Surfskate and Surfing Exhibition - An interview with Vitor Lopes

Case Studies
Alex Parker
14th May 2023

When regular hirer Vitor Lopes got in touch to tell us about his latest portrait photography exhibition in London highlighting the Surfskate movement there, we jumped at the chance for an interview. Described as a skateboard for surfing the street, surfskating is ideal for those stuck in a metropolis who long for sand and sea. We'll let Vitor explain:

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your exhibition.

My name is Vitor Lopes, I am a portrait, street and lifestyle photographer based in London. My exhibition is an introspective look at friends I much love and respect from Concrete Waves London, we are mostly surfers, snowboarders, and surfskaters. These photographs were taken between August 2022 and May 2023.

This exhibition is a massive thank you and a ‘’frozen in time’’ moment for all of us to remember for when we are 99 years young. 5 days of Surfskate culture in Brick Lane at Espacio Gallery from 17th to 21st May surf skating and surfing photography.

It's great to hear there is a surfskate and surfing community in London where it's easy for surfers especially to feel a little hemmed in by their surroundings - how did Concrete Waves London start and how did you get involved?

Surfskating is an amazing way to stay fit and progress further in surfing, especially if you are away from the sea for long periods of time. The group started in London 2020 during lockdown, a group of 20 friends created a WhatsApp group to keep in touch and plan meetings, I was invited around that time to join the group by a great guy and great surfskater and I cannot thank him enough. Now in 2023 there is a website, Instagram and 500 plus members that meet up weekly, even daily.

Where did you get your start with photography, who inspired you and how would you describe your style?

Since I can remember I was always taking photos with cameras belonging to my older relatives and asking silly questions. I never dived into the technical but always stayed curious of the images I would see, galleries, books and photographers. Sometimes without having a camera or deep photographic knowledge I would see an amazing photo with my naked eye, after a few ‘’missed’’ good moments I decided to truly learn how to capture what I was seeing. So, in early 2022 I enrolled in short photographic courses stopped work for 6 months and went all in!

My personal breakthrough moment came when I ‘’saw’’ an image and created it with the camera how I envisioned. Hook. Line. Sinker. I am drawn by the stories, travels, the art, the iconic images. Herb Ritts, Andreas Bitesnich, Thierry Le Goues, Nick Prideaux, Romina Ressia, Nick Fancher, Jake Hicks, surf Photography by Sarah Lee, Ben Thouard, Russell Ord, landscapes by Reuben Wu and Erez Marom among others truly inspired Me.

Regarding my style, there is a duality I try to capture an image within and image, a double meaning hidden or in plain sight, and I like to create the effects with the camera, minimal post production.

How would you describe the vision behind your exhibition, and what do you hope visitors will take from your work?

How can I celebrate the new and cool London Surf Skating phenomenon and how can I showcase these inspiring individuals. My goal was to capture in a static studio pose how they really are in their day-to-day surf skating life, some are wild (usually the younger ones) others more measured (usually the older ones). With the outdoor images I wanted to create an isolating gaze, focusing on the partnership of the subject, the favourite board and the location they love to skate the most.

Hopefully visitors will love the summer vibes and appreciate the duality of the photos. This exhibition is my first step in showcasing my work. I'm working already on a very interesting project.

What is in your kit bag, and what do you like to hire most from Hireacamera?

I have a Sony a7IV, the 50mm f2.5 G lens, Pixapro CITI400 Pro Studio lights, Light modifiers. The FE 24-70mm f2.8 GM II, FE 14mm F1.8 GM, FE 35 f1.4 GM, the Sigma 85 F1.4 DG DN Art and most recently the FE 90 F2.8 Macro G OSS have been my hires of choice during this project and others.

Have you always been a Sony shooter, and what do you enjoy most about shooting with Sony cameras?

I had an old Canon and a 50mm lens, however when Sony launched the A7IV and developed lenses with an aperture ring that was it for me. I can work faster and intuitively if I have an aperture ring on the lens. I like the size of the Sony body and the immense lens choice available. Also, with the technology Sony has in-body I can use it all at once, partially or disable everything and use the camera in a more traditional way, just work with the aperture on the lens, shutter speed dial and ISO dial, all separate, physical, tactile…

Finally, where can our readers find you and your work online?

You can find me at http://www.vitorlopes.art

 

Concrete Waves London can be found at the Espacio Gallery, 159 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E2 7DG, from 17 to 21st May.

Vitor's exhibition will also showcase the work of some other photographers, who can be found here:

Nuno Alves - https://www.ishootusurfphoto.com/

Julia-Carolyn Zeng - https://charlieonthemove.com/en/london/sports/surfskating/

To find out more about Concrete Waves, visit https://concretewaveslondon.com/

 

 

Alex Parker
14th May 2023