This photo was shot in Phoenix, AZ, during the warm-up before a skateboard session in this irrigation ditch. I spotted the puddle and asked one of the skaters to do a simple but stylish trick. I was there to shoot video, not photographs, so we got this picture done quickly, before the “real” business started. It wasn’t a very successful session — we didn’t really film anything interesting — but I walked away very happy because I knew this would make a very good photograph. It saved the day.
Fred Mortagne

About the shot

Biography
I’m a self-taught french director and photographer, with the focus of my work being mostly around skateboarding. My graphical and geometrical photography is almost exclusively shot in black and white, and focuses more on the aesthetics and style of the sport, rather than the performance, while also playing around a lot with architecture.
Spending so much time out in the streets, I keep a curious eye for other interesting things of life happening, and am always ready to capture those unique moments. My pictures are a feast of lines and angles, and my specific compositions – blending the skateboarders into their environment – make this skateboarding photography accessible to non-skateboarders.
This is the third time my work has been recognized by Red Bull Illume. In total I’ve had seven finalist images in the 2007 and 2010 contests. My first retrospective book was published in the fall of 2016.