THE PRO INTERVIEW
LORENZ HOLDER
The award-winning action photographer takes a fine-art approach to action photography. He tells Lauren Scott why, as a confessed perfectionist, it’s practice and prep – not luck – that have helped him to capture the decisive moments so distinctly
AISED IN Munich, close to the Bavarian Alps, Lorenz Holder has never lost his love for the mountains. As a teenager, he explored the landscape with a film camera, fascinated by the idea that one photo could describe a whole day.
In 2003 he was traversing the landscape as a semi-professional snowboarder when a bad injury sidelined him for the full season. The passion wasn’t over, however. Lorenz says his biggest motivation was always being outside with friends, and he began capturing their snowboarding antics. That unexpected shift led him to document action sports and launch his career as a pro photographer.
Whether shooting skateboarders in urban jungles to BMX riders in remote locations, Lorenz’s work is recognisable by its light and shade and often bold lines. Despite the high-octane nature of what he covers, he is visually influenced by landscape, architecture and even fine art photography. His subjects usually appear small in the frame, and he tells me he can be inspired by a place long before there’s ever a person in it.
01 LA MURALLA ROJA
“This is still one of my favourite [and most magical places] to have ever done a shoot,” says Lorenz
Lens Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM
Exposure 1/640 sec, f/8, ISO200
02 THROUGH THE WALLS Lorenz shot this image for the cover of SOLO Skate magazine
03 APARTMENTS IN A BLUE HUE “I spent two days in an unbelievable building in Spain, designed by Ricardo Bofill. Shooting BMX in this building was a real challenge,” he reveals
Lens Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Exposure 1/800 sec, f/8, ISO2500
Lens Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM Exposure 1/400 sec, f/4.5, ISO800
04 A SPANISH APARTMENT COMPLEX “This was part of a shoot for WhiteWall Photo Lab with BMX rider Senad Grosic.”
Lens Canon RF 28-70mm F2 L USM
Exposure 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO200
Lorenz is a two-time winner (and regular finalist) of the Red Bull Illume photo competition, an achievement that’s landed him global recognition and further commissions with Canon (as an ambassador) and WhiteWall Photo Lab. Now with two children, his approach has shifted toward more planned shoots near home, where he can turn his creative curiosity into honed compositions.