The Seylynn Lights (1)

The Seylynn Bowl in North Vancouver is one of the oldest skateparks in North America. It was built in my birth year, 1978. I started skateboarding in 1990/91. Looking back at the history of skateboarding, this was the tail end of its 3rd wave, which I rode well into the fourth. Before photography, skateboarding drove me and is what allowed me to explore the urban landscape of cities across the country and their unique structures. The Seylynn Lights (1) marks the first time I stepped into the frame and became the light. The image is a composite of 2 photographs. During the 30-second exposures, I rode my skateboard through the scene, flashing my flash, lighting the contours of the transitions while leaving these balls of light behind me. As with all my early work, I was acting on intuition. On reflection, I saw these spheres as the spirits of those before me, (sub)cultural ancestors of sorts.