Staff Biographies

• Martin Vloet
  
  
• Lin Jones
  
  
• Scott R. Galvin
  
  
• Scott Soderberg
  

Martin Vloet

Martin's outstanding work at the University of Michigan has earned him UPAA’s national title, Photographer of the Year, in 2009 and 2006. Since Photo Services joined UPAA in 2003, Martin has collected awards every year. In the last few years, his images have appeared in numerous newspapers and national magazines as diverse as Sports Illustrated, Science, Ebony, Links (golf), and the Journal of the American Medical Association.
                       
Martin launched his professional photographic career almost 20 years ago. His childhood interest in the capture of a fleeting vision turned into an academic pursuit in high school. After winning a technical award from the US Air Force for scientific applications of photography, he was hired by the USAF as a darkroom assistant in 1987.

Martin took his love of the image to Ann Arbor where he pursued dual undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan. After graduating in 1994, he supervised a number of photographic labs, taking on the responsibilities of color management and mechanical/chemical operations for C-41 and RA-4 process equipment. In 1997, Martin relocated and assumed greater technical roles in sales and consulting. As a specialist in high-end optical and digital systems, he served as advisor to the likes of Honeywell Aerospace, Allied Signal and AM General. In addition to his equipment duties, Martin was also charged with photographic production via inkjet and dye-sub printers and image preparation for large format LightJet and Lambda output devices. With 13 years of experience, he returned to Ann Arbor in 2000 to join the University of Michigan Photo Services office.

Despite a few years away from Ann Arbor, Martin has maintained a constant connection with the University of Michigan. He has served the photographic needs of the Athletic Department since 1991 and has photographed every Wolverine varsity, and varsity club, team at some time. During his tenure, he has provided coverage for five different NCAA National Championship teams at Michigan: ice hockey in 1996 and 1998; football in 1997; field hockey in 2001; and softball in 2005. Since 1990, Martin has maintained a freelance business concentrating on athletics, event and product photography, and studio and location portraiture. His extensive experience in traditional formats (35mm and medium/large format) was bolstered in 1997 when he adopted digital capture technology as his primary work process.

Since 1996, Martin has also served as director of a non-profit organization aimed at improving collegiate photographic capabilities. More recently, Martin served as tour photographer for half of the dates on the 2004 WannaPalooza Tour with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock’n’roll band made up of some of the most famous authors in the world.

Lin Jones

In high school, Lin dreamed about becoming a fashion designer. However, she studied accounting in college and earned a bachelor degree in Economics. She then worked as a CPA for five years before going to Australia to earn her Masters degree in International Business from the University of Sydney. After so many years, it was in Ann Arbor that another dream became reality, not to become a fashion designer, but to become a professional photographer.

Her love affair with photography started with a Minolta camera she purchased from a former colleague, and developed along the path she was searching, for herself and her lost dream. For over eight years, Lin traveled to five continents and over 17 countries with her backpack and camera bag. The world she adventured to, and the people she encountered, gave her a totally new perspective in which to examine the meaning of life. In 2003, she wrote a book called Heart Journey about her experiences, which was published in China.

"Life is a journey to learn, to grow, to love, and to explore this world and yourself." This is her philosophy, and photography is a tool to that end.

If you want to know more about Lin, her photography, and her journey to five continents, visit her website:
http://www.linjones.smugmug.com

Scott R. Galvin

Scott began his work with the University of Michigan Photo Service in 2005. Prior to coming to the University of Michigan he was a freelance photographer in Ohio, and he worked for the Associated Press, The Cleveland Plain Dealer and others.

Scott earned a bachelor of science in photojournalism from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. During his college career at Kent State, he worked alongside the university photographers in the Office of University Communications and Marketing. He gained first-hand experience photographing various subjects including sporting events, campus feature and assisting with executive and development assignments.

For five years he had the opportunity to develop his studio skills, during the annual fashion shoot for the university’s School of Fashion Design and Merchandising senior fashion show. For three years he was the principal student photographer for the student-based project, which won a 2003 Circle of Excellence Gold Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

In addition to being a university photographer, Scott has often assisted Sports Illustrated staff and contract photographers on assignments that included both sporting events and location portraits. This lead to the prestigious placement of an image in the "Leading Off" section of Sports Illustrated, and two other publications in the magazine.

In 2002 he traveled with the Kent State men’s basketball team during their historic season, which included a trip to the Elite Eight of the March Madness Championship tournament.

His work has been published in major publications in North America and Europe including Sports Illustrated, Elle Girl Magazine, The Toronto Globe and Mail, Detroit News, New York Times and The Dallas Morning News.

His greatest passion is photographing sports and portraits. He specializes in using his understanding of the principles of light to create dynamic, colorful images. When covering events his intent is to make viewers feel as if they are right there.

When Scott joined the team at the University of Michigan Photo Services, he returned to an environment that he loves - an environment that fosters the growth and attainment of knowledge - the life of the university.

Scott Soderberg