Snowboarding: photo hunt for a good shot

Snowboarding: photo hunt for a good shot

Photography in details. Features of shooting in the Indian Himalayas.

It’s impossible to imagine action sports without effective photos and spectacular profiles of riders. In our new section “In Detail” iconic extreme photographers continue to reveal all the magic of non-accidental shots.

Maxim Balakhovsky, an expert extreme photographer, semi-finalist of Redbull Illume, winner of several Best Of Russia contests, answered our questions while preparing this material.

Category: Snowboarding

Photographer: Maxim Balakhovsky

On the photo: we often invite professional riders to our tourist trips. This time J.P. Solberg, rider and co-owner of Yes Snowboards, came to visit us. We have been shooting with this rider for a long time in different regions – Kamchatka, Canada, India, Chile.

J.P. Solberg. Photo in details

Location features

The shot was taken in the Indian Himalayas, in the Himachal Pradesh region. February 2015. Our company Helipro has been organizing skiing in this area for many years. Usually the main season in this region is February-early March. Skiing in the largest mountains of the planet – the Himalayas is an event in itself. Large height differences, continental dry snow, variable relief, highlands, alpine meadows. Plus the unique flavor of India and especially the Manali district.

See more and dive headfirst into the world of extreme sports at the S-Fest International Action Photography and Film Festival. Learn more.

Technical side of things

I am currently using SONY A7RII, A99II, also LEICA SL and GOPRO 5 BLACK cameras.

Photo trick

In this photo, JP does a frontside turn with a spectacular plume on the first descent of this ride. A split second later, his plume flies into me, backfilling the camera as well. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for a good shot (smiles). I love shooting twists and turns, especially performed by people who know how to do it. While seemingly simple, not all professional riders do it well.

How to make a photo perfect. Experimenting with angles

Prepare for the shoot, have spare batteries and memory cards, keep your optics and sensors clean. Try to experiment with angles during the shoot and discuss the planned stunt with the rider beforehand.