KICKPICS is a free website that I created several
years ago that is devoted to the art of kicking.
More specific, posed kicking photos with a partner.
I tried taking action shots in the beginning but was
wasting a lot of time and money on film and
developing the photos. So I decided to stick with
still shots and it just took off from there. On the
site, you will see photos of posed kicks to an
opponent's head, face, throat, stomach, knees,
groin, etc. Any martial artists can send in their
own photos or if they would like a photo shoot, I
can do that, too.
How did KICKPICS get
started? What was your inspiration?
It's
such a cool story and I love telling it. I have
always been a huge fan of the martial arts and as a
kid, I think I watched every martial arts movie ever
made. I could never get enough of watching them and
was in total awe of the kicks. After high school, I
finally enrolled myself into Yu's Tae Kwon Do (the
late Chong Son Yu was my instructor) and I was in
heaven. Finally, I got to be the one kicking! One
day after training, a buddy of mine and I decided
that we wanted to take photos of each other doing
some kicks. So I grabbed our family Polaroid (I
wonder how many young martial artists even know what
a Polaroid camera is!) and we snapped some horrible
photos. But they were ours and we were proud of
them. Then shortly after that, we talked about
setting up a small website featuring kicking photos.
In October 2001, I set up a cheap 20.megsfree.com
website and that's when KICKPICS officially started.
Since our photos weren't all that great, I decided
that I would scan some photos from my nearly two
hundred martial arts magazines and books. So I
scanned them and started posting them to this
website. So that's how it all started. I had to
close that website because it was such a small
website and it kept shutting down. At that time, I
got maybe twenty hits a month and I posted twenty
photos. As the years went by, more and more people
started finding out about the website and it got
more and more popular. I started taking pics with my
Polaroid then a regular 35mm camera and eventually
got my first digital camera. It's funny--you can see
the gradual progression of my photos from back then
to now.
What do you charge for a
photo shoot and how can a martial artist contact you?
Prior
to 2008, I was giving shoots for free. Yes, that's
right--FREE. Things have changed financially in my
own life so I can no longer afford to do it for
free. I will start asking for donations for the
shoots so I can keep the site running and use the
money to help with travel expenses. Here is how my
shoots work: You can take as many photos, in as many
outfits and at as many locations as you'd like. I
take traditional uniformed photos indoors in the
dojo or outdoors in a park or wherever there is nice
scenery. I also allow you to take street scene
photos (self defense-type photos). I also add your
name, style, location, and website address (or email
address) to my website when I add your photos to it.
So you get all the photos you want and get free
advertising--for $50. You will get all of the photos
emailed to them within a two to four weeks. For
$100, I will make a CD of all the original, uncropped photos immediately after the shoot. Many
martial artists are using the photos from our shoot
on their website, printing photos, and even printing
posters and the original photos print a lot better
than the emailed version. Just remember what
the site's theme is--posed kicking photos. So 90% of
the photos we take will be for the website. Since I
am there, I have no problems shooting some solo or
weapons photos.
How do you keep the site
going, afford the flights, etc?
I have
fronted most of the money for my website and keeping
it going. I am computer illiterate so I have a local
guy take care of the technical part of the site for
me. I had a vision of what I wanted the site to look
like and he put it all together. I just take the
photos for the site while he does everything else.
There is a monthly fee in addition to a "per photo"
fee that I have to pay every month. I do have a PayPal link on my website that is used for
donations. Over the past couple of years and within
fifteen months, I lost my Mom, my Dad, and my
Grandmother (my second Mom) and it took a huge
emotional toll on me. I was out of work for almost
six months and it really cut into any spending
money. So I almost closed the site. I reached out to
the website fans and many of them came through.
Donations came in and I was able to keep the site
going. For the most part, most of my photo shoots
are taken while I am already on vacation. Prior to
leaving for any vacation, I will contact local
martial arts schools, tell them about the website,
and offer a KICKPICS photo shoot. People have
asked me if they could pay for my expenses, would I
fly out to them for a shoot. The answer is
ABSOLUTELY! I love doing this. I would just need
advanced notice so I can adjust my work schedule.
But sure I would.
Did you do photography prior
to KICKPICS? What's your training in the art?
No, I
never had an interest in photography. I think of
myself as an amateur photographer because I have
absolutely no training in photography. I think I
have a pretty good eye for photos but I wish I had
more knowledge about photography and exactly what my
camera can do.
Are you a martial artist
yourself? If so, how long have you studied and what arts
and ranks?
I used
to train in ITF Tae Kwon Do and I loved it. I got my
1st degree black belt and had to quit because of
work, college, and no money. After that, I dabbled
in Isshinryu Karate, Koei-Kan Karate, and Capoiera.
I loved all of the arts but my heart was always with
Tae Kwon Do and the kicks. I was in the arts for a
total of six years or so.
Where has KICKPICS taken
you? Other countries? All over the US?
I have
had photo shoots in Michigan (my home state), Ohio,
Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Texas,
Florida, South Carolina, California, Maryland,
Virginia, and the United Kingdom (London). In the
United States, forty-seven of the fifty states have
martial artists interested in a photo shoot. In
total, I have a little over 500 martial artists in
the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK
interested in a KICKPICS photo shoot. It's pretty
crazy isn't it?
What has KICKPICS done for
the martial artists involved in the project? Can you give
specific examples?
My
favorite story is a bitter sweet story of one of
KICKPICS favorites, Billy Hughes from Miami. Back in
2002, I emailed Billy and invited him to check out
my site. Ever since then, we kept in contact and
became really good friends. In 2003, I finally met
him and we had our very first photo shoot. We met
again later that year when he came to Michigan and
we had another shoot. Billy went to an audition for
a part in an action movie and he took one of our
photos to his audition. When his interviewer asked
for his headshot, he proudly showed his photo and
their response was, "wow, that's a great photo." He
ended up getting a call back and was in 2007's Miami
Vice movie. I remember him calling me and thanking
me up and down for the photo shoot. I kept reminding
him that it was his talents that got him the part--I
was just there to capture it on film. He was even
offered personal training jobs and a couple other
movie parts were in the works as well. Sadly, Billy
unexpectedly passed away in May 2007. I emailed my
site's database and the condolence emails just
poured in. I ended up creating a blog on my MySpace
page and started posting all of the emails right to
it. I decided that I had to go to the funeral and
pay my last respects to my buddy. I printed out a
couple 8x10 photos that we took, put them in really
nice black and chrome picture frames, and gave them
to his mother at the funeral. I also printed out the
blog and gave it to her as well. Her response was,
"I had no idea..." and then she started crying. So
that is my best success story. I had a photo session
with Scott Palangi out of New York and a long-time
friend of his, Steve Basche from Indiana, found him
on my site. They lost contact with each other over
the years and it was great that they could get in
contact with each other again. I have also been told
that a number of martial artists featured on my
website have been offered modeling gigs and personal
training positions as well. So it just goes to
show--you just never, ever know who might see you or
what might come about it.
What are some personal
accomplishments you have gained from the site?
The biggest
accomplishment has been making some really great
friends. There is no better feeling than getting a
phone call or an email from someone that you
photographed thanking you for a job well done. Since
I have a digital camera, I can see the photos as I
take them. When I show the kicker a photo that came
out really well, the smile on their face is
priceless. I also feel great by giving back to the
martial arts community. It just makes my day when I
receive an email from a martial artist who says they
are inspired by the kickers that I feature on my
website. I saved an email that I received from a man
named "Peyton" who was is a huge martial arts fan
and was recently diagnosed with MS. His email to me
said, "What I have read in your FAQ has been a great
encouragement.....remember, you may be one person in
the world, but you may make the world of difference
to someone....I will continue to stretch. Maybe one
day, my kicks will be as high as yours." I have also
received some nice recognition for my work, too. In
2006, I was inducted into London's first ever
Martial Arts Hall of Fame (Dedication to the Martial
Arts) and again in 2007. In January 2007 and 2008, I
was inducted into Action Martial Arts Magazine's
Hall of Fame (Special Merit) as well. My photos have
also appeared in Budo International / BlackBelt UK
and Inside Kung-Fu magazines. In November 2007, Tae
Kwon Do Times did a six-page interview and photo
story on the me and the KICKPICS site. In January
2008, Hollywood has called on KICKPICS, too. An
agent in California stumbled across the website and
saw the talents of the martial artists that I have
featured on my site. They asked me if I could refer
them a martial artist for a part in the new American
Gladiators show. I sent out an email to my database
and got responses from all over the world. I would
be happier than a pig in "you know what" if someone
I knew and photographed got the part! Never in a
million years did I think all this would come out of
such an innocent project. I am truly thankful and
blessed.
How many people view
KICKPICS per month? Or how many subscribers or users do you
have to the site?
The site is viewed
all over the world and I average anywhere between
7-10,000 hits per month. And it's only gaining more
and more steam. Since I do have a full-time job, I
had to stop giving individual USERNAME and PASSWORDS
because it was taking so much time. Now there is
just one universal code and all you have to do is go
to the site and register. You will get this code
within 24-48 hours. At last count, I had around 7800
subscribers.
Mortgage broker by day? How
long have you been doing that? What is your formal
education/schooling?
Yes,
I'm a Mortgage Broker by day and I have been doing
it for nine and a half years now and love it. At the
end of 2007, I lost my job and was out of work for
about a month and a half. So the financial situation
I was referring to? That's what I'm talking about. I
now work for Family Home Loans and I hope to get my
feet back on the ground. I grew up in Lake Orion,
Michigan and graduated from Lake Orion High School
in 1987. From there, I took some Business
Administration courses at Oakland Community College
in Auburn Hills and Walsh Business College in Troy.
I am just a few courses from getting my Associates
Degree and you think I would just bit the bullet and
do it. But I have no desire to get back into the
classroom. Not now anyways. We'll see!
What's your favorite kick to
photograph?
Hands
down, my all-time favorite kick to photograph is the
basic sidekick to the face. It is the most
picturesque photo. I really like this photo because
it emphasizes the kicker's perfect form,
flexibility, and strength. If you think about it,
why do we train ourselves to stretch and kick high?
To land a kick to your foes head or face! As long as
I am doing this, every martial artist I photograph
will always get a sidekick to the face photo.
Interestingly enough, I created a poll on my website
and asked which photos keep bringing fans back to
the website. The top five photos were: (1) Sidekicks
to the nose, (2) Groin Kicks, (3) Stomps to a downed
opponent, (4) Kicks to the throat, and (5) Groin
Grabs. To me, these results indicate that not only
the high-kicking styles view the site but also the
low-kicking styles such as Kenpo, Kung Fu, Wing
Chun, etc.
Which photo shoots have been
your most memorable?
I have
many. I have have met some great martial artists and
celebrities. The celebrities I have met and
photographed have been Vincent Lyn, Loren Avedon,
Keith Vitali, Gary Daniels, Taimak, and JD Rifkin. I
would really like to meet Kickboxer stars
Jean-Claude VanDamme and Daniel Bernhardt. My shoots
with Peter Thomas from Long Beach, CA and Loren
Avedon are samples of my favorites pics because of
the scenery. We shot Peter's in Long Beach with the
ocean and palm trees as the backdrop and I think we
shot Loren's in Palos Verdes. It was on top of a
cliff overlooking the ocean. Both were absolutely
breath taking scenes. Then add two incredible
kickers--the shoots were awesome. Check out the
STACE's KICKPICS FAV's page for some of my all-time
favorite shots.
How many people are employed
with the KICKPICS site and what equipment needs to travel
with you to get a shoot done?
I'm a
one-man show. It's just me! As far as equipment,
it's pretty basic. Like I said, I'm just an amateur
photographer. No studio. No fancy camera. No fancy
lights. No backgrounds. It's just me and my Canon
PowerShot Pro1 digital camera with timer and my
tripod. I also carry my uniforms with me just in
case the "target" cancels. What I mean by "targets"
is this. I always tell the martial artist that they
can bring someone to the photo shoot to be their
target. That can be challenging in itself because
many want to be the butt kicker instead of the one
getting the snot kicked out of them. In my six years
of doing this, I have made a few observations. Most
martial artists who want to take photos can't
because (1) they don't have a decent camera, (2)
they don't have a person willing to be their target,
(3) they don't have a third person to take the
photos, or (4) all of the above. This is how I can
help. I have the equipment and will always offer
myself as a target if they need one. I'm only 5'7"
so I make for a pretty easy target, too.
Do you usually make friends
with the model? Do you feel that most of the martial
artists you've photographed have become life-long friends?
Absolutely. Not only have I been doing something
that I love, I have also made some lifetime friends.
Billy Hughes was a perfect example of this. When I
was going through my tough times after losing my
loved ones, there were many, many people from my
website offering their warm thoughts and prayers.
Every single person I have photographed with will
always be considered a friend. The martial arts
community is a tight-knit community and I'm proud to
be part of it.
Where do you see KICKPICS in
the future? Do you have any plans, ideas for expanding the
project?
I don't
ever want the site to stop. As I said earlier, I
have over 500 martial artists interested in a photo
shoot. Financially, there is no way I can get to all
of them. I would love to find a sponsor or a number
of sponsors that could help me get to each and every
one of them. I currently have a Sponsors page on my
website and would be happy to add anyone who is
interested in sponsoring the site or an individual
shoot. I'm not an Accountant but I'm pretty sure the
donations can be used as a tax write off. If I
could, I would like to take a second to recognize
and thank my current sponsors. Danny Zannelotti was
a featured kicker on my website and owns ZPPS
Martial Arts Supply. He gave a very generous cash
donation to the website in addition to donating some
uniforms. I wear his uniforms in most of my photo
shoots and add his link and logo to each page
features his uniforms. Karate Depot was kind enough
to donate monies towards last year's Los Angeles
trip. Shawn Kovacich from the Achieving Kicking
Excellence series books also has made a generous
donation to the website.
How can people help out the
KICKPICS site?
Besides
making a monetary donation or purchasing a T-Shirt,
tell every martial artist you know about the site.
And if they're awesome kickers.....let's get them a
shoot and in front of the world. Lastly, if I could
ask EVERYONE a huge favor it would be to download
the flier in the SPONSORS page. Then send it to
every martial artist, martial arts school owners,
and martial arts suppliers, magazines, or clothing
line companies you know. You never know.......somebody
might become the sponsor that I'm looking for or
know someone that could sponsor a shoot in their
state.
