After “maybe 15 or 20” takes, this photographer got the award-winning shot of a pro skateboarder riding a unique sculpture using a 12-year-old DSLR
German photographer Robert Christ has won the Skate category of Illume 2026 with this creative shot of pro skateboarder André Gerlich throwing a backside air at a sculpture bike path
German photographer Robert Christ captured an award-winning shot of professional skateboarder André Gerlich riding a unique sculpture at a bike path in southern Germany. The Illume Awards recently announced Christ's image as the winner in the Skate category. Christ and Gerlich discovered the sculpture bike path while searching for extraordinary shooting locations.
The photographer explained that Gerlich chose to skate the rough piece of concrete instead of taking photos of himself on motorbikes. Christ's gear included a Nikon D750 camera, a Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4G lens, with an exposure of 1/1000 sec, f/6.3, and ISO 320. The duo faced challenges while trying to get the shot, as they only saw pictures of the location online and Gerlich found the sculpture harder to ride than expected.
They made a makeshift broom from tree branches to clean the asphalt. After around 15 or 20 attempts, Christ managed to capture the winning photograph, which earned him a suite of prizes, including a Leica D-Lux 8 camera. His image will also be featured in The Illume Photobook 2026.
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