I became interested in photography largely through my love of BMX bicycling. I would study the photos in the magazines, noticing the details, making mental note. I had no formal training, just a lot of experimentation, trial, and error. In retrospect, some formal study would have been useful. I imagine it might have shifted my focus a little bit, encouraged me to consider different aspects of the process that I did not pay attention to on my own.
After a few years working in the BMX industry I was hired by Woodward Camp, a summer training resort for gymnastics, BMX, Skateboarding, and Inline Skating. I was their “Art Guy,” tasked with documenting any professional visitors, camp life in general, and producing all of the marketing materials: brochures, magazine advertisements, website, promotional goods, etc.
Working for Woodward expanded and honed my sensibilities, and pushed my creativity in new directions. I needed to coordinate with professional athletes and coaches, as well as young campers, to produce engaging imagery that engendered a sense of both professionalism and fun.
I still shoot action photos sometimes, when the mood strikes. Scroll on to see some of my favorites.
This photo is significant not for the strength of the photo per se, but because I built that giant pile of rubbish that he is riding on. This was during my time working for FBM bicycle company, a small BMX bicycle brand and manufacturer based in Binghamton, NY. The brand’s image was raw, D.I.Y., core—riders making bikes for other riders. I built this ramp for a competition we put on called the “Ghetto Street Comp.” This photo appeared as the opening spread for a story highlighting the event in a BMX magazine.
