Skateboarder Turned Pro Skateboard Photographer

Photography Tips

In wildlife photography, they always say you need to know your subject if you want to capture a great photo. You have to know the behavioral patterns and tendencies of the animal to bring out the best in it. However, this saying is not commonly used when we photograph people and sports. Sure we’re all humans, but the sports are all so different. When photographing a surfer or mountain biker or gymnast, it’s not enough just to know the person; you have to know the sport too. This is the advantage of photographer Arto Saari who is a skateboarder and also a pro skateboard photographer. Participating in the sport himself gives him extra insights and connections that help him in his photography:

Tips for Shooting Skateboarders:

• Get Low – The lower your angle, the higher your subject will look. This works well when shooting your subject while he/she is in the air. The distance will be exaggerated, and will give the image a more dramatic look.
• Use Flash – Whether you’re shooting inside or outside, a flash will help you control the lighting situation. Shooting in mid-day sun can give you very contrasty and unflattering results. Adding a flash can help balance out the sun and make your images look more dynamic.
• Use a Fast Shutter Speed – When the action is fast, your shutter should be too. Slow shutter speeds will result in blurry subjects.
• Use a Wide Angle Lens – You’ll often want to be close to the action when shooting skateboarders. A wide angle lens will not only give you a closer working distance, but will let you capture more of the scene and help exaggerate the amount of air someone gets when doing tricks.

A powerful flash is used here to balance out the sun

For further training head over to this other article for some skateboard photography tips.