Good thursday to all of you! Today I am very happy to meet a friend of mine who I believe is one of the most talented photographers we have on horse racing, Ryan Thompson. The race is blessed with some great photographers who capture the great moments in our sport. I first met Ryan at Gulfstream Park West when I was calling there, and I was always in shock at how much he ran to find new and interesting locations to film the races – not to mention the reality of the temperature and humidity! All that said, here’s my interview with Ryan.
Jason Beam: What sparked your interest in photography?
Ryan Thompson: I was never the most focused person in school. However, photography courses have always caught my eye. My high school followed this unique policy where you were required to either take art classes or foreign language classes. When it came time to graduate, photography was the only thing on my mind that I could see myself doing, and I went to study at Columbia College Chicago.
JB: Have you set out to portray sports, especially horse racing, as a profession?
RT: Early in my career, I focused on photojournalism and eventually began working as a freelancer for several Chicago suburban newspapers. This mostly resulted in coverage of local community sports that ranged from Friday night soccer to cross-country running. I was off to a good start as a photojournalist, but I really enjoyed the challenge of doing something different every day.
JB: What was your knowledge of horse racing when you started shooting it?
RT: My knowledge of horse racing when I started shooting was close to zero. I came across a Craigslist ad for Doug Clark at Four Footed Fotos who needed help racing bets at Arlington Park and Hawthorne. I am grateful that he gave me a chance. The first time I ever stepped foot on a racetrack was the first time I went out to Arlington to photograph Doug. I remember watching the Kentucky Derby, but that’s all I knew about horse racing at first.
JB: What are some of your favorite racing events/races you’ve had, and why?
RT: I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph some Triple Crown and Breeder’s Cup races. Spending those long days with friends and fellow photographers is always a great pleasure for me. The times I really captured are the road trips I took with friends; The Prince of Wales at Fort Erie, Canadian International at Woodbine, Little Brown Jug in Ohio, prepares for the Derby at Oaklawn and Fair Grounds, Kentucky Downs. All those days are full of beautiful memories.
JB: I think every path has its own difficulty when it comes to photography, whether it’s lightning, architecture, shadows, or whatever. Does it take a while to learn how to shoot a new path?
RT: There are talented photographers who can show up anywhere and be in the area, but I’m not one of them. For example, it may have taken me months to get into a groove in Gulfstream Park. Each track has its own character and features. It may take some time for me to really get to know these features and figure out the best way to show these features.
JB: I’ve had the good fortune to watch you run as you run all over the track trying to get angle shots that are unique or different from traditional photos. Why is this so important to you?
RT: I get bored of taking the same shots over and over. I don’t want my photos to become stagnant so I try to mix them up constantly. You often see the same type of cookie cutter footage produced at different racetracks. This industry needs people who genuinely care and want to see it succeed. I am very proud of my photography, and I want to present the most interesting images. This is what the industry needs and deserves. If I’m going to do this, I want to look back and know I tried. I just didn’t do the bare minimum.
JB: Do you have a racing photo you’re most proud of, and what’s the story behind it?
RT: I have two really stand out for me. The dead heat triple from the Hawthorne Belt and the start of the Kentucky Derby from Thunder Snow are two photos I’m most proud of. The dead heat triple was just pure luck. It started snowing shortly before this race, as those conditions in Hawthorne produce a beautiful snowball effect, so set up remote cameras to capture that. Pointing a remote camera straight across the track, the three horses did the hard work hitting the wire at the exact same time. The Thunder Snow shot I was shooting for BloodHorse, which had me shooting inside the track near the top of the stretch. I place a remote camera on the starter mount with the goal of capturing a pressurized field through the runway/turrets. Out of the gate, Thunder Snow didn’t like the surface so his race ended early. In my picture you see the entire derby field heading into the race and behind him is Thunder Snow having a bad day. I haven’t seen many other photos of that scene, certainly not from that angle. I think that was one of the biggest stories in that derby. It can be hard to get a unique photo at a huge event like this, so it’s a good idea to have it. I don’t think I have great vision nor do I see myself as a brilliant photographer, but I’ve worked hard and will keep trying and improving.
The Dead Heat Trilogy at Hawthorne. (Ryan Thompson)
JB: I want to ask you about the photo of Soraya Hawthorne that you and I used to laugh at. I guess just like any creative endeavor, there is a lot of trial and error and maybe a lot of shots that maybe look great in your head but don’t work out?
RT: Trial and error is a big part of photography. I’d rather try and fail miserably than try nothing at all. The “shot” was there, but I didn’t understand it. Maybe if you could light it differently or tweak it somehow, it could have worked. Sometimes when you fail, it’s better to laugh about it. Unfortunately, I believe the room was demolished during the construction of the Hawthorne Casino, so I don’t think this shot would be possible again.
JB: Are there trails you haven’t taken yet that you want to get to?
RT: Yes, there are many. Among the bigger trails, I’ve never visited Del Mar or Pimlico. There are a lot of other names to name. In a perfect world, I would be out on every American racetrack. At some point, I’d also like to travel abroad to visit some international routes as well.
JB: I was in Pompano Park for the Gabi and Pete match race last week. Are you going to make it there on the last night? Are you going to document that evening, if so, or are you just a fan?
RT: This match race was incredible. The amount of money raised for their charities was remarkable. I really like the way the racing community comes together to do good things. I was so happy to be there for the match race, I wouldn’t dare miss our last night in the Bomb. Before they found their official track photographer, Jessica Hallett, I was working on filling in the end of last season and the beginning of this one. The knights treated me with nothing but kindness and respect. I was also at GPW/Calder on their last day of racing, and my heart was in Arlington during that last day as well. Too many tracks have been closed. It’s a worrying trend, and I can’t help but think of all the sufferers. I feel like the best thing I can do personally is just be there and try to get a nice picture out of it.
JB: I also got a lot of professional hockey games. Think hockey would be a really fun shooting sport?
RT: Hockey is a really exciting sport to shoot. You should think in advance where you will end up to get good shots. With horse racing, you have a general idea of where the winner will run, and that is where the finish line is. With hockey, everything can happen very quickly, and it can be a real challenge to shoot the right thing at the right time. I was working for the Chicago Steel of the USHL, and the team won the championship in one of those years I was shooting. The entire championship series ended in one final match. My friend Joe and I drove an eight hour drive to Sioux to shoot this game. My team won it in overtime. I have a picture of the puck in the back of the net and some Chicago Steel players with their sticks raised victoriously. These types of images are well worth the effort, which is why I did it.
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