As a photographer I am always searching out ways to set myself apart and create content that people will be into. It’s one of the biggest challenges and one of the hardest parts about it to be honest, especially these days when everyone has a camera of some sort with them on a regular basis whether it is a digi-cam or an iphone and life is being documented by the minute. It’s a mix of doing what makes you happy and trying to figure out what will make viewers happy as well. That’s where this new “A different perspective” idea came from. Over the years I have interviewed tons of pro riders about anything and everything except one important topic. What is it like from their perspective to go out and shoot with a photographer? What it is that makes one person better to shoot with than others? I have always wondered about what goes on inside a riders mind before they prepare to shoot a crazy banger and put all of their trust into the photographer. Check out some more photos from my trusty disposable camera from the X Games and see what Rob Wise, Aaron Ross and Josh Harrington all had to say for the second edition of “A different perspective.”
Rob Wise
Go ahead and give the readers some background on some of your first memories of getting photographed while riding.
When I first started shooting with professional photographers I remember I would always want to shoot something crazy. It would usually end up taking me a minute to figure it out and finally get it how I wanted. I would feel bad like I was just wasting their time taking forever to get this shot. I remember after each try I would apologize that I didn’t get the trick. Shooting with big name photographers was intimidating to me at first. I felt like I needed to prove something by doing things first try and if I didn’t I would be hard on myself. I’m really happy I’m over that. Now I’m friends with a lot of the photographers so it makes shooting photos that much better.
When was it that you first felt pressure to produce as a rider in front of the lens?
I’ve always loved shooting and filming so it hasn’t really been too much of an issue. I guess when you are on trips that your sponsors have paid for you to go on and you need to come up with an edit for. Or when you’re coming up on a deadline for a DVD part I always feel the pressure then. I wanna’ have everything that I’m stoked on for a DVD section.
Do you remember your first “real” photo shoot with a professional photographer? If so who was it? When was it? And fill us in on some details.
I was 16 years old and I just got picked up by S&M Bikes. Beringer and I were on a trip to California to go out and meet everyone at S&M. While we were out there Jeff Z. wanted to meet up with Matt to shoot a couple things. We ended up at this cool bank to jersey barrier spot. There was a semi trailer parked on the other side of the barrier and I asked Matt if he could film me ice picking the trailer. Jeff asked if he could shoot it and I was blown away by it. I was so excited! A couple months later I saw that photo in Ride BMX. It was the coolest thing ever to see my photo in the magazine.
What is it about BMX and photography that goes hand-in-hand from the rider’s viewpoint?
I love the photography side of it because I love seeing the trick right in the peak or most clicked point. It really captures how insane or creative the trick is. You can just sit and stare at a photo forever and it never gets old.
How much pressure do you put on yourself to have the trick look “perfect” or the way that you imagined it to look?
Definitely a lot more now than when I first started riding and filming. If I’m in a weird position in a photo I usually like to shoot it again. You want a photo to be perfect. Filming is a little more relax I think. I like seeing people get a little loose in video it ads to how crazy the setup can be. Plus it’s more exciting to watch.
Do you need a filmer around to shoot a photo? Will you only shoot a banger trick if it is being filmed as well?
Yes if it’s something that scares me then I want it to be shot and filmed at the same time because I’m not gonna’ want to do it twice. I will shoot certain things without having to film it as well.
Explain the difference you feel pressure wise between filming a trick and shooting a photo. What do you prefer?
I think it’s pretty close to the same thing. You want both to turn out how you have it pictured in your mind. So if its not quite what I wanted then you watch the clip and see what you need to do different to make it how you wanted it to look.
Do you have anything you do to prepare on the day you know you are going to go out and try to shoot a banger trick?
No I don’t do anything to prepare. I just try to not think about it and go at it with 100% confidence that it’s going to work out.
Does a photographer have to have the photo guaranteed to go somewhere (in print, or for an ad) before you shoot with them? Will you give an up and coming photographer a chance to shoot with you?
No I’m always down to shoot photos. I’ll shoot with any photographer really.
What advice do you as a pro rider have for all of the photographers out there looking to step up their game and take it to the next level?
Just have fun shooting your friends and be on point. People will talk if your photos are dialed.
Of course everyone wants to hear a horror story from your end of things. What is one that stands out in your mind? Names can be withheld or let the names fly…either way.
I really haven’t had that many bad experiences with shooting photos. The worst thing is having to do the trick again if they missed the shot if its something that I’m stressing.
On a more positive note, let’s end it with one of the most memorable photos from your years as a pro rider.
I think my very first photo was the most memorable for me. I just couldn’t believe I had a photo in the magazine that I’ve looked at for years.
Any last words?
Thanks to GT, Demolition, DC and Skullcandy.
Aaron Ross
Go ahead and give the readers some background on some of your first memories of getting photographed while riding.
Some of my first photographs came way before I was a “pro bike rider”. My good friends Carlos Temaz Mendez and Kris Martinez both were super into taking photos. I remember going to spots and one of them would film the other would take photos. It was really rad because I was looking at magazines and copying the tricks and they were looking at magazines and copying the tricks and the style of photos or watching videos and copying the style of filming it was just rad. Jed Rogers, Devon Hutchins and Walter Pieringer were some of the first few BMX photographers I really ever shot with for something.
When was it that you first felt pressure to produce as a rider in front of the lens?
The Empire video was the first time I ever filmed something for more than just filming it. Being asked to be a part of the video was one of the coolest things ever. Being from Texas and always ordering from them and then becoming friends with everyone and then growing with them to this day has been awesome. It’s an honor to be a part of the first video.
Do you remember your first “real” photo shoot with a professional photographer? If so who was it? When was it? And fill us in on some details.
Jed Rogers was the first real BMX photographer that I was involved with. Jed asked me if I wanted to do a Ride UK interview so we spent a couple weeks’ together shooting photos for that. It was awesome just because I was young and never really had photos shot of myself. Also shooting photos that would be going to a magazine was pretty awesome and obviously pretty unreal as a 18-year-old kid from Corpus Christi.
What is it about BMX and photography that goes hand-in-hand from the rider’s viewpoint?
They say a photo was worth a 1000 words and it really is. I remember sitting in high school looking through the newest magazine and I can tell you in detail every single thing about that photo from the stickers on the bike to the amount of spokes in his wheels to what grips and tires were on it; I mean pretty much everything. So it goes hand-in-hand and always will.
How much pressure do you put on yourself to have the trick look “perfect” or the way that you imagined it to look?
It depends on what trick I’m doing but we all put a little but of pressure on ourselves. You know you want it to look good or you want it to at least look the way that it feels, I think that’s a big part of it.
Do you need a filmer around to shoot a photo? Will you only shoot a banger trick if it is being filmed as well?
It depends on what I’m working on at that point. If I’m working on real video part or an edit or something of course I’d rather shoot a photo and film at the same time.
Explain the difference you feel pressure wise between filming a trick and shooting a photo. What do you prefer?
I really enjoy both sides of it, I love seeing the finished product. The only type of photo that is a lot of pressure to shoot with a photographer is a barspin. Other than that the most pressure I put on myself just to get whatever trick or line I am working on done in a reasonable amount of time because some things will take hours. I think the most pressure with shooting a photo or filming comes by making people sit around and wait for you to do it so if it takes an hour the rest of the crew just kind of sitting there bored and I don’t like that. I feel bad and that usually gets me upset way before me not being able to pull the trick.
Do you have anything you do to prepare on the day you know you are going to go out and try to shoot a banger trick?
If I’m in Austin I usually get up and go cruise the trails first and then just go for it. Once I’m there I just do a couple sprints around real fast and then just dive in. It’s a mental game at that point.
Does a photographer have to have the photo guaranteed to go somewhere (in print, or for an ad) before you shoot with them? Will you give an up and coming photographer a chance to shoot with you?
No not at all I like to shoot photos for no reason or just for fun. I’ll shoot a photo with anyone but it’s usually someone in my circle.
What advice do you as a pro rider have for all of the photographers out there looking to step up their game and take it to the next level?
Have fun and be nice to everybody.
Of course everyone wants to hear a horror story from your end of things. What is one that stands out in your mind? Of course, names can be withheld or let the names fly…either way.
Ha-ha the photographer missing a barspin is always a mess. But honestly no good stories I guess. I once threw my bike out of anger and rage and broke Walter Pieringer’s flash and I felt pretty bad about that. Sorry Walter.
I also once got banned from being able to help film by Stew Johnson because I missed a Brian Kachinsky clip because I’m so ADHD. Stew literally had me put on a park bench sitting in front of a camera on a tripod and I forgot to push record because I was so into the watching Brian do the trick that I just completely forgot to record it…Never again has Stew let me film.
On a more positive note, let’s end it with one of the most memorable photos from your years as a pro rider.
I think my favorite photo over the years is probably the Sunday orange soda bike ad photo that I had a while ago.
Any last words?
I want to thank anyone who has ever helped me shoot a photo or film a clip. Thanks to all of my sponsors for always being there fore me and I want to thank my parents for being the greatest humans on earth and sister for being the best and always baking sweets. Also thanks to my friends for being awesome, thanks to everyone and thank you for this interview!
And by the way I just did this entire interview with Siri and it was the greatest thing ever. Oh, and I literally do not know how to work a camera or a video camera…But I do love Instagram. Get at me @theaaronross.
Josh Harrington
Go ahead and give the readers some background on some of your first memories of getting photographed while riding.
My first memories have to be at local contests around 1999-2000 and also the Hoffman CFB contests. My first magazine photo was a one-handed x-up on vert shot by Mark Losey from the Woodward CFB in 2000.
When was it that you first felt pressure to produce as a rider in front of the lens?
When I fist got on Haro they sent Scott Papiro out to shoot a welcome ad for me. I had never had anyone flown out just to shoot with me for something specific. I eventually realized you can’t feel pressure you just have to do what you do and it’s all good.
How much pressure do you put on yourself to have the trick look “perfect” or the way that you imagined it to look?
It depends on if I’m shooting something I am down to do multiple times. If so then yes it’s always nice when you look how you imagined it in a photo.
Do you need a filmer around to shoot a photo? Will you only shoot a banger trick if it is being filmed as well?
I usually try to at least have a video camera on a tripod, not always though.
Explain the difference you feel pressure wise between filming a trick and shooting a photo. What do you prefer?
I like both. You just have to try to forget about the pressure. There is a way to make anything work for video. A good photo in a magazine with always be my pick though.
Do you have anything you do to prepare on the day you know you are going to go out and try to shoot a banger trick?
I charge my camera batteries, get some sleep, and eat.
Does a photographer have to have the photo guaranteed to go somewhere (in print, or for an ad) before you shoot with them? Will you give an up and coming photographer a chance to shoot with you?
I’m down to shoot with whoever is there for sure.
What advice do you as a pro rider have for all of the photographers out there looking to step up their game and take it to the next level?
Shoot all the time, never say “one more” and always let the rider decide if they want to do it again rather than pressuring them.
Of course everyone wants to hear a horror story from your end of things. What is one that stands out in your mind? Names can be withheld or let the names fly…either way.
Honestly I don’t really have any and I hope it stays that way.
On a more positive note, let’s end it with one of the most memorable photos from your years as a pro rider.
I would probably say it’s split between my first Ride cover from the 2005 Metro Jam in Toronto, Canada and my latest Ride cover of an over grind in Ohio.
Any last words?
Thanks.
Thanks for the support as always and hopefully you guy’s enjoyed the second edition of “A different perspective.” Remember that if you have any suggestions or riders you would be stoked to see featured in the next round then leave some recommendations in the comments below. Also, be sure to check back next Wednesday for the fortieth edition of Through the Lens and as always feel free to leave any questions in the comments section or email me at [email protected] and I will hit you back as soon as I can. Feel free to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @jeremypavia.
Want more Through The Lens? Check out past editions below.
