Lorenz Holder

Canon Ambassador Lorenz Holder is an action sports photographer, but he's different to most. In his images, the skateboarders, snowboarders and BMX riders performing spectacular tricks are often only a small element in a wider landscape or urban scene.

It's a unique style that combines his passions for landscapes, buildings and action sports. "I really love to shoot landscapes and architecture, as a hobby," he says. "But when I'm shooting a beautiful landscape or building, I often think: 'Ah, I could maybe add an athlete into that shot.' Then it gets more interesting."

Although most action sports photographers go in close on the athlete, Lorenz gradually developed a style in which they are only a part of the frame. "The athlete is small, but very important," he continues. "They shouldn't be so far away that you cannot see what they are doing, because I want to pay tribute to the ability and achievement of the athlete."

While the athlete is a crucial element in his photography, Lorenz's ideal image is one where you could remove them and it would still be a good enough shot to hang on a wall. Over the years, he has photographed athletes performing in some amazing locations, including on bridges and industrial cranes, in frozen landscapes, floodlit forests and even in mid-air beside a giant satellite dish.

Although Lorenz initially made these fine art action sports images for himself, he now often shoots them for commercial clients. His technical proficiency and creativity have also been recognised in the Red Bull Illume awards for adventure and action sports photography; he has twice been the competition's overall winner.

His ideas for images are inspired more by the locations than the action sport on show. "Most of the time, I don't see an action sports picture in the first place; more often I see a place that fascinates me and then later it clicks in my head that we could include an athlete," he explains. "The longer the place gets stuck in my mind, the more I create ideas of what could be possible.

"I usually have the final image in my head before I even start shooting. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and just stay on location and keep shooting until I know I could not have done it any better."

Lorenz's reward for all this hard work and dedication is a successful career doing the things he most enjoys. "I'm really happy that somehow I made it possible to make my hobby my profession, and that people pay me for doing what I really love," he says.

What's the most challenging environment you've worked in?
"Lapland, in the north of Finland, in the winter. The temperatures were -20 to -25°C and it was dark the whole time. It was the most challenging location for me and the camera gear, but it was also the most fun. I like to feel the power of nature and the cold temperatures. I'm not a sunny beach kind of guy."

Do you usually shoot the same athletes?
"Yes. If you are familiar with the athlete, you know what kind of tricks they like and what looks good. Also, on the personal side, most of the athletes have become my friends and of course it's really nice to spend time on the road with your friends. If it's possible, I also try to keep the same crew so shooting feels comfortable."

How long does it take to get the perfect picture?
"Sometimes it happens very quickly, like when you have all your puzzle pieces together and you just go to your location and you know exactly what you're going to do. It can take less than an hour. But sometimes you have to do a lot of preparation, especially for an athlete when he's jumping in the snow. You have to build ramps and set up flashes, and it can take two to three days to get just one image."

How much post-production work do you do?
"I might change saturation, contrast and so on, but I never change the image to get the athlete higher, for example. I try to get the images as perfect as possible in-camera, partly because I'm really bad at Photoshop. If I left a backpack in a shot, I know it would take me longer to remove it in post-production than it would for me to walk over and pick it up."

"The main goal that every photographer, not just action sports photographers, should have is to create their own distinctive visual style. If you can shoot in a style so individual that when people look at an image they know for sure you shot it, even without seeing your name, you've created your own visual fingerprint. There are so many photographers out there. If you want to make a living out of photography, having your own style helps you get bookings because clients know what to expect when they give you a job."

Website: www.lorenzholder.com