Bandit is a proud sponsor of "Flash", Portland Track's 3rd Annual Photography Competition. We caught up with Jeff Merrill, the President of Portland Track to learn more about the event
Jeff, give us the elevator on Portland Track and Flash...
Portland Track is a volunteer non-profit in Portland, Oregon dedicated to hosting events, growing and uniting the running community in the city. We host major events like the Portland Track Festival, community events like our all-comers track series and gatherings that highlight different pillars of the running community. We aim to elevate running in the city and to elevate the city through running.
Flash is an annual photo competition, showcase and gala that we created to highlight the creative people behind the lens that capture pivotal moments in our sport and introduce the drama and emotion to new audiences. More than any other medium, photography has captured the essence of track & field and running and brought in new fans. We thought the people doing the work deserved some time in the spotlight.
How has Flash evolved since its first year in 2021?
In 2021, the event began as a showcase of the works of 4 track photographers in Oregon: Howard Lao, Cortney White, Tim Healy and Jake Willard. They each submitted 10 prints from the year to be shown and auctioned at the gala. The first year, all proceeds were generously donated to Portland Track to assist with our programming in the city for the coming year.
The next year, we wanted to figure out a way to involve more photographers and have the event be an encapsulation of the year in sport, portrayed through the images. With the help of Howard Lao, who became the Chief Judge, we began the Flash photo competition. Since 2022, photographers have submitted their top photos from the year to be judged and accepted into the shortlist- 30 photos across 3 categories (10 per each category)- Abstract / Landscape, Action, and Portrait / Still. The shortlist photos are printed, stamped and come with a certificate of authenticity denoting they are the Flash competition copy. They are showcased at the gala and auctioned. Anyone can bid on them worldwide through our auction app. The proceeds from the auction are split 50/50 between the photographer and Portland Track.
On the evening of Flash, the top photos for each of the 3 categories are announced as well as the Photo of the Year, selected from the category winners. Each winner receives $250, so the photographer who wins Photo of the Year ultimately goes home with $500 plus a share of the auction funds. This kind of thing wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners- like Bandit who are also dedicated to cultivating the creative arms of the sport. We’re extremely grateful.
How have submissions been growing year over year?
Submissions have grown throughout the 3 years of the competition. In 2022 there were just over 100 submissions. Last year there were around 150 submissions, and this year there were 193. Submissions come from all over the world, from France to Australia to Brazil to many right here in the US.
Who are the judges of the contest?
We’re very proud to have the judging panel we do and that they’re so invested in the event. Howard Lao is the Chief Judge and created the scoring system for how submissions are rated. He is a prolific photographer in Portland. He’s worked 4 World Championships and is known for his action photos. Cortney White is a well-known freelance photographer who is known for her captivating stills. Her photo of Shalane Flanagan appeared in Times Square a few years back. Jake Willard is the Director of Marketing and Brand Engagement for TrackTownUSA and coordinates photographers for the big events at Hayward Field. Matt Parker is Portland Track’s Head of Marketing and a freelance photographer and videographer.
Each year we have 2 athlete judges to round out the panel. This year, they are Kara Winger, 4-time Olympian and World silver medalist javelin thrower, and Isaiah Harris, 4-time World Championships qualifier and Brooks Beast 800m man.
How are the photos judged?
Chief Judge, Howard Lao developed our 11-element system for rating the photos. They are: composition, focus, framing, general action, uniqueness, background, light, importance of moment, emotion, color, and posing.
What’s one beautiful thing about the contest?
To me, the most beautiful thing about the contest is something that I didn’t foresee when we created it. It’s the sense of joy and recognition that comes from and for the photographers involved amongst each other. Photography is a gig to gig job, and it's a grind. It’s tough to break into and as a creative endeavor, putting work out there is scary. Flash has become a thing where photographers can celebrate not only the photos created, but the effort it took to get there. To see all of the props coming from fellow photographers when someone makes the shortlist is really special, and a real testament to the work put into curating the event. The team at Portland Track, including Kaitlyn Peale, who manages Flash is all about creating events with meaning. It's hard to build things that mean something to other people, but when you do, it’s because you’ve built them thinking about those people and wanting to do something special for them, and then you have to be diligent enough to make sure that it is always theirs and the meaning remains.
And finally, tell the world why celebrating photography and fostering competition ultimately important for the sport of running?
Photography is the most powerful medium in the sport, which is wild, because it’s a art of stills documenting a sport defined by movement. I always say: baseball had radio, football had TV, basketball has reels, and track has photography.
It’s important in anything to recognize the people you appreciate. We don’t do it enough. A lot of the time we don’t think about the power that one comment has on another person even though we know the power it has on us. A compliment if given specifically and thoughtfully about somebody’s work can sustain them for months and help them continue to grind and produce better work. Don’t we want to live in a world with an escalating quality of art and happy, fulfilled and connected people?
Healthy competition is great too. As runners, we know it can be scary to compete, and its a constant meditative process to do it in a healthy way. Doing it in a healthy way brings the best out of people, especially when we all encourage each other and celebrate each other’s wins. We all have the ability to make those around us better, and ourselves too.
Category 1: Abstract
"Twilight Zone" by Anderson Bobo. Anna Hall at the center of attention and locked in during the Olympic Trials Heptathlon javelin throw.
"Best of the Best" by Joe Hale. Mondo Duplantis and Karsten Warholm take in the celebration of their 100m exhibition.
"String of Stars" by Geoffrey Lowe. All 19 women of the Olympic Pole Vault Final. Composed of 19 images captured during the rock-back phase of the vault, the curved poles delicately pieced together to form a beautiful string like shape.
"BUY MORE LAND" by Bernard England. I wanted to play around with words on top of photos captured. A way to tell an athletes story on top of their image. Even without anything on top of the image, three words came to mind when I thought of Fred Kerley.
"Strolling Through Springfield" by Evan Poulsen. Race-walkers passing by the Simpsons Mural in Springfield, OR during the Olympic Trials.
"I Love LA" by Noah Klabin. The LA Marathon, my hometown race, takes place every year in March. It starts in the neighborhood I have been in my entire life, so I decided to go out early and ride my bike along the course. This shot was taken right near the start line, as the runners crest over the top of Dodger Stadium and head down to the iconic Sunset Blvd.
"In the Spotlight" by Sam Su. Emma Coburn runs down the track during her walk out at ATHLOS NYC.
"Grass Runners" by Tim Healy. XC Runners approach the small rise at Glendover Golf Course.
"Sunset Shadows" by Keith Webber. Standing on the corner of the track at sunset of the PDX Trackfest, the shadows of the runners going by made for a unique photo op.
Category 2: Action
"Bar Hopping" by Nicky Atkins. KC Lightfoot vaulting on Beale Street at the 2024 Ed Murphey Classic.
"Hodgkinson is on Fire!" by Alex Holloway. In front of a home crowd during the Wanda Diamond League London Athletics Meet on July, 20 2024, Keely Hodgkinson continues a successful 2024 campaign by breaking her own British record in the women's 800m run with a time of 1:54.61. All ten of the competitors ran season, personal best, and/or national records making it one of the fastest 800m races of all time. Fellow Brits, Jemma Reekie, and Georgia Bell, placed second and third, respectively.
"The Beautiful Soup" by Peter Baxter. This year’s World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade Serbia featured an excellent mud pit obstacle that race organizers continued to water after each race. It made for some glorious spectating for the fans.
"Olympic Dream" by Gaëlle Mobuchon. Olympic champion in the 110m hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Grant Holloway (USA) established his dominance from the heats onwards, easily dominating his heat (04 août 2024).
"Euphoria" by Jacob Gower. Rai Benjamin celebrating gold in the 400m Hurdles.
"Olympic Dreams No More" by Solène Décosta. Kevin Mayer fell and hurt himself a few weeks before the olympics. He didn't make it to the Stade de France to compete.
"REDEMPTION" by Moa Segerholt. This photograph was taken immediately after US Olympic Long Jumper, Tara Davis-Woodhall, eked out a 6.64-meter jump on her third attempt at the Olympic Trials. This secured her a spot in the finals after fouling on her first two attempts at the board. She described this experience as “hell and back”.
"Marathon Fuel" by Joe Hale. Galen Rupp after finishing the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials.
"Ticket Punched" by Tyler DeWaard. 100 meter hurdlers Grant Holloway, Daniel Roberts, and Freddie Crittenden overflow with emotion moments after qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Category 3: Portrait
"Fred Funny" by Bernard England. Waiting along the sideline in the stands has its benefits. Especially when Fred Kerley is in a funny mood. Post 100m at 2024 Olympic Trials at Hayward.
"Relief" by Anderson Bobo. Grant Holloway, after winning the Olympic Gold, takes a moment to reflect on the his journey.
"Queen Faith" by Joe Hale. Faith Kipyegon poses after winning the 1500 at the inagural ATHLOS competition.
"Happy Kelvin" by Antoine Decottignies. Kelvin Kiptum on the balcony of his hotel in Monaco, a few hours before he received his World Athletics Award. He passed away a few weeks later. This is probably one of the last portraits of him.
"True Grit" by Oliver Denton. This photograph is of an athlete called Malen Osa. I have followed her for the last two years and this year watched her podium at the Golden Trail World Series. Malen has had struggles this year with crippling cramps, loosing her mother and all at the age of 21, still managed to give everything during the final race of the season. This image shows True Grit.
"Absolute Elation" by Evan Poulsen. After a narrow qualification into the final, Tara Davis-Woodhall is elated after jumping her way to Olympic Trials gold. She would go on to become the Olympic Champ in Paris.
"Love On Top" by Solène Décosta. The Woodhalls celebrating Tara's gold medal.
"The Queen and Her Throne" by Colin Wong. Moments before toeing the line, and an eventual victory at the 2024 Boston Marathon, Hellen Obiri takes to her throne and laces up her shoes.
"Royalty" by Elijah Agurs. Sha'Carri Richardson setting her blocks before the start of the Women's 100m Semi-Finals at the 2024 Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Photographed on June 22, 2024.
"Heartbreak" by Seawon Park. A tear falls from Athing Mu's eye as she walks off the track after the US Olympic Track Trials Womens 800m Finals.
