Jeremy Wariner's remarkable career captured by his dad's camera

Danny Wariner’s best picture of his son came in Jeremy’s senior season at Arlington Lamar, near the finish line of the 45.57 he ran at the regional meet. Jeremy Wariner signed the framed photo for his grandfather, C.V. Menting, who died five months ago.

But among the thousands of pictures Danny Wariner has taken of his son — and other competitors — Danny’s favorite photos came after Jeremy won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games. Some are framed in Danny and Linda Wariner’s study in Grand Prairie; others are in a digital photo frame in their living room.

They show Jeremy celebrating with various family members after winning the gold medal in the 400 meters.

The pictures are worth 10,000 words.

Photography has become Danny Wariner’s passion, as well as his stress relief.

"We all get nervous," Linda Wariner said. "It keeps him busy. I just rock back and forth in the stands."

Any meet Danny Wariner can get access to the infield, he’s there — usually alongside his brother-in-law, Gil Tolley — shooting pictures. He might be at the start, at the 200-meter mark, at the third turn or at the finish line.

"If I catch him out of the blocks, then I can run over and get him at the finish line and hope to get two good shots," Danny Wariner said.

The only downside is Danny Wariner doesn’t get to watch the race. He sees only snapshots, usually getting a chance to see all of it on video later. It took him a while to get used to not watching the race.

"I just have to hope whoever is doing the video does a good job," he said.

Danny Wariner got his first camera — he thinks it was a Canon — in 1975. When Jeremy began running track in high school, Danny got serious about his picture-taking and upgraded his equipment.

"Every chance he gets to use his camera, he’s going to be out there using it," Jeremy said. "He doesn’t get just pictures of me. He takes pictures of all the athletes. My brother helped coach a Little League team, and he was out there taking pictures of them. It’s just this little hobby he has, and he’s gotten real good at it."

In Jeremy’s three years running at Arlington Lamar, Danny estimates he spent more than $100 a week in film and developing. Since then, Danny has spent even more on camera bodies, lenses and computers.

Jeremy and the family also have given him camera equipment for birthday and Christmas gifts. Danny estimates he has somewhere between $20,000 and $25,000 in camera equipment.

"I’ve got all the idiot lenses," Danny said. "Just when I think I’ve got enough, they’ll come out with something else."

He will take much of it with him to Beijing, even though he won’t be allowed on the track.

Many of Danny’s pictures end up on Jeremy’s Web site — jeremywariner.com. He has more than 30,000 digital pictures and thousands more 35mm stills are stored in boxes at the family’s home in Grand Prairie.

"I’m not perfect at this by any means," Danny Wariner said, "but I do landscape design [for Southwest Wholesale Nursery], and think I have an eye for it. It’s something I enjoy doing."