When color is removed and all that remains is black and white, light and shadow, texture and negative space, beauty can often be found.
With the minimizing of the human and focusing only below the waist, I was able to create some interesting compositions
Another dance in the unfinished ballet
It is not the sharpness of the image to which people respond. They will not, one day in the distant future, speak about your stunning histograms. ~ David duChemin - The Soul of the Camera
I love skateboarders. I was never good at riding one myself, but I have always loved the skill, the aesthetic, the culture, the grunge and grime. I loved the gutterpunk culture and the devil-may-care mentality. I also love how much of skating is often an unfinished ballet. These athletes work and train to engage in amazing moves, but usually bail after the trick or move is done. Completing the stunt, but never completing or even completely choreographing the full performance.
As of the time of this post, I have taken many pictures of skaters, and will continue to do so. I will also continue to post some of them as time progresses. One of my favorite photographers is Glen E. Friedman, and especially his Dogtown series featured in Dogtown & Z-Boys. With this series, I attempted not to capture the grime and grunge, but rather the ballet, the minimalistic beauty and simplicity that black and white can bring out in such a complex concept.
Works good in monochrome