Alexfmx a question..

[rpg49]

How many photographer do you have at a event?
You have so many different angles.
Are you the only one in your Freestylemx.com?
Or do you have a few helpers?
Also what do you shoot with?
What got you into FMX and websites?
Thanks
Ray

[Moto-X Alex]

Heya. There are two of us that work full time here at Magnetic. Dave, our artist extrodinaire and myself. Dave is a professional designer and has experience in product design and actually doing different kinds of hardware design. Dave rides and knows it all about MX and FMX. I do all the web stuff and all the business stuff and interviews. We both shoot, but usually one of us shoots an event. I was a professional photographer when I was in college, and I grew up shooting sports. It is important to move around and get many angles. We shoot with 5 different lenses too. We have a few cameras, but our primary camera is a Nikon D1. It is amazing. My degree is in electrical engineering, and I have always had a computer (well, since 1985). I learned web stuff from day one, and it was always really easy for me compared to the other stuff I did. After going through the internet startup company frenzy in the silicon valley, I started my own company in 1997, which I ran for 4 years as Pres and CEO. I left last year to do this full time. Compared to what I used to do this is a piece of cake as far as making the web pages and shooting. The thing I love is FMX, and that it is a new sport and is still finding its fit. Couldn't be happier. If you go to www.google.com and type in my name you will find all kindsa other stuff ("alex thompson" in quotes). My old friend and super genius Sam does all of our back-end server stuff, and we have a few other people that help us out with other misc. things.

[Moto-X Alex]

If you want to do anything and be successful you need a plan. Without a plan, things happen by accident or luck, and you don't have any control. If you have a plan, you learn over time what works and what doesn't, and you modify your plan as you learn. I wanted to start a company in a sport that was growing, but was basically underground as far as any real info and fan sites. I knew we would have to provide value in the fmx marketplace to be successful, so we made that part of our initial two year plan. We launched a few rider sites about a year ago, and this site in September- and we have lots up our sleeves! Another important thing is to not preannounce things. Just do good work and put it out there. Lots can happen when you are doing something new. Trying to draw attention to yourself before you actually have things done can backfire. Doing things right takes time, but it is way way worth it in the long run. ;)

[rpg49]

You have a great thing going? I wish you great success..
Do you have just one D1 or more?
Wow another engineer... you would believe how many
of the media people are some kind of engineer...
What lens do you use?
So this site started in September?
So how long have you been shooting FMX?
Have you shot any SX or MX or AX?
Thanks

[Moto-X Alex]

Right now we have one D1, but we are getting maybe 2 more here real soon. We have all nikon lenses 80-200mm 20-35mm 14mm fish eye 60mm micro nikkor and a 105mm. I have been shooting FMX since July of 2000. Got fed up with wall street scumbags and just went out one day, bought a new D1 and headed out to competition park. That first day I met Chuck, Wes Burr and a few other local riders. They told me that shooting at a track was cool, but they could show me some really cool stuff to shoot. They took me out to Manny's Yard the following weekend and I was hooked. I shot all of the west coast series of SX last year, and am trying to get to an AX event but they are like all east coast. I met Mike Mason along the way and he is a mega-talent. I am trying to get to an AX here to shoot. Shooting indoors though in an arena blows. I used to shoot ice hockey, and the bounce from the ice almost guaranteed a great shot every time. Dirt is far less forgiving. Also, we make zero dollars and zero cents from our photos. We shoot everything and leverage our shots in our cards, websites and other media. There is no money in photography.

[rpg49]

Yes you are right about photography.. No money..
This sport has alot of heavy hitters in it.. If you are
new forget.. The guy I help is the first photography to
go Digital that was back in 1997.. Last year in Apirl he
was able to quit his job as a Engineer for U.S. Airways..
Now he is doing this full time. He does alot things oversea
and he shoots for Cycle News and alot Mags...
So what are your cards, websites and other media?
later...

[Moto-X Alex]

www.magneticindustries.com . i am going to put some new stuff up there later.

[AusFMX]

Man I am such a freakin n00-B!

I got Canon EOS 3000N with 28-90 lense :(

I got a FujiFil FinePix 500 too (i think its 500). Takes 4.3 mega pixel.