8 Must-Know Skateboard Photographers Who Define the Culture

Originally posted on TransWorld SKATEboarding
By Blair Alley | Last updated Feb 6, 2025 12:33 PM ET

These are the pioneers, the ones still pushing boundaries and exploring skateboard photography. You can open Instagram and see hundreds of hopeful skate photographers, but this list is the photographers who launched the print mags that defined our culture, applied new mediums of cameras and film to push the evolution, and are still working, influential photographers in 2025. Read on and learn.

1. J. Grant Brittain

Grant was one of the OG skate photographers who basically figured out how to shoot skateboarding and the formula we all still use today. He was a mentor to Atiba Jefferson, Skin Phillips, and too many more to mention. He shot the Push photo, arguably TransWorld's most iconic and recognizable cover and image. Get his book, Push, where you can. It is a truly epic body of work.

2. Mike O’Meally

Coming up out of Australia, planting his flag in New York City (shooting iconic images after 9-11) and becoming staff photographer for Alien Workshop and Quiksilver, just to name a few trendsetting brands, Mike's trained his lens on taste-makers and legends of our time. From portraits to timeless skate photos to Koston dorking, there's nothing Mike can't do. Great Chrome Ball interview that tells a lot of his story.

3. Atiba Jefferson

Known for bringing the medium-format Hasselblad to skateboarding, Atiba's gone on to shoot superstars of the NBA, becoming an ambassador for Canon—probably the most successful photographer to launch from our world. There are myriad podcasts and interviews with the man out there on the internet. Here's a good one:

4. Oliver Barton

Oli mastered the art of lighting and shooting film on the Hasselblad, inspiring a legion of imitators to this day. Coming from England, Oliver covered the British and European scenes, living in Barcelona in its ultimate heyday. Relocating to Los Angeles, he continues to shoot the cream of the crop and blow minds with his photographic technique. Check out this awesome post of Stefan Janoski! We had an epic web series called Photographic Memory worth revisiting.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oliver Barton (@oliverbarton)

5. Seu Trinh

A true artist who naturally thinks outside the box, Seu shot the highest selling cover of TransWorld ever: Rodney Mullen Primo sliding on water. He also purposely shot a cover out of focus! Dallas Rockvam, doing a never-been-done backside tailslide down the Hollywood 16 handrail for the Am Issue in 2007.

6. Dave Chami

Coming up out of New Zealand, Dave traveled the world, quickly rising to the top of the skate photographer pile and eventually settled in Northern California, working for TransWorld. Dave is known for always experimenting with different types of cameras, films and development techniques. He's back in his native New Zealand and still pushing the boundaries of top-notch skateboard photography. Check out his recent cover of Manual Magazine!

7. Dave Swift

Another OG alongside Grant Brittain, who shaped TransWorld SKATEboarding for many years before leaving to start The Skateboard Mag. Dave, a ripping transition skater himself, is still out there punishing coping and capturing hot pool and vert skating on the daily. Dave's been posting a ton of his older photos on IG, so we can only hope that means he's got a book on the horizon.

8. Jaime Owens

Photographing for years and editing Skateboarder and TransWorld, Jaime went on to found his own mag, Closer, in 2022. Jaime's never not out skating or at events the world over. He's ripping as if time didn't exist and is always snapping amazing photos of legends and up-and-comers alike. Subscribe to Closer.