At the right angle. Photo lessons on extreme photography

At the right angle. Photo lessons on extreme photography

Instruction for amateur photographers from photographer Daniil Kolodin.

The best photos are rarely obtained by accident. Sometimes our inner voice and flair lead us to the right place with perfect lighting, and we have with us (oh, miracle!) everything we need to make the perfect shot. But this is extremely rare.

Good images, especially if we’re talking about action photography, almost always require an inside understanding of the process and a good reaction time. Season, time of day, weather, location, and of course the rider himself – all of these things need to be taken into account before heading out to shoot. A selection of photo lessons from Daniil Kolodin, photographer of the acclaimed Red Bull Fortification project, will help to understand the most common issues and look at extreme photography from a different perspective.

From Daniil’s interview with Red Bull: “In general, athletic and other special projects are always interesting. At the same time, it’s quite difficult to work on projects where the priority is sports or video, for example, rather than photography. You have to adjust to the rider or the video team.”

“It’s always a challenge to work at dusk. When there is only a little bit of darkness left, you have to be ready to take a photo from one or two takes. And this is where everything is tested: your photographic skills, your technique. You have to raise the sensitivity of the camera, and focusing works worse in the dark. Light also has its own peculiarities. The most important thing is that the devices do not “burn out” the frame. As darkness falls, the ISO rises to “draw” the darkening background, which means that the flashes become more powerful. You have to watch out for that so you don’t ruin that one shot.”

“Photography in general is a product of the team’s creativity. Or at least the photographer and the rider. Co-creation brings you closer together, and that’s valuable. If we talk about the subject, I prefer to consult with the rider, show examples of photos, listen to the opinion. Then the final result will be cooler.