I love the wild hair in this shot, taken in California a year last summer, back-lit by the sun.  Also the detail of all the crumpled clothing and the expressions on the boys faces as they pretend not to be watching whats going on.  Shot with a Sony a350 and processed in Aperture, Photoshop and Topaz.  There’s more skateboarding on this blog here.  DSC04911

I was looking at some of last year’s photos and trying out different cropping and processing.  This shot was taken at a skateboard park in California where skaters seem a little friendlier than in the UK!  It was processed in Aperture as usual for levels, then in Photoshop and Topaz to bring out some detail and smooth other parts.  I’ve ended up with lots of detail in the rough concrete, but nicely smoothed skin on the boys.  You can see the whole set on flickr here (but without the processing).  DSC04983

“And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up” (from Batman Begins).  An important part of skateboarding is learning to get up again which is why, perhaps, older people don’t do it so much.  Shot in Santa Barbara, Califonia, with a Sony a350 and Tamron 28-300 mm lens, and processed in Aperture.  More skateboarding on my flickr here.  DSC05199

Part of the style of skateboarding for lots of youngsters seems to be sagging.  Jeans worn low with boxers showing.  I’m not sure that this helps the actual skating since it must mean a certain amount of concentration goes into ensuring your jeans stay up.  Of course it also means that you need to wear the right underwear!  Taken with Sony a350 and Tamron 28-300 mm lens; processed in Aperture.  More skateboarding on my flickr here.  DSC05024

This excellent skateboard park on the front at Santa Barbara was in full sunlight when I was shooting.  Therefore there were some good shadows to be seen from the skaters.  So not only is there the form of the skater to consider in a photo, but also the shape of the shadow.  Sony a350, Tamron 28-300 mm, processed in Aperture.  More skateboarding photos here on my flickr.  DSC05132

Skateboarding is all about style – the clothes and the postures – and this lad had plenty!  Taken in Santa Barbara, California, at the skatepark on the sea front, using a Sony a350 and Tamron 28-300 mm lens.  Processed in Aperture from Raw.  See more skateboarding on flickr.  DSC04944

Taken in Santa Barbara, California, at the skatepark on the sea front, whilst young and old have a brief rest, using a Sony a350 and Tamron 28-300 mm lens.  Processed in Aperture from Raw.  See more skateboarding on flickr.  DSC04696

This is perhaps my most viewed skateboarding photo on flickr although it’s not particularly dramatic.  It was taken last summer in Santa Barbara, California with my Sony a350 and Tamron 28-300mm lens.  The Tamron is a great walk-around lens although not as sharp as I would like.  The photo has had levels corrected in Aperture, not other post-processing.  See more skateboarding shots on flickr here.  DSC5213