The Marin Mile
Capturing the energy, determination, and community spirit of runners. The event welcomes racers of all abilities across multiple heats, culminating in the Elite races, where competitors chase Marin's first-ever sub-four-minute mile.
"Frank's photos tell stories. His talent behind the lens is remarkable."
- The Marin Mile, Race Director
Behind the Shoot
THE CHALLENGE — A multi-heat race with wildly different stakes, from casual community runners to an Elite field chasing Marin's first-ever sub-four-minute mile — plus a commitment to run a pop-up portrait studio on-site, meaning two different jobs happening on the same race day.
THE PLAN — Location scouting to find the best spots for race photos and a pop-up studio. Practice setting up the pop-up studio to deal with potential sun and wind issues. Working two paces at once: staying loose and moving through the field for the earlier heats to capture the range of runners and the atmosphere around them, then tightening up position and focus for the Elite race, where there'd be one real shot at the decisive moment as it happened.
THE RESULT — Delivering both well gave the Marin Mile images built for promotion, and gave runners a pop-up studio portrait as a keepsake of their race. Proof of a community event people will want to be part of next year, and the marquee moment the race is actually known for.