Perhaps the allure of photography practice lies in its ability to document the unseen. Largely achieved through technical means, such photographs depict the scene in a whimsical or magical manner that changes your perception of reality. For instance, the use of infrared technology makes any photograph appear frozen in a distant time and realm. But what happens when this form of photography is mixed with an action-packed sequence? A grand explosion of surrealism. An individual who has been able to achieve this feat in a remarkable manner is German photographer Lorenz Holder.
The photographs are by Lorenz Holder, courtesy of WhiteWall. All images are used with permission. For more information, visit his website or follow his Instagram account, @lorenzholder.
A Burst of Colours and Flavors
“I have always been a big fan of infrared photography because you can shoot something the human eye can’t see,” Lorenz Holder told us in an interview. “You create images that look totally different from how we see them in real life,” he adds. However, as a renowned action sports photographer, Holder was not always into conceptual shoots. Beginning his journey at 18, when his mother gifted him a camera, little did he know then that this object of affection and his passion for the medium would earn him international acclaim from Red Bull Illume, The Open Photography Award, and Sony World Photography Awards. “I literally shot everything that came in front of my lens… It was just pure fun at the beginning,” Holder states.
But, as it is with when one finds their calling, Holder decided it is time to “take the action shooting a bit more seriously.” That decision changed his trajectory, with Holder’s pictures securing the interest of German snowboarding magazines, followed by the entire world. With over a decade in editorial and travel photography, he realized that he wanted to “focus more on planned, conceptual shootings” to spend more time with his family. “I’m very happy with the move to shoot mostly conceptual images because this is the most fun and successful way for me to create images.”
Today, with about eight international trophies under his name, Lorenz Holder aims to illustrate the charm of the natural and human world. In his photographs, his key focus is the merger of exceptional architectural locations or wilderness, but at its heart lies the wonder and mastery of action sports. An example of this is his latest campaign with WhiteWall photo lab, where you see the phenomenon of infrared and skateboarding. “I thought this was a fascinating way to showcase skateboarding in a different visual approach—a visual world that landscape photographers have probably seen but likely not many skateboarders,” Holder says, explaining his idea.
The Making of An Award-Winning Photograph
One of the critical aspects of Holder’s photographs is conceptualization. He says ninety percent of his pictures are made in his mind, highlighting his commitment to capturing the most intricate details. “I always want the viewers to have that kind of ‘wow ‘ feeling when they see the image,” he states.
One of the key elements of his image-making is the location. “I try to visualize the action in that location. This can take a while, and it’s mostly a long talk with the athletes to make a proper plan for the desired action,” Holder illustrates. Once this step is accomplished, the next would be to identify the time of the shoot. This pertains to “what time during the day and the year.” For instance, summer would be ideal for photographs that require more greens, while autumn is ideal for lack of foliage. “After all that, it’s just about putting the puzzle pieces together when I’m shooting. The more I can pre-plan from back home, the more relaxed the shooting will be,” he adds.
During his campaign with WhiteWall, a similar process occurred. When Holder decided to use infrared, he had to understand the following points: “Every color the human eye can see can be mixed with the colors red, green, and blue—so does a ‘normal’ camera. In infrared photography, one of those colors has to be sacrificed to make room for the infrared spectrum,” he explains. To elaborate, imagine you only have the green and blue color channels left in your photograph, but the red channel now picks up infrared light instead of red. Since infrared isn’t a color we can see, we use red to represent it. This changes the image’s appearance, creating “a world of false color.” Thus, the greens will only turn red if there is some photosynthesis in the photograph “because the infrared light is reflected back from vegetation.”
With this in mind, Lorenz Holder chose a location that offers “vegetation contrast.” By that, the award-winning photographer means either “a concrete path through the forest ” or, as he later finally narrowed down, “the mixture of vegetation and urban structures.” Once the location was chosen, finding the right clothes and gear was a priority. “I wanted him (the athlete) to wear white because, in infrared photography, you never know how a location will look unless you have seen it with the IR camera. But, white clothing will work 100% in all locations.” To achieve his vision, Holder utilizes a Canon R6 infrared model with the TS-E 90mm F2.8 “to make this surreal look even stronger in some images.” The other equipment in his bag also includes the Canon R5 Mk II camera, the EF 8-15mm fisheye, the RF 15-35mm F2.8, the RF 28-70mm F2.0, the RF 70-200mm F2.8, Broncolor, and Elinchrom flashes.
The Importance of Printing Your Photographs
The debate between printing and posting has been ongoing since the advent of social media. While many prefer to “upload” their work, some believe that printing is a more sacred alternative. Holder is of the latter opinion. “In this digital world with Instagram, we consume so many images per day that we just get flooded with impressions. So, for me, it’s really important to print my images, especially when the athlete is not always super prominent in the image,” he declares.
However, as with printing, the process can be challenging, especially when you are working with a complex form of photography, such as infrared. Holder feels that anything is possible as long as WhiteWall is with him. “This is why I have this wonderful collaboration with Whitewall. They offer so many different products, from the best paper to acrylic glass and wonderful frames, so I can just play around and find the best-looking configuration for my artwork,” he elaborates. The most stand-out feature of WhiteWall is the “outstanding quality” Holder adds. “It’s always a pleasure when I receive a WhiteWall product.”
Lastly, one of Holder’s pearls of wisdom for our readers who are enthusiasts of action sports photography is to “find your partner and grow together.” He adds the importance of working together and trying “out an idea after school or work.” Perhaps the most critical matter is to “be patient and have fun.”
Lorenz Holder’s photographs showcase his boundless creativity and love for the medium. By combining different photography styles and techniques, Holder invites viewers to enter his mesmerizing and enigmatic world. Each image reveals carefully crafted elements that highlight the beauty of action sports. The more one gazes at his photographs, the more one feels compelled to become a part of them.
AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT
The Phoblographer works with human photographers to verify that they’ve actually created their work through shoots. These are done by providing us assets such as BTS captures, screenshots of post-production, extra photos from the shoot, etc. We do this to help our readers realize that this is authentically human work. Here’s what this photographer provided for us.
