Ransom by Adidas Persona

Ransom: Just to start things off, for those that are unaware of your work, can you give us a little background into who Scott Serfas is, and what it is that you do?

Scott Serfas: Well, I'm a kid trapped in a man's body. I photograph things that I love to do like snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding. I live in Vancouver and play poker in my spare time.

R: Tell us a little bit about your early days and how things were before the skate and snowboard photography industry was really formed? Who were you shooting, and what did your initial process entail?

SS: The early days were really fun. The industry was really young and there was not a lot of money floating around, so everyone seemed to take it way less seriously. We (Devun Walsh, Rob Dow, Kevin Sansalone, Max Jenke, Dionne Delesalle, etc…) would all go drinking until early in the morning, wake up at 10 and still get a full days worth of shooting in — most of the time we were still pickled. A typical day would be hiking up Mt. Seymour and off the back. Building jumps and shooting 'til sundown. Then it was back to the bar for another round.

R: As one of the top photographers in your field, you’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the top athletes in the skate, snowboard and surf worlds. Who were some of your favourite people to work with over the years — personal favourites or those that have yielded the best results? Is there anyone you haven’t shot that you’d like to get out and work with?

SS: Yeah I've been lucky to shoot almost everyone that I've looked up to. This season I went to Alaska with Travis Rice. That was insane. It had to be the best snowboarding trip ever. I mean, not just in my career, but ever. Those guys (Rice, John Jackson and Mark Landvik) were on a mission to completely re-invent backcountry snowboarding, and they did. Day after day I would fly back to our lodge in disbelief. I have also been shooting Devun my whole career and still killing it with him. We recently had the cover of Transworld Snowboarding, and after all these years that was our first for TWS.

R: In addition to work with skate and snowboard you’ve been pretty active shooting the surfing world as well. How did you get into that and how different was it from the others? Do you surf much yourself?

SS: Well, I hope this doesn't come out wrong… but for years I was thinking that the Canadian surf scene needed to be documented. I mean, we have good surfers and great waves, but no one knew it existed. Many of the magazines didn't even knew you could surf in Canada. My mission was to get it out there and show the world what we've got. Shoot raw, gritty black and white, cold Canadian surf. So I contacted Raph Bruhwiler and told him I wanted to shoot him and the rest of the guys in Tofino, get them published and show the world Canada from a Surfer's point of view. A year later all those guys had check outs in the mags. They were featured in stories and Canadian content was in almost ever surf magazine. I still love shooting surfing, but honestly, I've done what I wanted to do and I'm content just enjoying the waves for myself now. I'll still shoot a bit but I'm not gonna lose sleep over it.

R: Outside of your background with the sports photography that you do, is there anything else that you shoot on your own time, or that you’d like to be shooting in the future?

SS: I'm fine right where I am. I make a living taking photos, but I don't call myself a photographer. Maybe its because I don't care about all the tech shit that goes with it. I just pick up a camera and take some shots to make these sports look fun. If its dangerous for the rider, then I want to make sure I show that. I would rather the rider be stoked on the shot then the photo editor and if I get into lawn bowling one day then I'm sure you'll find me shooting that. For now, this is exactly where I want to be.

R: Just about everyone in the Ransom camp has a skate or snowboard background, so everyone has their fond memories of old video parts, magazine shoots, etc… As a fellow fan, and not just a photographer, what are some of your favourite parts or photos from past seasons and why?

G: I love the old Fall Line and Mack Dawg movies. Snowboarders in Exile, Riders on the Storm and The New Kids on the Twock were some of my favourites. Back in the days when it wasn't easy to be a snowboarder. You have to respect those guys for making a movie when 95% of the people on the hill hated them. They did it for the love and I respect that more than anything. As for photos, its hard to pinpoint any one shot or group of shots… there's just been so many over the years.

R: You travel constantly for your work and must have made your way to some pretty exotic spots. Are there any trips or places you’ve been that have really had an impact on you or your work?

SS: I wouldn't say that any one trip has changed my life but I know for a fact that traveling in general has. Its allowed me to see so many different cultures, realize that there is way more out there than what's around our little city or country. All with so many ways to look at things, languages to learn and food to eat. When I have kids, I think I would consider taking them out of school for a year or two and taking them around the world. Forget learning about Rome in a text book — why not take them there and show off what its really like? Nothing beats being there and experiencing it all for yourself.

R: Tell us a bit about your introduction to the Ransom by adidas product? How were you introduced to this project? What was your initial response?

SS: I knew about the Ransom line for years, but this season was the first I heard of the collaboration with adidas. I looked at a few of them online but really didn't get a good look at the line until I was brought on for the shoot. Gotta say, I love 'em, hopefully a few more will show up at my door next season.

R: Tell us a bit about the process of this particular Ransom by adidas shoot. How did it come together and what was your approach?

SS: I didn't really have a strong understanding of the concept until Matt (Ransom Owner and Creative Director) and I sat down before the shoot. I was given an idea of the general feel for the campaign but because all our correspondence was through email while I was on project in Chile, I wasn't able to really put time into ideation. I prefer to know everything ahead of time. That way I can plan exactly how I'm going to shoot something. Maybe it was a good thing that that wasn't the case, so much had to change on the fly because of rough weather and location logistics.

R: What were some of your project highlights, how has it all come together?

SS: A few highlights for me… a) Finding and hanging out in the ice cave. Crazy to think the suspended ice we were shooting on collapsed 10 minutes after we left. There would have been serious consequences if we'd in there. b) Camping and having hot Indian food around a fire was pretty sweet. c) Shooting from the helicopter with the doors off is always fun. Hanging with a few of the crew that were ‐ to say the least ‐ out of their comfort zone.

R: How do you think the Ransom by adidas product has interacted with the environment you’ve been shooting in? How do you approach shooting a commercial product like this, as opposed to shooting athletes? Is it a very different experience?

SS: In some ways its completely different, but in so many others it was pretty similar. This terrain is my second home, so I'm comfortable in the snow, rain and high altitude. I think having someone like me shoot this will add a completely different feel than your standard fashion photographer. Sometimes not knowing the latest fashion photo trends can be a huge advantage. I didn't even use a ring flash! Haha.

R: All the sports you cover directly or indirectly are a personal expression of style. It can be argued that skaters and snowboarders have been some of the most important influencers in youth style and culture over the last 20 years or so. How do you view this mix of sport and expression? Who would you say has had the most impact over the years?

SS: I think ever since skateboarding and snowboarding became "cool" and excepted, the mainstream have embraced the look. Now some people dress as a "boarder" even if they've never stepped on a board.

R: What’s next for Scott Serfas? The winter season in Canada is upon us in the next few months so what do you have lined up? Any interesting projects you can let us in on?

SS: I really have no idea. All my shooting depends on the snow conditions, so I never plan too far ahead. I may spend the winter in Whistler if the conditions are good but I may also find myself in Colorado, Montana, Utah, somewhere in Europe or even Japan.