Ben Horan lives in Nahunta, Georgia. Since wakeskating requires a towing device and significant body of water, accessibility can sometimes be a problem. Ben decided to dig his own small pond in his side yard and use a winch to pull him through it.
I brought out my lights to capture something strong as it was getting dark. I heard some rumors about him getting back tails pretty consistently and have always wanted to get a photo of a really good one. I wanted to get as close to water level as I could to really accentuate the trick. I used a longer lens but no waterhousing. I had to stand neck-deep in the bottom pond with my camera just out of the water and dodge his landing spray. I remote-fired three lights, Profoto 7Bs, and had a super short flash duration to ensure the action would be completely frozen.
There’s a moment in every trick where time stands still and all the energy put forth to make that trick happen recedes. There’s nothing more to do than to just be in that space. This is definitely one of those moments. Locked in, nose up and perfect poise. In his mind he’s already made it.
Josh Letchworth

About the shot

Biography
I had no intentions of being a photographer – it just happened. I fell into it in 1992. Photography became my way to express the way I see people, our environment and the way we move through it. As a Florida native, I’ve always surrounded myself with water sports and the outdoors. My passions collided and I found myself drawn to shooting those sports and the people that make them what they are. Wakeboarding and wakeskating have played a major role in my career with its large presence throughout Florida, and I now get to shoot for various magazines worldwide and for clients such as Nike and Oakley.
I’ve had the fortune of traveling around the world with my camera. It’s been a lesson that can’t be taught, only experienced. Today, I continue to shoot action sports and have signed on with Nike to work exclusively with their Nike 6.0 division to photograph their surf, BMX, snowboard, ski, wakeboard and motocross teams. The opportunity has opened many doors and allowed me to expand my style of shooting into many other arenas.
Photography is a sickness; it can consume your time, wallet and even your outlook on the most simplistic things about life. Leaving the camera at home becomes impractical and answering the voice in your head, “that would make a great picture” is compulsive. it’s those times when I can answer, “it did” that make it all worth it.