you know, you're not like

changing the winner Like just

And really the world is lightened up, believe
it or not.
I mean, not your bigpublications, but for standard
editorial news, they'll use animage that's doctored a little
bit.
or as we like to call it,cooked.
Sometimes you see somebody overedits an image, it's, The colors
are messed up.
It's a little crispy, too muchclarity.

Yeah, that's not who won the race

That guy didn't work in a coal mine.
There's charcoal all over thisguy

so, having captured all of these images and
then you know submitting themsince you're not a freelance
photographer Are you allowed touse these images for your own
personal use?

Yeah, I'll use them on my website portfolio, which
makes sense.
That's as a photographer, that'show I would make my living
moving forward.
If I weren't to be with theSpeedway should be showing what
I'm capable of.
also, social media it's today,that promotes the brand that
promotes, the Speedway and theApp Store Speedway and IndyCar
Mysteries and all that.

(51:09):
So, obviously anything that yousee that I post, it's always on
a positive light.
I don't have anything bad to sayabout the series of cars or the
drivers.
It's all just promotion.
Of any car and showing the way Isee the world in car racing.
So i'm able to do that.
my images.
they're not for sale.
I can't sell them prints ofthem, you know because
technically when you work for acompany, or a client like this

(51:33):
they own their likeness andthat's what they're paying me
for.
So they're not my images to sellbut um,

I think that's what I was trying to get at I
think, now I could be totallywrong here, but for a while I
was really trying to get PeteSouza on the podcast who was
Barack Obama's photographer inthe White House.
it never came to fruition, but Iremember reading and doing my
research somewhere that hedoesn't own those, like he can't
use those photos.

(51:59):
For anything and the questionthat I wanted to ask was because
like apparently those photos aregovernment property and
Obviously, he has a very popularinstagram account where he posts
photos that he took and I guessthe way around it Again, I could
be totally wrong is that he hasto get those photos off of
flickr and then post them Almostlike with a link because again,

(52:19):
like he's not allowed to use anyof these photos.
I could be totally wrong.
This could be totally made up,but I guess I was just trying to
get more of an idea.

I would believe it, um, because I had recently, had
conversations with someone aboutthe current White House
photographer and how they hadsome images of themselves.
And just I guess it's aninteresting thing of how they
were going to acquire thoseimages to use them and it
sounded like it was um

a process

it was a Me maybe it couldn't be done or process
and i've heard this kind ofthing about military photography
as well that I, I don't knowthat you're really even
technically allowed to keepthose images you take for the
military and government.
I don't know how those imagesexist in the world and how those
people get their hands on them.
Or maybe it's just literallythey're stealing up their back.
That's what I would do.

(53:06):
I don't know, you know.

Right.
Yeah, again, I guess I justwanted some sort of insight as
to, cause I've never had to dealwith this as a, like a freelance
photographer.
You know,

it really, it's basically, That you own certain,
companies will do it that wayand it makes sense.
they're paying you It's theirproperty.
You're creating the property.
you're creating their creativelikeness and That's what they
pay you for.
So yeah, I don't own thoseimages.
I would actually i'd have tolook into that I mean i'm sure
there's a photo lawyer out thereSomewhere that could tell you,
how many years, those copyrightslast.

(53:37):
I think it's a

hundred.
Again, I could be wrong, but

I'm not gonna live that long.
That's disappointing.

Yeah, I think that's what it is for, for music
to become royalty free.
I think it's a hundred years.
So, in a hundred years, I'mhaving some really interesting
YouTube videos for sure.

Yeah,

we're kind of winding down here.
I got a few last questions foryou.
you've been super gracious withyour time.
I want to know what is somethingthat you think most people don't
realize about shooting an eventlike the Indianapolis 500?

that's a great question.
I think the thing I, that I finda lot with photographers is,
probably this, it's a littlegeneric, but It on the racing
side of it catching the cars,people see these awesome images
that my teammates and myselfmake And I think a photographer
a good photographer Like a goodphotographer thinks I can go out

(54:25):
there and do that Some of it youcan but some of it's like i'm
not really great at and i'vebeen working at it for years so

example

I would say more of the blurry stuff, the creative
pans you see.
If you see these cool picturesof race cars and, there's blur
everywhere and these neat colorscoming off the side of the wall
or because a fence is in the wayor whatever, a good photographer
can go out and get that stuffand they still would come back.

(54:54):
with a big, big blurry mess isit's a very, very thin line
between making a blurry photocreative and a blurry photo, a
blurry bad photo.
So, I would say that I find, andI say that because I've known a
couple photographers who haveliterally, done that.
We've had come out and said,hey, you know, I want to try to
help you for the day orwhatever.

(55:15):
And they kind of come backsaying like, hey, that's way
harder than I thought it was.
Just because like I said, thefine line between a blurry
creative photo and a blurryblurry bad crummy photo.
It's a fine line.
I'm trying to find it.
I'm close to it.
I don't know right where it is,but I can always tell which side
of it I want.

(55:35):
So, um, I would say that I thinkpeople like you mentioned
earlier, don't realize,sometimes the hours put in on
and the commitment involved.
To event like the 5500 or anybig event, you know a horse race
or anything like that You haveto cover of being there at 4 or
5 a.
m Before all the people flood inand the traffic is too full and

(55:55):
you get stuck out on thehighway, That's what happened
Standing like you had mentionedstanding on your feet the entire
day staying alert.
not getting bored not losingfocus and you know every time
You go to take a shot justrealizing that whatever
obstacles or resistance you haveinside you that's telling you

(56:17):
i'm too tired I need a breakThis i'll be fine with what I
got already Things like that.
That's just resistance andthat's keeping you from Having
great portfolio images and it'skeeping you from your next
paycheck and your or evenextending your hobby or one day
creating your career inphotography You Just that's what

(56:37):
people don't realize.
there's a lot of resistance in,in what I do get tired, get
sore, get hungry, get or, youknow, you gotta, it's, so
there's a lot.
Um, it's really got to stay, gotto stay on it.

So my last question for you was going to be
if you showed up tomorrow andyou had a new assistant Which
obviously you would know aboutbecause you would be the one in
charge of finding them But solet's say you showed up to work
tomorrow and there was a brandnew assistant there for you What
is the one piece of advice thatyou would give them?
But would it be that would it bepersistence?

I would say yeah, you know, don't to to not risk
not resist Whenever somethinggreat comes to you or when you
get tired or whenever you startlosing focus, I would also tell
them, the greatest way, to be atthe top of this is, to be there,
to be present, to volunteer, toraise your hand, to be the one

(57:31):
to get up and go do somethingwhen it's needed by another
photographer.
Being helpful.
I know that's so generic, but Ifeel that that was the way I
got, to the point where I'm at,who can go shoot the sponsor
event in the tent.
Me.
Did I want to?
no, I hated it.
I didn't want to do it, but Iguess I just figured out that if

(57:52):
you're helpful, By being helpfulis the way Is a great reason for
people to use you, you know,it's generic as it sounds you
got to pay your dues inphotography You have to and I
know a lot of photographers youhear them say things like oh
never work for free if Iwouldn't work for free I would
never be doing what i'm doingBecause I had no, portfolio.

(58:13):
You're not the greatest when youfirst start with your brand new
digital camera, you have to havea reason to be good.
And the best I would tell thisperson is also to shoot, shoot,
shoot, because the way I feelthat I got to be a good
photographer.
is by always volunteering anddoing all this stuff.
So I'm always the one shootingwhile everybody's sitting
around.

(58:34):
and I just, you figure thingsout.
There's no school, there's no,there's nothing that can really,
there's small things that canhelp you, but nothing can teach
you.
To be a better photographer, nothing and no one than yourself
by just going out and shootingand figuring it out.
So I would say a lot ofshooting, find what your
interests are, volunteer for ifyou're new, if you're literally,

(58:54):
I mean, if you're an advancedphotographer, I get it.
But if you're a newphotographer, maybe you're not
ready to be taking money fromclients and people.
But if you are working withpeople who are taking money from
clients and are, workingprofessionals.
You, you're getting to watchwhat they do, you're getting to
learn from them, and one dayyou're going to be in their
shoes.
It's not going to be next month,it's not going to be next year,
it's not going to be thefollowing, but you never know.

(59:16):
You may, a few years, five yearsdown the road, you might go,
Wow, I've been shooting a coupleevents, or a couple of portrait
sessions, volunteering.
For years, I got this now.
I know all the, trials andtribulations of it.
I've seen the problems, I'veseen the pros, the cons, and I
know how to get through it andget over it.
that's kind of what I feel aboutmyself.

(59:37):
I've learned a lot in what I'vedone from others, and I can take
that to do whatever I end updoing eventually.
whether it's earshooting carracing forever, or forever.
Doing anything else.
So, I would just say shoot yougot to shoot a lot and you got a
volunteer to shoot

It all comes back to persistence.
Yeah, that's incredible.
that was like a roadmap for Nopun intended, but that was like
a roadmap to like getting whereyou want to get to like from the
beginning That was wonderful

Chris Owens (01:00:07):
Yeah.

Raymond Hatfield (01:00:08):
Yeah.
Just

gotta pay your dues.
Try things out.
Get your, get your friend, gotake pictures with your friends.
Go do portraits to your friends.
Go ask a wedding photographer ifyou can tag along.
Your images are a bonus, youwon't get in the way.
Right,

right.
Yeah.
I've told people the exact samething.
If you're just getting started,why not shoot for free?
And I think that that gets lost.
So I'm glad that you sharedthat.
Thank you.

Yeah

Chris, oh my gosh, I've kept you for so long
and I apologize.
again You have been so graciouswith your time and sharing
seemingly everything that therewas to ask about shooting Before
I let you go Can you let thelisteners know where they can
find some of your work andfollow you online?

Sure, absolutely.
my personal webpage is,chrisowensphotography.
com.
It's that easy.
chrisowensphotography.
com and on there, you seeeverything from car racing
highlights to, streetphotography, which is kind of my
other passion other thanshooting car racing is just
street art.
It's a lot of that on there.
I do stories.

(01:01:07):
From music festivals or fromconcerts or from car races on
the blog section on there So,that's something that gets
updated pretty often alwayssomething new rolling on there
also on instagram is where i'mmost active and that one is also
super simple.
It's just my name at chris owensso That one lucky enough to have
that handle.
That's an easy one then fromthere, obviously if uh, you're

(01:01:30):
interested in, car racingphotography Indycar.
com which is the sanctioningbody that hosts all their cars
that race in the Indy 500.
so IndyCar.
com is a great gallery from, meand, uh, Even more great
creative stuff from all of themy teammates all the awesome
IndyCar photographers whoInspire me and and hopefully I

(01:01:51):
inspire them too.
So there's great stuff from allof us on there.

Awesome I know that there's going to be a lot
of listeners checking out yourwork and just interested in
something new You know what?
I mean?
It's all about hearing new freshperspectives and This is
something that I have never doneon the podcast is going to talk
about the logistics of asingular event like this And I
learned A ton.
So again from me and from thelistener.
I thank you so much for comingon chris.

Yeah.
Thanks.
Thanks for having me.

All right, action item time.
If you implement just one thingthis week that is gonna move the
needle forward in yourphotography, let it be this
action item.
Learn to use shutter speed totell a bigger story.
Chris's use of shutter speed,honestly, like if you look at
his Instagram page, ismasterful.
When you're photographing a cargoing 230 miles an hour, and you

(01:02:39):
have a shutter speed high enoughto freeze the action, it just
kind of looks like the car isjust parked on the track.
Like it's not that exciting,even though that's the norm for
this kind of photography.
So explore ways that you can useshutter speed in your
photography to tell a largerstory.
Remember, different is betterthan better, so try something

(01:03:01):
new.
That's it today.
Until next week.
Remember, the more that youshoot today, the better of a
photographer you'll be tomorrow.
Talk soon.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

Are You A Charlotte?

Stuff You Should Know

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Capturing the Action at the Indy 500 with Chris Owens

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Dateline NBC

Are You A Charlotte?

Stuff You Should Know

All Episodes

Capturing the Action at the Indy 500 with Chris Owens

Dateline NBC