Vince Perraud: Glory Ride, Max Charveron, California

The Image

Photographer:
Vince Perraud

Location:
Somewhere behind a dam… Around San Francisco CA

Time / Date:
March 2014

The Technical

Gear:
Camera Body: Canon 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L

Camera Settings:

Shutter Speed: 1/500s
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 48mm

The Story

Background: 

I’m a sports photographer, and a lot of my work is shooting my friends riding BMX. Recently, I went on a trip to Cali with friends to shoot a documentary about BMX and skate. The goal was to try to hit some original spots like this huge full pipe and document the action and lifestyle.

The Scene: 

I immediately saw that water on the ground when my mate Max was riding…

Being in a full pipe give you a weird feeling of a big “O”… With puddle on the ground when you put the camera in it, it creates an abstract composition of an “8”…

Gear: 

I used my Canon 5D Mark II and 24-70mm f/2.8. I kept my kit simple ( and light), since we had to get to this location on a little inflatable boat.

Making the Shot:

While shooting, I was just playing around and try to make something from the water on the ground… it makes a nice little reflexion. I also asked two friends to stay at the bottom of the pipe to give an idea of the size and the height.

Editing & Processing:

For post processing, I just turned it black and white to make it a little more dramatic.

Looking Back:

I choose this one cause it was from my last adventure and it turn alright!

Advice:

Go out out and have fun with your friends!

Inspiration:

I get inspiration from everything! Good or bad, and I don’t just look at photography, but everything… And I just try to give justice to my friends who take risks on their little kid bikes!

About the Photographer

I taught myself photography at the age of 21 when I injured my knee and was immobilized for a year – this way I could still keep up with my passion for BMX. This was also directly related to my studies in design and widened my set of skills.

I was soon drawn to brilliant pictures from people like Manu Sanz or Jeff Zielinski, which I saw regularly in magazines. By luck, photos from my very first films were published in core magazines too.

Little by little, I got the chance to travel all around the world, especially to the States where BMX was born. Since then, I have mixed with the best riders and worked for companies such as Vans or Carhartt. I also run a website called TheDiggest.

Website: www.vincentperraud.com
Blog: www.vincentperraud.tumblr.com
Twitter: @vinceperraud
Instagram: @ vinceperraud