An award-winning framer and PPFA member, Mark Wallenfang selects mat and moulding to frame photos PMA

Transcription

1

2 An award-winning framer and PPFA member, Mark Wallenfang selects mat and moulding to frame photos. 6 PMA Fourth Quarter

3 Shooting star Photographer enjoys three decades of retail success By Sheila Pursglove Mark Wallenfang, owner of Shooting Star Photo & Custom Framing in Appleton, Wis., originally planned to be a veterinarian but after earning a B.S. in Biology, and a minor in film making, from the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh, he attended Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Calif., for a double major of Industrial Scientific and Color Technology. With the one-hour photo industry exploding in the 70s, he left his first job at a professional lab in the Denver area to become lab manager for a Fromex chain, also in Denver, before moving back to his hometown where, in December 1982, with investment from his father and a bank loan, he launched Shooting Star 1-Hour Photo, the first in Appleton. To set himself apart from other one-hour labs, Wallenfang offered professional services such as E6 and C41 large format processing, and the ability to print large photos at least 30 inches wide. He attended his first PMA convention in I was amazed by all the equipment on display and how large the show was, he said. I attended PMA classes and seminars, about things like dealing with employees, expanding services absorbing everything and anything PMA had to offer. I also enjoyed the motivational speakers. When DIMA arrived, I began looking forward to attending classes before the PMA convention. I ve learned so many new things that I use. The hands-on seminars are great. Today, Wallenfang s 3,000-square-foot, one-man shop with 1,000 square feet of customer area is a full-service photo lab with all film and digital services. Wallenfang has used Noritsu equipment for processing and printing since day one; his current Noritsu printer is silver halide that prints up to 12-by-18. He also offers wide printing up to 60 inches, including prints and gallery wrapped canvas; as well as photo restoration and retouching, video and movie film transfer. A niche is scanning transparencies and film for high quality reproduction, and scanning of oversized art and old photographs. I have several artists I do work for who keep scanned images on file, so when they need to fulfill an order for a reproduction, I print it, sometimes frame it and ship it to their customer, he said. It s one-stop shopping for them and they don t have to think about dealing with the end product. Continued on page 8 Wallenfang spent 14 seasons as a professional photographer for the Green Bay Packers weekly newspaper, The Packer Report. A supporter of local artists, Wallenfang had one create the unique sign for his building. PMA Fourth Quarter

4 Shooting Star services include wide-format printing and gallery wraps. A lifetime behind the lens After watching the 1969 moon landing, Mark Wallenfang recreated it with models in a dirt pile behind his parent s garage, with a work light casting long shadows. Snapping off frames with his Brownie 127, he took it to the drugstore the next day. I rode my bike to pick it up I opened the envelope and was excited at how great my photos came out not bad for a 13-year-old, he said. His early interest increased in high school after processing and printing photos. I ll never forget seeing that print appear in the developer tray in the red lit darkroom it was magic, he said. Every photographer should have that experience at least once this will hook you on photography instantly. Today, Wallenfang who offers photography services to local symphony and drama theaters uses two Canon 5D Mark IIIs with various lenses. With digital, it s quite easy to shoot in low light conditions and get great results, he said. On the sidelines of the Green Bay Packers Wallenfang became a sports photographer for the Green Bay Packers weekly newspaper The Packer Report in 1994 after he was approached to process film after each home game, and jokingly asked if they needed any photographers. The publication manager replied, Actually, we re not happy with the guy we have. Want to give it a shot? Wallenfang was shooting on the sidelines every week for 14 seasons, including road games, two Super Bowls, and two Pro Bowls in Hawaii. He used the Canon 1D series for fast continuous action shooting. My favorite lens is a Canon 400mm f/2.8 for most action, with a normal to wide lens for end zone shooting, he said. My 400mm Canon lens shade is covered with many players and coaches autographs, and a few race car drivers, including Paul Newman. One of his most memorable games was the 1997 Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans. I discovered the Super Bowl is not just a one-day event, but several days of excitement and hype leading up the big game, he said. Wallenfang got to know several Packers players, and still gets phone calls from many retired players asking for photos for autograph signings or charity events. During Brett Favre s peak popularity, I made limited edition gallery wrapped canvas for his retail and on-line store the edition 8 PMA Fourth Quarter

5 Adding framing to the mix A keen woodworker, and having framed his own photos, Mark added framing, after taking a PMA class about framing services in the photo lab. I already offered simple, readymade frames and metal frames for poster prints. But this class opened my eyes to what could be possible, combining the photo lab and frame shop, he said. A long-time member of the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA), his framing business has grown, and he has won awards in PPFA competitions. Classes at PPFA Conventions increased his knowledge and skills. Education is valuable when you can learn from the best the industry has to offer, he said. Reaching out to the community Shooting Star Photo & Custom Framing is highly visible, off the main street that runs through Appleton to downtown, next to a grocery store and by a neighborhood with good car and foot traffic. Neighbors have brought business, or stop in or wave as they walk by. One advantage to owning a business in the town you grew up in is that you know so many people, he said. He has seen children grow, get married, and start families; the new generation brings photos for printing and framing, Continued on page 10 was often sold out before I even started printing the canvas, he said. Wallenfang eventually shot for national/international image sources. His photos have appeared in national and international sports publications including Sports Illustrated and ESPN the magazine, and he was the main photo contributor to the book FAVRE, which made the New York Times Best Seller list. In early NFL road games, Wallenfang would get film processed, scan key images and upload within hours largely through dial-up modems to meet deadlines. When it was hard to find a place to process C41, I would set up a darkroom in the hotel bathroom and process my own film it really was a unique set up, he said. Digital photography saved hours off the time from the field to uploading via high speed Internet. Shooting tip: No matter the sport, you must understand the sport itself. If you shoot enough of one sport, especially with one team, you develop a sense of where a play might be going and can position yourself for that optimal shot. Wallenfang s Packers shots include these great images of wide receiver Donald Driver and quarterback Brett Favre celebrating a touchdown; and fullback William Henderson in action against the Washington Redskins. PMA Fourth Quarter

6 Wallenfang is pictured on the sidelines of a Packers game, with his 400mm Canon lens shade covered with many player and coach autographs and a few race car drivers, including Paul Newman. with many repeat customers. Almost daily I have customers who want an old photo restored to preserve family memories, he said. I ve done numerous restorations for historical societies and museums. Then you get the family photos where someone needs to be removed or added. Digital scanning and editing makes everything much easier than shooting a copy negative, printing it, using an air brusher or retoucher, and hoping it comes out close to the original. Now the finished product is better than the original. I know the customer is happy when they start crying because their Wallenfang has worked in his hometown of Appleton, Wis., for 32 years, and enjoys welcoming a new generation of customers. Wallenfang was the main photo contributor to the book FAVRE, that made the New York Times Best Seller list. photo has been saved and memories of that moment in time are new again. Customers often show appreciation with thank you notes; a bottle of wine; or freshly baked bread or cookies. Most business is from repeat customers or recommendations. Wallenfang runs an ad in the yellow and white pages of the phone directory; and his Facebook page, displaying gallery wrapped canvas prints and extreme photo restorations, draws business locally and beyond. A revamped website and store renovations keep Shooting Star fresh. Wallenfang also teaches a basic and advanced class at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, to students from 16 to 75. They all want to know how to take better photos and how to get the most out of their cameras, he said. Some are now regular customers, as I still answer their photo questions and see how they are doing with their photography. 10 PMA Fourth Quarter