crooked tongues magazine News Features

Without the skate photographer, the industry wouldn't be what it is today. Skateboarder, Thrasher, Transworld, RAD, Big Brother and Sidewalk's action shots and portraits have inspired, evolved and amused audiences globally. We used to have walls full of trick snapshots, and it's refreshing that the artform's still as relevant as it ever was. Few sports offer such rewarding visuals. Atiba Jefferson is - in our humble opinion - the best there is. Yeah, we know the current photo aesthetic is scuzzy post-party, but there'll always be a place in our hearts for well-composed, innovative photography. The Glen E. Friedman interview in a recent Juxtapoz reinforced this. Check Jefferson's site too — his shots of musicians are tremendous, and his work with The Skateboard Mag is currently blowing our minds.

With éS's 15th anniversary tastefully underway, they're celebrating the man's work with his own signature shoe. In black, with a gum sole unit, with the STI footbed, incorporating his imagery on the outsole, this looks good. It's a testament to the respect he commands that this isn't the first Atiba shoe either. DVS dropped a Huf 4 a few years back carrying the man's imagery too, but this is superior. The custom packaging is excellent, and a book, '15 Years of Atiba', packaged with the shoes, collates some classics and unreleased photographs. Seeing as everyone's a photographer at the moment, but so many stink at the artform, we'd recommend that everyone has a browse for a little lesson in style and technique. We like nubuck and we like die-cut covers on books. This ticks the right boxes for us.

Keep your eyes peeled round these parts for a related competition, and we'll be getting some of these packages in the Crooked Tongues store very soon.

www.atibaphoto.com
www.skateboardingstartswith.es