Ed Fratoni #1
MM.com: I’ve heard a lot about
your photo-taking talents. I’m here with Ed Fratoni. Fratoni right?
Ed Fratoni:
Fra-toni.
MM.com: FRA-TONI. That’s
Italian right?
EF:
Yeah. Italian-American. F-R-A-T-O-N-I.
MM.com: Got any ties to the
mob?
EF:
(Laughing) Naw.
MM.com: In case you were
wondering this IS off the record (Turns on wire strapped to chest)
EF:
(Laughing harder) No, but we did have relatives in South Philadelphia and it
was odd that when there were shortages of sugar back in the 70s, we could
get some.
MM.com: (Laughing Nervously)
Hmm. Don’t worry I’ll Foget Abouuuut It… So how long have you been doing
this?
EF: I’ve been
doing photography for a little while; I’ve always been interested in
motocross. As a little kid I started riding at 9 years old, I just wanted
to find a way to stay in and around the sport and help promote the young
amateurs that are up-and-coming because most of the publications that were
around when I started taking photos, were focused primarily on the
professional level, and really the majority of riders are amateurs. They’re
the buyers of products and sponsors of the Nationals that fill Bud’s Creek
and the rest of the venues with well over ten thousand people, and I thought
it was an opportunity to give them their dues as well as try to hone my
craft.
MM.com: I see. So, you also
have a site, correct?
EF: Yeah.
MotoXstaion.com. I’ve been doing that since January 2001. I’ve been
maintaining it constantly. I update the news page, try to put links on the
site that benefit our riders and just provide some information and outlets,
um, there’s a message board and I encourage everybody to use it.
MM.com: So, what would you say
is the toughest challenge about running the Mob? Err… I mean your job?
EF:
(Laughing) Well. The hard part for me is a lot of times I stay out from the
very beginning of the first moto, all the way through to the end so, instead
of selecting and picking a couple motos, a lot of times, something happens
during a race, and I’d like to get a hold of that rider and find out what
happened and just get a little bit of follow-up, but, as you know, many of
the promoters drop the card, before the final lap is up, and I’m under fire,
so that’s another hard part.
MM.com: Anyone in your family
race?
EF: No, just
me. I’ve rode since I was a kid. I haven’t been out in a while, but if I
do, it’s in the senior class.
MM.com: So, what about this
Captain M. guy, you got any photos of him?
EF: No.
(Thoughtful) No… I don’t.
MM.com: You Don’t? So this guy
is like the Loch Ness Monster as far as you’re concerned?
EF: He must
be, but uh, if he’s in the area (smile) I’ll get him.
MM.com: We’ll see. So what
magazines do you take pictures for?
EF: My
latest adventure has been with a publication called MotoEast that Jason
Fordney has put together. He’s allowed me to give him some advice and
critique, he’s even allowed me to get the cover shot of Gregg Duffy down at
Bud’s Creek for the second issue, which is much improved, and will be
providing me some space to do my own reports. It is a great opportunity for
me. I’ve done plenty of pictures for him, I’ve done some stuff for
MotoPlayground, there’s some pictures in there of Phil Nicoletti in the last
issue, and in the upcoming 6th issue I have a Spy Optics ad
featuring Jason Lawrence, and again I’m trying to get some of the East Coast
guys a little bit more publicity, including Todd Wilcom as their global
amateur Spy sponsor. I’ve done work in cover shots. I’m currently doing
work for Motorcycle Race Action; also I’ve provided information for Amateur
MX magazine, pretty much the amateur scene.
MM.com: Any advice for
photographers out there?
EF: Pretty
much, just, uh, continue doing it if you love it, if you’re having fun at
it, there are a lot of people doing it, take your time, try to hone your
craft, and people start to notice, with my work as well.
(Kevin
Duffy hiding behind pickup scribbling on notepad entitled “Photography
advice”)
MM.com: Can I quote you on
that?
EF:
Absolutely.
MM.com: Can I quote you on
your mob ties?
EF:
What??? (Confused) Err…I…Uh…Ahh… I don’t have any. (Two big Italian
bodyguards emerge from nearby Cadillac)
MM.com: Whatever you say…
Godfather. (Bows)
EF:
(Laughing)
MM.com: It was nice meeting you
and keep amazing us with those photos please.
EF:
Thank you very much. Nice meeting you too, keep up the good work.
MM.com: (Running away from
Italian bodyguards and pulling open shirt and screaming into wire):
Pull me out. Pull me out!
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