From travelling the world to shoot athletes at the very top of their sports, to cruising at home in the California back country, we sat down with photographer Dylan Gordon to talk about his inspirations and take a sneak peek at his impressive portfolio.
Dylan Gordon: Photography Portfolio
16.04.24
4 min read
Words & Photography by Dylan Gordon
Your work is an intriguing mix of sports and lifestyles - surfing, skating, climbing, horse riding. Is it important to you to showcase things you’re passionate about when choosing the projects you work on?
For the most part, what got me in to photography in the first place was to capture the world around me that I already lived in. I grew up on Horse Ranches on the Central Coast of California which gave me a love for riding, surfing and skating through my younger years. At a certain point I ended up realising that I could capture those worlds via photography and it evolved into wanting to tell stories.
The story is still the same these days, I love to capture and tell stories around people passionate about what they do. I'm soo grateful to be able to meet folks through the medium and celebrate them to the best of my ability.
You broke through fairly early in your career after finishing college. What was it like to gain exposure that quickly, and were there any big lessons from those first few years?
Timing is always a wild thing. Pretty quickly after graduating from college studying ‘Visual Journalism’, I had done a quick internship and then hit the road to start building a real portfolio. I went from Hawaii to Canada to Mexico and submitted my work to anyone I had even the slightest connection to. Pretty soon after I got hired by Surfer Magazine to continue to try to tell stories and work from the road. It was quite humbling to get thrown in soo quick but I am soo grateful for it. The folks that I get to work with and for are dear friends and it is never lost on me how valuable those relationships are.
What first inspired you to become a photographer, and were there any photographers or people who were instrumental in you choosing this path?
I truly love to celebrate people and ideas. This to some extent was instilled in me by my parents who always have had a way of building communities and building up the folks that they bring in. Ive been carried under the wing of numerous incredible folks and hope to carry that forward. Building and fostering a community is always the most satisfying.
“You can spend a lifetime exploring your own backyard and still learn new things daily...”
Dylan Gordon
You’ve shot all over the world with the likes of Jamie Thomas and other athletes at the top of their game. Is there a trip that stands out amongst those as a favourite, or most memorable?
All projects are different really and have impacted me in various ways. Jamie is an incredible example, I went on my first trip with him to Vietnam about 9 years ago. The man has built a wild resume over the last 30+ years pushing limits as an athlete, innovating in his industry and always has a profound perspective on any topic. Being able to shoot with him over the years and soo many other interesting folks is always a driving force.
Photography is an incredible medium in that you get to celebrate folks for their talents by simply documenting them.
They say home is where the heart is though, so would you rather be travelling to amazing places or just staying put at home in California and photographing the place where you grew up?
Both remain inspiring, but there is always a balance. I do cherish time at home with all of our animals (Horses, Dogs, Goats ect..), Quick access to fun waves, great community and a short distance from some incredible backcountry. But it is always fun to explore and discover new places and communities. Its always wild to me how you can spend a lifetime exploring your own backyard and still learn new things daily, and it be as rewarding as going across the globe.
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