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SOUTHERN INDIANA – Joe Ullrich would tell you he isn’t artistic. His photography, however, tells another story.

Ullrich, a regular sports photographer for the News and Tribune, will be shooting his 11th Kentucky Derby this Saturday. He only missed one Derby in the past 12 years – 2020 – when COVID protocols prevented him from attending. He has been primarily a sports photographer for the News and Tribune for 14 years covering everything from regular season games to state championship celebrations.

This Saturday, he will be joining hundreds of other photographers to capture the 150th Kentucky Derby.

“I’m pretty sure my affinity for sports photography is based on the fact that I am a very technically-minded individual,” Ullrich explained. “Sports photography is based on a mechanical and technical shooting style and that fits my human profile perfectly. Unfortunately, I possess little artistic ability so I rely on my technical proficiency to succeed at my craft.”

And succeed he does. Capturing everything from high school sports to natural landscapes and wildlife, Ullrich has a portfolio that would match up to the most accomplished photographers. But he only shoots pictures after his “real job” is done for the day.

By day, Ullrich works as an electrician and certified Generac Generator repair technician. He is the lead electrician for ABTech Electrical Service. He has worked at ABTech for 10 years and currently installs Generac whole-home generators and performs maintenance and repairs as a certified Generac repair technician.

By night, however, Ullrich dons his Nikon camera and lenses, and captures memories for the News and Tribune and all the families it serves in Clark and Floyd counties. The 57-year-old photographer is a Sellersburg resident and limits his professional photography to shooting for the News and Tribune and his own personal satisfaction.

“I really only shoot for the News and Tribune and myself. I have spent some time outdoors photographing nature landscapes and have done some wildlife photography,” Ullrich said.

Ullrich became interested in photography as a boy. He says his interest was instilled by his grandfather, another avid photographer.

“I remember as a youngster looking at his photos and gear and always thought it would be something I would like to learn about,” Ullrich said. “My mom had a Yashica 35mm camera that I was able to get my hands on and start using on some of my Boy Scouts trips around the country. That was the first time I was bitten by the photography bug.”

Ullrich was attending training in the Air Force at Ft. Dix New Jersey when he bought a brand-new Minolta X-700, using that equipment for several years during his stint in the military.

Today, Ullrich sports all Nikon equipment – moving from basic film cameras early on to highly advanced digital equipment today.

“When I was stationed in Greece, I purchased two Nikon lenses to use with a Nikon camera body that I was going to purchase at a later date,” Ullrich remembered. “I ordered the camera body a month later and for some reason, the purchase didn’t go through. So, I had these two Nikon lenses for 10 years and did not have a body for them.”

Ullrich ultimately bought that camera body and has been a Nikon user ever since.

“The main reason I went with Nikon is that all the photographers that I had been around in the past were mostly using Nikons and, at that time, they were at the top of the camera market.”

Since his first Derby in 2013, Ullrich has seen and captured with his camera hundreds of races. All the preliminary races each year are his practice ground for the two minutes he gets to photograph the “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

“I go to Churchill Downs and get my equipment set up and I go and practice for two or three days keeping in mind the Kentucky Derby is the moment I need to capture,” Ullrich said.

When asked about his favorite moment thus far at the Kentucky Derby, Ullrich is quick to credit all of the great moments documenting the historic event. He does have a favorite, however.

“I would say one of the best moments I have would be when American Pharoah won the triple crown. Having spent some limited time in and around horse racing, that moment was pretty special,” he said.

American Pharoah won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first horse to win the modern Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing.

Of the thousands of images Ullrich has captured through the years, he doesn’t really have a favorite. He does love shooting natural landscapes and nature photos because, “coming home with some really cool photos and an adventure you can attach to them is about as good as it gets.”

Outside of his day job and photography, Ullrich can be found backpacking, hiking, camping and working in his garden. He also enjoys fishing and hunting.

This week, however, he will be hunting for that perfect Kentucky Derby photograph to compliment his already extensive collection of work.

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Texas Border Business

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By Ric Cavazos / Mercedes EDC

Jackie Valdez’s office is mobile and can be found anywhere from South Padre Island to Mission and upstate to San Marcos.

These communities and many others in Texas have been locations for the outdoor photographing work of the Mercedes-based Valdez. A look at her stunning portfolio of work features marching bands and high school football players, cows and cowboys at the Livestock Show, and newly engaged couples in love. The visual backdrops are often the natural light and open skies of the Rio Grande Valley and the endless variations of clouds on the move behind those photographed.

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‘My goal is to reach people outdoors,” Valdez said. 

Angles and skies, Valdez says, are among the key elements of her photography. So are the people in her photos, be it a young girl in her quinceanera best or quarterbacks in live game action reaching back to throw a deep pass. The X-ray technician-turned-photographer has shifted a hobby into a full-time job. Valdez’s focus is on improving her already impressive work and becoming a brand in her own right.

“My goal is to be a travel photographer,’’ Valdez said. “I want people to call me from different parts of the country to do work for them.’’

Getting Started

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Before getting a wider recognition, Valdez had to start local even if it meant overcoming suspicions connected to a long-standing football rivalry.

She recalled some of her initial photo work was coming from Edcouch-Elsa. Clients from the Delta Area admired Valdez’s work in looking at her portfolio, but her being from Mercedes raised some questions.

“When it comes to what I love to do, it doesn’t matter that I’m from Mercedes,’’ she recalled with a chuckle, adding the concerns raised from E-E clients were good natured.

The scope of her work shows a have-camera-will travel viewpoint. In one of her photos, a teenage boy sits on a park bench at Market Square in Brownsville, appearing to look off into his future. Another photo features a smiling girl standing on a nature park walkway in twilight, holding a sign that says, “Gone to UTRGV.’’ A football player from Mission is featured in another photo holding his football helmet as the sun sets behind the stadium’s bleachers. 

Her hometown is featured in many of her photos, especially when it comes to the city’s signature event, the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show. One photo shows a teenage girl wearing a cowboy hat kissing her cow at night as a Ferris wheel turns behind her. 

Looking a Valdez’s gallery of photos, it can be hard to believe that in her words she had “no training, no classes.’’ She obviously did possess a great eye and natural talent to frame and visualize images in utilizing natural light and sky to further boost the quality of her photos. 

Valdez’s work has not gone unnoticed. In recent years, the Mercedes Chamber of Commerce recognized Valdez for her contribution to the arts.

Doing More

Valdez cities her faith and expressed a gratitude to God for the talents she been able to develop with her photography.

A mentor and professional photographer in Dallas, Rick Davila, has also been a key element in her progression as a photographer in her own right. Valdez relishes the time flexibility being a full-time photographer gives her. She can set her own schedule in making sure to attend important events relating to her children’s’ school activities. Valdez’s ambitions in photographer are big and she appreciates pursuing those dreams from her hometown.

“I’m going to keep getting my name out there,’’ she said. “I want to do more.’’

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The shutter drag/slow shutter trend has found its way into any niche in photography but particularly amongst wedding photography. But is the trend a clever use of camera techniques to add a different feeling or is it overrated?

This is one camera technique that I’ve seen popping up more and more recently, and I’ve noticed very mixed feelings about it. The slow shutter/shutter drag technique is where you use a slow shutter speed (usually while photographing people) to add a bit of motion blur and thus a sense of movement. I find using a shutter of 1/8-1/20th of a second or so is the ideal speed for achieving this look.

This hasn’t necessarily been a new technique, but it’s definitely one that has gained a lot of popularity, especially with the return of the film aesthetic. That said, we have seen it more with a rear curtain sync method, or used with flash where you have the subject exposed with strobe, and let the ambient light and the slow shutter create a blurred effect that still has the subject sharp.

Although the slow shutter trend does work with flash as well, a lot of shots simply use ambient light as the only source. Unlike the technique mixed with flash, where the subject is still sharp, the subject is generally blurrier here.

Now, with a gauge of what this trend is, perhaps you’ve already seen it, and chances are you’ll be seeing it more. A few years ago there was an emphasis on everything being overly sharp, we reached a level of clinical sharpness and detail that the industry has almost over corrected into the opposite. With the resurgence of film photography, the less technically perfect, more authentic feeling aesthetic has become more popular, which is where I speculate this came from.

It is worth noting I have experimented with this in the past to see what all the hype is about. I’ve also had my fair share of slow shutter shots mixed with flash, which of the two I definitely have more of an appreciation for. I think this technique can have a place in a photographer’s arsenal of creative techniques to bring out when the moment calls for it. The danger is in overusing it.

I’ve never been much of a wedding shooter, personally. Sure, I’ve shot a handful and have been a second-shooter even more so. If you are the type that second shoots weddings, or even the odd large weddings where there are three photographers, then perhaps there are moments where this method can be incorporated effectively. Almost as an extra spice. But you don’t add that extra spice if you don’t have those base ingredients. Ergo, get the main shots you need, get the primary shots and consider this one to be more of a secondary creative type shot to add variety if the “filmic vibe” is something the client is into. Because it’s not for everyone. Many people would simply say it’s blurry, why would you send me this? Which, honestly, is fair. But for those who enjoy the art of it, why not add it sparingly? The tricky thing is most of the shots are not going to be keepers. Because there has to be just the right amount of blur to make it work. Too much, and you can barely discern what’s happening. Too little, and the photo just appears out of focus, and the effect doesn’t really work.

I’ve seen this be more effective when it’s used with still and moving subjects or in a panning setting. An example is having your couple walk parallel to you and pan with them, almost like automotive photographers do, making them generally sharper and the background out of focus. The other option, and I’ve even used this in fashion shoots with multiple models, is having your main person/people static and having the extra surrounding people moving past the frame. Just make sure to tell your static subject to stand as still as possible for the effect to work best. In my opinion, both of these use cases are generally better than simply catching a couple walking or moving about with a general blur not in any particular direction. Again, it can be cool in the right setting, but be careful not to overuse it.

The issue with many popularized photography trends is that they become the forefront of mind for many photographers and they can forget about the fundamentals. Speaking when I was newer to photography, I am definitely guilty of this myself. So, through my past regrets with trying trends, do so carefully, and use it as a way to add a little extra beyond the main shots you already have. Consider it if you have time and everyone is down to experiment. I wouldn’t recommend making it a key aspect of your style as, in my experience, trends like this that come up and are really popular overnight don’t really last. We saw it with the heavy HDR, with the teal & orange, fairy lights, smoke bombs, milk baths, the list goes on and on and on. Now, while I enjoy this trend a little more than in the past, only time will tell if it will hold up or not.

Whether you’re into this trend or not, I do think it’s important to let other photographers experiment, as that’s the best way to learn. Experiment and take inspiration from what’s current, but don’t let it stray you from your path. You will find your distinct way of shooting if you go with what speaks to you more as opposed to trying to keep up with the latest photography trends. It will help you create your own voice as an artist and allow you to become a trusted leader in the field versus following the heard and constantly jumping to what’s next. Ultimately do what you’re called to, shoot with intention, with feeling, and you should be just fine, trend or no trend.