Let’s just cut to the chase. Push.ca/skateboarding photo editor, Brian Caissie, is a motivated workaholic, which is why both skate companies and skaters alike often have him at the top of their lists for photo missions. He initially found his passion for skateboarding, snowboarding, filming and photography growing up in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. With a thirst to expand his knowledge and be a part of the bigger picture, he took the long leap to the left coast—Whistler, BC and then Vancouver—right after high school and never looked back.

Caissie’s lived in Vancouver for the past 12 years, and holds office as Concrete Skateboarding magazine’s photo editor for 7 years and counting. He’s also shot for SBC Skateboard, The Skateboard Mag, Skateboarder, Color, Transworld, and Hamburger Eyes. The list goes on with catalogue work and advertisement images for Independent, Momentum, RDS apparel, DC, Globe, Volcom, C1RCA, DVS, Dakine, and Darkstar. He was also the still photographer for Team Grizzlies—the 2008 Red Bull Shoot To Thrill champs.

“Brian's a hustler by nature, and always gets the job done. I’m really surprised how well his photos turn out with such little set-up—I’ve never shot with a photographer of that caliber who can set up for a still in under 5 minutes,” Jordan Hoffart explains. “I’d say he's one of the best—always positive, always supportive, always down, and he always comes out with a gem.”

Part 1 of this 2-episode showcase has everything to do with Caissie’s photography—a medium he started experimenting with at 15. He also captioned and supplied some of his favourite stills from recent years that you'll be linked to below.

How did you first get into shooting photos?
I’ve always been into drawing and painting. When I found photography, I could get multiple ideas done in a shorter amount of time. Being an artist is a lonely business since you’re stuck in the house all day by yourself. Photography lets you get out and meet people and get into their lives a bit more. People love to be photographed.

Do you have any photography-specific education?
I was supposed to go to school for photography, but changed my mind. Growing up, a neighbour of mine, told me that it might damage my process of getting the final result. Teachers teach what they know and teach what others have done. I like the idea of creating something out of my own mind and experiences.

Skate photography has put some serious wear on your passport and brought you to places like Hawaii, Spain, Portugal, China, Japan, Taiwan, Ecuador, Panama, and Argentina.
In Vancouver, in rains 5 to 6 months of the year. If you want to pay your bills and shoot lots, you have to keep moving and traveling. There are also a lot of photographers in the city, so you have to keep the skaters you work with close, and keep producing great shots. In this industry, when you’re shooting with the best skaters, you have no time to make mistakes. You have to be sharp.

“Brian Caissie is a workhorse. I often wonder if he has any social life at all because it seems like all he does is shoot amazing skate photos. Brian, call your mom and let her know that you’re still alive.”—Jaime Owens, editor, Skateboarder magazine

What’s in your photo kit?
I have a Nikon D2-H digital camera that’s like 5 years old. I pretty much only use it for sequences or quick snapshots. I try and shoot as much film as possible because is looks so much better. My medium format gear is a Hasselblad kit with a fisheye, a couple other lenses, and a Polaroid back for test shots. I’ve got a ShenHao 4x5—an old wooden field camera that collapses and folds up like a book; it's my favourite camera. My newest camera is actually an old camera: a Nikon F3. It’s a super small 35mm film camera, and it looks less intimidating if I want to take a person’s photo. I put duct-tape all over it to make it look cheap so people don’t think I’m a photographer. It’s a good incognito camera for traveling where you might get robbed if you have tons of expensive gear with you all the time.

List your top 10 photo influences.
1. Richard Avedon
2. Rankin
3. Peter Beard
4. Ben Watts
5. Paolo Roversi
6. Magnum Group
7. Art-Dept
8. Art+Commerce
9. Nadav Kander
10. Luis Sanchis

Click here for more of Caissie’s photography and here for a Kingshit.org feature on his scrapbooks. Keep tabs on his Bneeth blog since he’s always posting, and stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, which focuses on Caissie’s video camera capabilities.

John Hanlon, kickflip backside tailslide. Vancouver, 2008 

“I like it when kids that you see at contests and around the parks are pretty good skaters, then a year later they’re 10 times better. John is one of these guys, and has serious skills.”

For the rest of Brian's photos, visit his gallery on Push.ca.

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