Sami Miettinen, Athens Greece. For Kingpin Magazine

Its hard; I reflect more on the way I shoot now than I ever did… Most shoots for me at least editorial/commercial are simple in nature. A couple of phone calls, a quick discussion or two and I’m away. If I’ve organized it half well and the commission is a single image, a shoot can be pretty concise.
As skateboarding is no longer solely my bread and butter I often find myself looking back and thinking how the f—k I did it for so long? I mean to get a legit skateboard picture takes more than a deft touch on the phone with a client, you have to be part criminal, part psychotherapist, part motivational speaker and the patience of a saint is a pre-requisite.

For example this Kingpin Cover I shot in Greece a couple of months ago took 2 separate days, over 8 hours at the location, 2 mental breakdowns, 10 toy-fights, 2 packs of salted sunflower seeds & 1 conversation at gun-point with the Greek Police, yeah funny eh? But you know what, that’s the norm…

Most people cant believe it and have such a shock when they try and step into that world or on the other hand leave it… I know it takes 20 times as long, but I also know that getting a cover in a skateboard mag gives me 20 times the feeling that anything else could. Love it or leave it…

Oscar Candon, Athens University. Greece.