Photo shootout between Clifford Oto, Tim Ulmer spreads in California

Over the past 15 years or so, Tim Ulmer and I have had something of a friendly photographic competition, which has heated up in recent years.

For those of you who may not know Ulmer, he is the owner of UlmerPhoto camera/photo refinishing shop on the Miracle Mile in Stockton. He is a fixture in the Stockton photographic world. He started at the old Meadows Camera in 1983, and after it closed, he opened his own shop. He also lends his photographic skill and expertise by photographing events for nonprofits and other organizations for free. In 2014, he was named the 62nd Stocktonian of the Year by the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce for all his good work in the community.

We often shot the same events. As we entered the digital and social media age, Ulmer started doing something I didn’t expect. At these events, there’s often not much to do except stand around before things start. He started taking pictures of me when I arrived at said events. After a while I responded in kind. And then we posted the photos on Facebook. Our little shootouts soon turned into who could photograph the other first and became sort of a photographic version of an old western gunfight. There was no prize for doing this, but bragging rights about who had the fastest trigger finger. We are about equal on wins, losses and draws.

Over the years, things have only gotten more involved. I now try to keep a wary eye on Ulmer whenever I cover an event. I take detours to try to avoid him and try to sneak up on him to get my shot. And he did the same. Recently, at the Children’s Museum of Stockton, before the Cleveland School Remembers event, Ulmer hid between two parked cars and ambushed me as I walked up.

As we posted our photos on social media, people started to notice. He and I now get a lot of comments online and in person from people we know and also total strangers about how they get a kick out of our little competition. Some people even helped us on occasion. If only one of us is at an event, people have to take pictures of the other. I’ve seen people look around and then point out where Ulmer is in the crowd.

Last December, at the Turkey Brigade event where firefighters and police officers donated 600 frozen turkeys to the Emergency Food Bank, Ulmer got there before me. Several cops and firefighters teased him by falsely claiming that I was right behind him. When I finally got there, I was actually able to sneak up behind him and get the first shot.

Ulmer has heard that other photographers have now started their own contests as far away as Sacramento and Fresno. As long as he and I are at the same event, our fun and friendly shootouts will continue. If you see me first, let me know where he is.