This week’s Member Moment features work by Ken Flagg, whose passion for photography often blends with his passion for running. Scroll down to see his pictures and to read the interview!
PL: What got you interested in photography?
KF: I've always liked taking pictures as a way to capture and preserve memories and moments in time. What turned it into a true avocation was breaking my foot in a mosh pit in January of 2025. As leader of my local run club, being unable to run was a major problem! So I bought a full frame camera and started shooting run club runs to stay involved as I healed. I also shot races like the Love Run and Broad Street as a way to ensure that my club members had good photos from race day. My dad also left me a bunch of Praktina lenses that I had been unable to use until I got this camera, so taking photos is a way to honor that gift from him.
PL: What type of camera do you shoot with?
PL: When taking pictures, what are some objects or elements or feelings within a scene that inspire you to take a photo?
KF: I take thousands of photos when shooting races, so it is more about discovering the photos that move me and then maximizing what I love about them through cropping and editing. I'm generally drawn to pictures of unusual or exceptional expressions or body alignments - something that elevates the composition above just another picture of somebody running. If there is something about the person that causes me to start inventing a backstory or otherwise come back to that photo multiple times, I know I've got something. And occasionally a picture will just be visually stunning. Outside of races, I am drawn to dramatic lighting and expressions of joy.
PL: Of the pictures you submitted, can you share an interesting story about one?
KF: When I shot the 2025 Broad Street Run, I set up a chair on the concrete divider at Broad & Fairmount. I discovered over the course of the race that there is an inverse correlation between the competitiveness of the runner and their likelihood to do something silly for the camera, so as the runners slowed down, the antics ramped up. Most people pumped their fists, waved, did little hops or whooped and hollered. One woman, however, did a perfect mid-air heel click, and I made a mental note while firing off 6 shots per second in her direction to check when I got home to make sure I got it. And I did! I love it, because she is relaxed, looking right at the camera, and appears to be floating over the pavement.
PL: What do you enjoy most about digital/film photography and what is challenging about it?
PL: Do you have any goals or ideas of how you want to grow this collection of photographs?
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