Wake Love | Why we photograph watersports

ALM Photo has had a long love affair with the waters of East Tennessee, but some of you may not know the whole story. So, let's take a little trip back in time...back before digital cameras were held in the hands of nearly every person on the planet. Back before the 'A' and 'L' of ALM Photo even met.

Allan doing a 'spinny flippy' trick

Allan wake surfing

{cue the way back machine music}

Allan has always had a love for being on the lake getting pulled behind a boat whether it was waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing or even kneeboarding. In the later part of 1990's and early 2000's, he was the co-owner of Precision Sports LLC a watersports shop and boat dealership in the Karns community. Prior to opening his own shop he worked at Alpine Ski Center, selling snow and water sports equipment, and was instrumental in introducing wakeboarding to East Tennessee. It was actually a combination of taking photographs of boats and equipment for the shop and spending long days on the lake riding behind a boat that refueled Allan's interest in photography. It's also where I got my start behind the lens. After all, Allan couldn't photograph himself. The movements of the wakeboarders, from smooth butter slides to popping in the air to do their 'spinny-flippy' tricks taught me how to follow the rider and maintain focus as well as how to manage the changing light. In addition to learning how to photograph action sports, I learned how to hold my camera steady while hurtling over the water and stopping, starting and turning. Definitely the best on the job training ever!

Allan looks fantastic upside down...

Several years ago Knox Wake had a weekly winch-pulled wakeboarding and wakeskating competition at Wild Wing Cafe and we would head over there as our scheduled allowed to capture photos of the riders. They loved to see what they looked like hitting the rails and kickers and sometimes we even brought out the strobes to really get some cool shots. More than anything though, it was Allan's love for the wakeboarding community that brought us out each week and it's what keeps us involved with the wakeboarding community that exists today in East Tennessee. So, now you can see why we love to photograph watersports events.

Wakeskater at a KnoxWake Wild Wing Cafe event

It was this love and expertise for photographing watersports action that interested the Tennessee INT League early last year. This is the second year ALM Photo is photographing the wakeboarding tournaments put on by the Tennessee INT League. The INT League is turning the recreational sports of wakeboarding, waterskiing, kneeboarding and wakeskating into a competitive, but fun for the whole family, sport. Drop by their website and find out more about what they do for the watersports community.

From the boat

From the shore

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Rail O Ween 3 1/3 {ALM Photo | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

Halloween night wasn't just for the kiddies dressed up for trick-or-treating, it was also a night for some wet and wild wakeboarding action on the rails at Wild Wing Cafe. KnoxWake and The WakeShop at American Boat Center teamed up for Rail O Ween 3 1/3, which should have been called Rain O Ween due to the steady downpour which did break long enough to bust out a beautiful sunset and rainbow.

Here are some images of the rail jam taken by Allan with the assistance of fellow photographer Doug "The Flasher" Weaver.

Doug "The Flasher" Weaver

WakeFest 2.0 Photos Available On-Line {Allan and Lisa Mueller | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

ALM Photo has the WakeFest 2.0 2009 images on-line for viewing and purchase. Click here to see all the wakeboarding excitement that went down on July 19th at Volunteer Landing in Knoxville.

Pro Wakeboard Tour Slides Into Knoxville {ALM Photo | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

Wakeboarding fever was at an all time high this weekend as The Pro Wakeboard Tour slid into Knoxville, TN, its third stop of the 2009 season. Here are a few highlights from Saturday at Volunteer Landing. Allan and I shot from a number of different vantage points during the day to capture all the excitement and action.

Thanks to Mastercraft for hooking us up with lunch and a boat to shoot from. Much appreciated! Come check out the action again on Sunday!

Additional images will be posted on the website in the "proofs" section and on the ALM Photo Facebook page.

And So It Begins Again...Throw'N Down Thursday at Wild Wing Cafe {ALM Photo, Knoxville Professional Photographers}

As many people know Allan has been involved in the Knoxville wakeboarding scene for a long time. Even before he co-owned the area's premier wakeboard and boat shop in Karns, Allan was one of the first riders to get others interested in the sport during its infancy. It was only natural for Allan to combine his passion for photography with his love of action sports, such as wakeboarding, and develop it into a unique niche when he began operating his professional photography business, ALM Photo, several years ago. It's commonplace to find both Allan and Lisa at wakeboarding events not just in Knoxville, but the entire Southeast. Loading up the Prius with the photographic necessities and hitting the road is all in a day's work for ALM Photo even if they are just shooting for fun like they do at Throw'N Down Thursday at Wild Wing Cafe in Farragut.

Many thanks to Chris Moon of KnoxWake and all the other sponsors for providing the wakeboarders of Knoxville with so many great opportunities to get together and keep the sport alive and better than ever. Check out page 106 of the June 2009 issue of Wakeboarding magazine for more about the Knoxville wakeboarding scene. And mark your calendar for June 27 and 28 when the Pro Tour comes to downtown Knoxville for some throw'n down of epic proportions.

Visit the website for more information about ALM Photo and to view more photographs. Check the proofs section to view photographs from a specific event. Prints are available for purchase through the website and web-size images tagged with ALMPHOTO.COM can usually be found on Flickr and Facebook.

Contact Allan or Lisa at ALM Photo if you would like actions photographs of you, your family or your event. We also take photographs of people not moving at all, if that's more your speed.

ALM Photo :: KnoxWake Riders Voice Awards

Allan and I attended the KnoxWake Riders Voice Awards at Wild Wing Cafe last night and I spent the evening with camera in hand to capture the event. It was an awesome event with all the local riders who have been keeping the Knoxville wakeboarding and wakeskating scene on the map all season coming out for a night of fun and acknowledgement by their peers. There were so many great photographs from the evening but I am only posting a choice few here on the blog. Check out all of the photos on Flickr.
Allan has had a long history with the Knoxville watersports scene and we are thrilled to see KnoxWake continue to keep the enthusiasm going. Allan and I are looking forward to the next Knoxville watersports event, Eskimo Escapades, on January 10, 2009. See you all then!!