PPFA NEWS LINE
from www.pmanewsline.com
- Messages
- 89
- Company
- PPFA
Focus on: Mark Wallenfang
June 2, 2014 By Sheila Pursglove
Mark Wallenfang
In his high school sophomore year, Mark Wallenfang learned how to make a photo print in a darkroom. “Seeing a photo magically appear in a tray of developer was the ‘Wow!’ moment that got me hooked on photography for life,” he says.
Owner of Shooting Star Photo & Custom Framing in his hometown of Appleton, Wis., for the past 32 years, Mark earned a B.A. in industrial scientific photography with a minor in color technology, from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Calf. , and had the opportunity to do a photographic study on The Shroud of Turin.
About the time he graduated, the 1-hour photo industry was about to explode. Hired to run a photo lab in Colorado, he soon moved back to Wisconsin to open Shooting Star 1-Hour Photo, the first of its kind in Appleton.
“I wanted to offer professional services such as E6 and C41 large format processing along with the ability to print large photos at least 30 inches wide, plus many other photo services that would set my business apart from the other 1-hour labs that would eventually pop up in drug and grocery stores,” he says.
Mark began attending PMA conventions in 1984, finding information from marketing and buyer trends to handling employee issues, as well as services he could offer to stay ahead of the curve, such as computer graphics and Cibachrome print services.
When digital photography appeared, he attended DIMA conventions for information to get on the cutting edge; and invested in digital printing equipment. A 44-inch wide format printer led to mounting, lamination and then printing gallery wrap canvas prints. He now has two 60-inch printers to handle the workflow of prints and canvas, and has done many limited edition giclée prints and gallery wraps for artists and sports legends.
He decided to offer framing, to see photo projects through from beginning to end. “I learned quite a bit about woodworking from my father and felt custom framing was an extension of fine woodworking craftsmanship,” he says. He added a mat cutter, CMC, upgraded from a mechanical press to a vacuum press, and added a saw and v-nailer to cut and join his own frames. In the past year, he has upgraded or added new equipment to expand his abilities and services.
Mark has seen many young families grow over the years – and as each generation gets married and has families, they bring photos in for printing and framing.
He often gets high school students getting senior photos printed; when parents come to pick up the orders, they see the canvas gallery wraps and framing, which has sparked more business. “And as younger siblings reach graduation age, I see repeat orders for the same services,” he says.
Mark was a sports photographer for the Green Bay Packers’ weekly newspaper and for a couple of national image sources, working every home and road game including two Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls in 14 seasons. 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 New York Times best seller, “FAVRE.”
He shares his passion by teaching evening photography classes for beginner and advanced photographers at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton; and will expand the advanced program as a class in the business program of the college. “Another new challenge!” he says.
–By Sheila Pursglove
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL PRESS RELEASE...
June 2, 2014 By Sheila Pursglove
Mark Wallenfang
In his high school sophomore year, Mark Wallenfang learned how to make a photo print in a darkroom. “Seeing a photo magically appear in a tray of developer was the ‘Wow!’ moment that got me hooked on photography for life,” he says.
Owner of Shooting Star Photo & Custom Framing in his hometown of Appleton, Wis., for the past 32 years, Mark earned a B.A. in industrial scientific photography with a minor in color technology, from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Calf. , and had the opportunity to do a photographic study on The Shroud of Turin.
About the time he graduated, the 1-hour photo industry was about to explode. Hired to run a photo lab in Colorado, he soon moved back to Wisconsin to open Shooting Star 1-Hour Photo, the first of its kind in Appleton.
“I wanted to offer professional services such as E6 and C41 large format processing along with the ability to print large photos at least 30 inches wide, plus many other photo services that would set my business apart from the other 1-hour labs that would eventually pop up in drug and grocery stores,” he says.
Mark began attending PMA conventions in 1984, finding information from marketing and buyer trends to handling employee issues, as well as services he could offer to stay ahead of the curve, such as computer graphics and Cibachrome print services.
When digital photography appeared, he attended DIMA conventions for information to get on the cutting edge; and invested in digital printing equipment. A 44-inch wide format printer led to mounting, lamination and then printing gallery wrap canvas prints. He now has two 60-inch printers to handle the workflow of prints and canvas, and has done many limited edition giclée prints and gallery wraps for artists and sports legends.
He decided to offer framing, to see photo projects through from beginning to end. “I learned quite a bit about woodworking from my father and felt custom framing was an extension of fine woodworking craftsmanship,” he says. He added a mat cutter, CMC, upgraded from a mechanical press to a vacuum press, and added a saw and v-nailer to cut and join his own frames. In the past year, he has upgraded or added new equipment to expand his abilities and services.
Mark has seen many young families grow over the years – and as each generation gets married and has families, they bring photos in for printing and framing.
He often gets high school students getting senior photos printed; when parents come to pick up the orders, they see the canvas gallery wraps and framing, which has sparked more business. “And as younger siblings reach graduation age, I see repeat orders for the same services,” he says.
Mark was a sports photographer for the Green Bay Packers’ weekly newspaper and for a couple of national image sources, working every home and road game including two Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls in 14 seasons. 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 New York Times best seller, “FAVRE.”
He shares his passion by teaching evening photography classes for beginner and advanced photographers at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton; and will expand the advanced program as a class in the business program of the college. “Another new challenge!” he says.
–By Sheila Pursglove
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL PRESS RELEASE...
Last edited by a moderator:
