Who is Adam Lievesley? 

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I’m just an average 18 year old BMX’er who likes to take photos and have fun on his bike. I can usually be found riding or taking pictures at the Asylum skatepark.

 

 

Years shooting:  

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Four

 

 

What got you into taking photos? 

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I bought a Nikon d3000 DSLR around the same time I started to go to the skatepark. My friend Billy had a BMX that he let me ride, and after about two months of sharing his bike I bought my own. I got to know the locals and I saw they used to take photos on their phones. I thought that I could take my own camera down and shoot some myself. I did and found it was really fun taking the photos, showing them to the riders and seeing their faces light up. When I look back now though they were pretty bad photos haha.

 

 

First photography related memory:

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The first time I shot a barspin; the bars were half way round and the rider (my mate Dan) had both hands off. I can remember looking at it and then jumping up running to show him because I’d timed it right. I know all BMX photographers hate shooting bar spins cause they’re so hard to time.

 

 

Best photography experience:

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The best photographic experience for me so far was getting an article on the Ride UK BMX website. It was about up and coming young BMX photographers and I had been noticed. They asked me to write a few words about my favourite photos. That was a big thing for me as it meant that other people were seeing my work and really liking it. The article was shared between me and two other photographers who absolutely kill it. Big thanks to Neil Fraiser for sorting it all out and for helping me in general.

 

 

Worst photography experience:

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Watching a skateboarder fall off and his board smashing into my light stand obliterating my flash, while I was at the other side of the park. 

 

 

Advice for taking a great photo: 

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Visualise how the photo is going to look thinking about the riders body position and how high they are going to go. Then go to where you want to take the photo and focus on where the rider will be when you take the photo and then switch off auto focus. This way you know it’ll be in focus and you can concentrate on the timing. Also experiment with photos. If it doesn’t work try something else, and at least you’ll know not to try it again. You learn more shooting bad photos than you do taking good ones.

 

 

Three favourite photographers:  

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There are so many amazing photographers out there. Vince Perraud, Aaron Zwaal and Rob Dolecki, George Marshal, Clem Hencher-Stephens, Dunk, Robin Pearson, Leon Stimpson, Fooman, Eisa Bakos... They all have been an inspiration to me. I could keep listing for ages haha.

 

 

Photography highlight/achievement: 

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In general, seeing my photos getting used by companies and pro riders and the time I got a feature on Ride.

 

 

Why do you take photos? 

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Seeing the reaction of a rider after they do a certain trick and showing them the photo and seeing their facial expression after looking at the photo. I get a similar buzz off of that as when I land a trick I’ve been trying for ages. It also allows me to meet a lot of people and put my own mark on the BMX world. I also enjoy capturing that moment in time the rider will be stoked on.

 

 

 

Top five photos: