“I’ve been really addicted to forward movement all the time; making stuff, doing things. Just being active in some way.” – Jacob Bannon, Vocalist for Converge
It’s hard to know exactly what is driving me, but I’ve settled on this idea for now. It’s funny that it’s somewhat anticlimactic, but it’s simple and it fits — I draw inspiration from everywhere, music, art, science, conversation. However I don’t really know where the drive comes from, other than simply enjoying being in a state of forward movement.
I aim to photograph not the athletes who are in front of my lens, but moreover the soul, culture, community, and natural beauty that defines the lives of my subjects. Most skiers and bikers can relate to a constant state of wanderlust, after staying in one place one becomes restless. Creative and physical wanderlust and restlessness drive me to find unique perspectives and methods by which to capture the evolving world of action sports. I grew up in Calgary on the outside looking in, a kid on the prairies staring longingly west out my front window at the Rocky Mountains. For three years I bounced around the perimeter of BC between Victoria, Whistler, and Calgary but now call Whistler my home.
I recently pulled up a list I made a long time ago, of goals I wanted to fulfill. And maybe that is what drives me. I would love to do some high altitude shooting and skiing. I think it would be a fantastic challenge and an entirely unique experience. Beyond that, there are other projects I have in mind — most are creative concepts that require a strange destination to fulfill. But there are also other things I’d love to do, like build my own solid slab wooden kitchen table, and brew my own beer from grain.
Right now, though, it is about the lives and experiences of these athletes I photograph. I’ve started to realize that what makes me create photographs I love, and makes me valuable, is to be a better athlete and work alongside better athletes and experience their lives. Since “everyone is a photographer” these days and the number of proficient shooters will only grow, the thing which defines your work is yourself, and how interesting of a human you are, aside from the fact that you’re a photographer. Are you Jimmy Chin who could simply be a world class climber? Or, Christian Pondella who skis practically everything he shoots? So that is what I’m doing at the moment: finding my stride.
For more from Reuben Krabbe, check out his website. Don’t forget to follow him on Instagram and Twitter, and be sure Like him on Facebook.
