Sports Photography How To

Everyone loves B&W photography and most shooters appreciate great sports and architectural imagery too. But how often have you seen images like these that combine the best of all three genres?

 

A post shared by Fred Mortagne (@frenchfred) on Jan 8, 2017 at 11:57pm PST

Fred Mortagne (aka "French Fred") is a Leica shooter who recently traveled to Los Angeles to join the Elements Skateboards team to make the stunning images you see here.

 

A post shared by Fred Mortagne (@frenchfred) on Feb 24, 2016 at 1:11pm PST

Mortagne is a Lyon-based skateboarder, photographer, and videographer with a broad portfolio of stunning images that defy categorization. Whether you classify his work as sports, architecture, fine art, or even portraiture, it's easy to agree on the fact that Mortagne’s images are both dramatic and masterful.

 

A post shared by Fred Mortagne (@frenchfred) on Dec 3, 2015 at 11:29pm PST

“There are so many talented skateboarding photographers out there,” says Mortagne, “and my process was to try and create something new; to present different ideas than the things people would normally shoot.”

 

A post shared by Fred Mortagne (@frenchfred) on Nov 5, 2015 at 3:00pm PST

Mortagne says working in B&W helps differentiate his photographs from the far more common vivid color photos of skateboarders. He explains, “I like the timeless dimension black-and-white brings to images. All of that, combined with the other ingredients I sought out meant that eventually I was able to develop an overall, recognizable style.”

 

A post shared by Fred Mortagne (@frenchfred) on Sep 21, 2015 at 2:28am PDT

You can see more of Mortagne’s great work on his Instagram page, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram at @ShutterbugPix where we’re sharing our favorite photos from our followers.

Via Amateur Photographer