Skateboarding
I skateboarded many years ago when I was a teenager, as I’m sure many of you reading this did also. However, back then, half-pipes and ramps were few and far between, and when we did find one, the build quality was really quite poor with large steps joining the ground to the ramp, gaps in joins and usually the plywood they were made of would feel like you were riding on a moving boat, not the greatest feeling for your confidence. Then of course there was our skill level, which is safe to say almost non-existent in comparison to what is happening these days.
I’ve always been fascinated by half-pipes, ramps and pretty much anything that gets me off the ground and feeling myself fly through the air, landing a trick and riding away too cool for school and all nonchalant :). This is probably why I was so drawn to snow half-pipes and pursued this avenue as a professional career for so many years. Concrete half-pipes are really quite scary, there’s no room for error, and, the landings are as hard as it gets, c’mon guys its solid concrete! You’ve got to have huge respect for the guys and girls who ride these things. The injuries they’ve all suffered to keep perusing their ever thirsty need to fly bigger, grab longer or tweak harder, is staggering.
One of my biggest passions, snowboard half-pipe, owes its life to skateboarding so I have a small connection with this sport. Without the emergence of empty pool riding in the 70’s we would never have seen the evolution of this form of riding evolve into the professional sport we see today. Monster half-pipes, professionally built and council advocated bowls and parks, all stepping stones along the way and finding their way to almost every ski resort on the planet.
Creating
Skate parks have all the ingredients to create inspiring and edgy images. Obviously there are skateboarders throwing themselves off and up ramps and rails with a backdrop filled by dull grey concrete splashed with colour from graffiti art, all combine for a multitude of possibilities.
It was great to have the opportunity to head to ‘The Cage Skatepark’ in Salzburg with Oliver Balzer and for a first shoot we walked away with some really striking images. The setting sun, though very brief, is always a nice addition to any image. The dull grey cement allowed Olli to really pop out of the background with the help of my speedlites, and, the little bit of graffiti around really added the third dimension into the shots.
So a few things to remember when you’re looking to create some interesting skateboarding images;
· Use extremes to create the extreme. Try using a super wide angles close to your subject, high/low. Don’t be scared to get really far away with a long lens and capture something that is almost voyeuristic.
· Off camera lights are a must for me. Learn how to use them and balance the ambient light. This can help you create something really striking and can also help you turn something bland into something dramatic.
· Don’t be afraid to capture some random riders. Chances are they'll start putting on a real show for you and you’ll have the opportunity to capture some images you hadn’t thought of previously.
