Rad Dad Collective: Off The Wall

Like some elusive graff artists, some photographers want to stay behind a hoodie, under the radar. Like doing a search on Google and comin up with nowt! Luck would have it, we managed to catch up with this guy.

What follows is a exclusive "general" interview with a well known skateboard photographer, no names, no attachments just the basics, a stealth mission in and out- get away clean!

We receive an email with encrypted code with time and place- meet in dock lands, come alone, no wires just a pen and pad, the old fashioned way and oh ya no cameras!

RD: Firstly without giving much away, what area do you call home North America, Europe, Asia?

Europe.

RD: Would you like to be based some where else or do you think Europe gives you all the inspiration you need?

I like where I came from, I'm thankful for my roots. And what I do love about Europe is how easy, cheap and convenient you can travel inside of it and still have such a great diversity. It's not that far from Italy to Spain but the cultural differences are huge. I do love New York though, especially Brooklyn, I draw inspiration from this special place. Give me a greencard and I'd be over there in a blink.

RD: Why did you pick the stills camera as a medium, and have you tried other media like painting for instance?

I've never been good when it came to handicrafts, maybe that's why.

RD: In the early years you seemed to concentrate more on skateboarding photography, did skateboarding kick start your interest?

Absolutely, and it still does, even though my perception changes. I've never been a great skateboarder myself, but it's a diverse culture, it's got depth, it definitely is a motor for my motivation.

RD: What directions do you feel your photos are going now?

I use what skateboard photography taught me and use it for everything else I'm interested in shooting. I love the freedom to do whatever I like to – but still… the aesthetics kind of remain.

RD: Do you prefer colour or black and white pics?

Depends on the motive.

RD: What cameras are your favourites at present, and what equipment would you recommend for a beginner?

My favourite is the cheapest snapshot I could find – hooray for chance. For beginners I recommend a fully manual 35mm film-camera though. Teach your fingers to do the job on their own.

RD: As a leading photographer what is your opinion on the digital photo age?

I wouldn't call me that, but oh well. Digital's here, it' good for some purposes, it doesn't work for me in others. It just depends on what you're going for. No harm in pixels.

RD: Hot Chocolate or a mug of strong Starbucks coffee?

Hot chocolate for sure! Suchard, the one and only.