Skateboard, urban exploration and light

Skateboard, urban exploration and light: this combination makes a surprisingly warm atmosphere. There is no soundtrack in this short by Juan Rayos, the only music is the sound of the skater, Kilian Martin, performing in this big abandoned building.

The natural light of the Sun through the windows, the dust getting up in the air as the skate hits the wooden floor, the emptiness of the place, all build a very warm and quiet mood, while on the opposite the raw editing conveys all the tension due to the difficulty to achieve the tricks.

A lot of care is shown in the composition and the use of light. Most shots are flawless in that regard.

Unintentional film looking shot

Snow suddenly started to fall over Tokyo last night, quickly building a white layer over the never ending city. I was too lazy to grab my gear and all the stuff one needs to get out during a cold night, so I just hoped the snow would still be there on the morning and decided that I would take my camera with me on my way to work.

It was still there (although it had become ice) and it was giving the morning sunlight some exquisite tones. I love the morning light anyway: grazing, harsh, drawing bold shadows on faces and buildings… But the reflections due to the snow really make a difference.

While waiting for the train on the platform, I wanted to take a picture of that girl on the other side, lit by that light. But I didn’t even have time to aim and the train was there already. I took the shot anyway, in the hope I would catch it through the window.

The result is a bit unexpected: the tinted glass and blacklit inside give the picture a film feeling, as if tones were post-processed and black mattes were added.

The filmic train

The filmic train