Wheels to Wonders: How Skateboarding Shaped My Street Photography Adventure

Greetings to the readership of Olympus Passion, I am Simon Wolfsteiner, residing in Vienna, Austria. Aside from photography, I have passions for music, going to concerts, art history, computer science, skateboarding, and basketball—though the latter two have become more of leisure activities for me nowadays.

Although my friends and I would sometimes take pictures of each other while skateboarding in school, my fervor for photography only truly blossomed much later. During my travels to the UK and Taiwan, I started capturing images of scenes that intrigued me with a basic digital camera. At that moment, I lacked substantial understanding of composition, lighting, or the exposure triangle. Nonetheless, when I was not traveling, I seldom captured photographs.

This transformation occurred during my doctoral studies, which compelled me to travel widely. Locations such as Madeira, Canada, and Japan reignited my passion for photography, even if it was merely with my iPhone. These excursions reignited my enthusiasm for photography and inspired me to document more of my environment—even when I returned home to Austria.

After years of deliberating over a specialized camera, I ultimately made the decision three years ago when an influencer I was following shared a promo code for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IIIS kit. That was the nudge I needed to click the order button, marking the start of my serious photography journey.

From the beginning, I was captivated by street and architectural photography. Long before I comprehended these categories’ existence, I instinctively leaned towards documenting structures and spontaneous street moments—possibly an unconscious predisposition stemming from years of skateboarding and engaging with images and videos of street skating in metropolitan areas. It is fascinating to note that skateboarding and street photography have a parallel outlook toward the environment. A skateboarder perpetually surveys the surroundings for locations and frameworks to skate, while a street photographer remains equally aware of their surroundings, perpetually prepared to seize a striking scene. The challenge resides in capturing these instances within the urban backdrop in a visually stimulating manner.

Alongside street photography, I briefly delved into portrait photography. Although I discovered it less enjoyable owing to my reserved nature, I still occasionally push myself to explore this genre. Nevertheless, I flourish in the spontaneity of street photography, capturing daily moments in urban life as they happen organically and authentically.

What captivates my attention changes—sometimes it’s an intriguing subject, while at other times it’s a bold and clean composition. During the nighttime, I am particularly captivated by unique lighting conditions, such as the …
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brilliant radiance of neon illuminations. Naturally, the finest instances occur when all these components harmonize flawlessly.

At present, I utilize the Olympus OM-D E-M10

Mark IV combined with these optics:

• Zuiko Digital 17mm F1.8
• Zuiko Digital 25mm F1.8
• Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8
• Zuiko Digital ED 40–150mm F4.0–5.6 R

For street photography, I predominantly utilize the 17mm F1.8 and 25mm F1.8, largely due to their lightweight nature. The convenience of the Micro Four Thirds setup is a notable benefit—I seldom venture out without my camera. During travels, I typically combine the 40–150mm lens with either the 17mm or 25mm to achieve flexibility while minimizing weight. Although I previously relied on the 45mm lens more often, its usage has decreased recently.

A singular limitation I’ve noticed with the Micro Four Thirds system is its relatively restricted low-light capabilities compared to, for example, Sony devices.

For altering images, my main tools are Adobe Lightroom and sporadically Photoshop. I abandon the notion of a singular editing technique, opting instead to modify my methodology to align with each photograph and enhance its distinct features.

Currently, photography constitutes a significant aspect of my existence, even though I’m not a professional photographer; still, I recognize I have ample space for growth, as I rarely find myself entirely pleased with the outcomes I achieve. Nevertheless, it seems rather tedious if there were no goal to improve. An amusing twist, however, is that not too long ago, I would not have imagined delving this deeply into photography. In my college years, we attended photography classes, yet I found them unenjoyable and frequently dreaded the tasks. Life truly is filled with unexpected turnarounds, it seems.

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