Blabac Photo: The Art of Skateboarding Photography
Mike Blabacis one of the preeminent skateboard photographers of his generation. His career has been built on a strong work ethic, a small dose of good fortune, and an undying love for riding on a small board with four wheels. His parents gave him his first camera at age 13, but he didn't grasp the full power of photography until he started looking at skateboard magazines. In the early 90s, Blabac caught his first break. He began taking pictures of a rising skater named Josh Kalis, and an image off the first roll he shot ran as a full page inTransWorld SKATEboardingmagazine. Soon after, Blabac moved to California, where his career took off. He began shooting spreads and covers for the top skateboard magazines, includingThrasherandSkateboarder, and eventually became staff photographer for Mad Circle and Girl Skateboards. In 1999, Blabac joined friends Ken Block and Damon Way and helped to shape the image of their rapidly expanding skate shoe company, DC Shoes.J. Grant Brittainis a legendary skate photographer and founding photo editor ofThe Skateboard Mag, a groundbreaking publication he helped launch in 2004, andTransWorld SKATEboarding, the largest circulation skateboarding magazine in the world. Over his career, Brittain has captured nearly all of the best skateboarders of the last three decades in hundreds of classic photographs.Jake Phelpsis the longtime editor ofThrashermagazine and one of the most colorful characters in the skateboarding industry. Never one to shy away from controversy, Phelps embodies his magazine's f*** you attitude, maintaining that skateboarding is an art and a lifestyle without rules or authority figures to decide what is right or wrong.