Q1: What were the biggest challenges? Conditions, riders, timing.

The biggest challenge was the unknown, but this was what made the project interesting. I initially pitched this idea around 7 years ago, but knew it would require the right location, timing, set up and a crew to make it happen. Leading up to this I have done test shots in controlled environments to try the concept out, but when you take the idea to the water, involving all the elements outside of a controlled studio environment that always changes things. You have to adapt, from things like wind shifts and exact positioning and distance of the riders. Also timing to freeze the action at the exact moment was also another additional hurdle. Having the Video crew of Carlos Guzman and Christian Muller to collaborate with, who were capturing video brought the project all together, together we collaborated and spent time working on some test scenarios before the trip and every night over the 12 day trip experimenting and evolving the process together.

Q2: How do you balance the adrenaline of kiteboarding with the stillness of storytelling in your imagery?

It’s always a balance of mixing that perfect moment of action with good composition. It’s about knowing the riders, knowing what their best moves are and directing them to capture it at the best moment and angle possible and then framing it.

Q3: How were the riders involved in the creative process?

The riders and the whole entire crew were fundamental to this project being successful. The riders rode on average of 2–3 hours after sunset every day, and that was already after an entire day of product shooting. Their attitude was amazing, they rode in total darkness, aside from when they were blinded by the flashes! They managed to not only ride in complete darkness but also managed to not tangle with each other as they lined up for their next attempt. They put the work in until we nailed the shot. Having dedicated enthusiastic riders that I have a good relationship with and trust the process of myself and the video crew is definitely a make or break requirement.

Myself, Carlos Guzman, Christian Muller worked together on the lead up to the shoot and worked together directing the riders. With the help of Tommy Kaiser and Felix Martins in Venezuela and Valentin Peiker and Marc Kevin in Egypt they were invaluable with help on the set up and lighting on location while we captured photo and video, the team work and everyone going above and beyond to put the work in is really what made the whole project possible.

Q4: What gear did you use and did you have to adapt the set up?

I used a combination of multiple strobe flash set ups and multiple continuous lights, on my camera I had a remote trigger for the flash and a variety of lens from 70–200mm, 50mm, wide angle and fisheye to work with different focal lengths to achieve different feels.

Q5: Is there one image that stands out and why?

I don’t know if I can narrow it to one, I think there are at least 3–4 images that personally are my favourites, the air with Matchu, On first glance it looks like a regular night flash shot but looking closer at the water droplets you see them exploding outwards, its subtle but dynamic.

Another with Matchu where the color drags really show the motion.

This one is nothing technical from a trick perspective but from the abstract side there is something that I like about it. It was actually a missed pop from Matchu and he is aborting his jump attempt, the colors really popped and dragged in a unique way, perhaps as I took this from a slightly elevated angle.

This one Its the trails of water and droplets.

This one feels like fireworks, it shows the travel and momentum of the move in a unique way.

Q6: Any behind the scenes challenges that shaped the project?

I think the challenge was dealing with lighting set ups being in the salt water water environment with the wind, things like the pack down in total darkness and powering the set up with the logistics of being surrounded by water, those would be the biggest hurdles, also the unknown of how it would turn out, as I mentioned, I tried set ups at home to test the concept but being on location there are many other elements that come into play that create unforeseen challenges, can the riders get close enough, do the continuous lights have sufficient power for the desired results, focusing on the rider in total darkness, all of these things presented their challenges that needed adaptation.