Photography is a lot like collecting baseball cards. You can buy hundreds of baseball cards, and out of all of them only a few may be valuable years later for various reasons. Photographs are similar because for the most part, you have no idea how valuable a photograph will be in the future when it’s shot. For skateboard photos, the guy could have a great career, do something no one else has done, or simply become a legend. I’ve shot hundreds of thousands of skateboarding photos over the past two decades, and photos that were simply out-takes now are valuable. The Gino photo never ran in a magazine because it was only a kickflip over a trash can in 1998. Now just a photo of him just pushing from 16 years ago will give most any skate nerd goose bumps. I kept all my film over the years. It’s amazing looking back, and the feeling certain photos give me now. The clothes, shoes, boards, etc. in an old skate photo instantly transport you back to that time in your life. Here are 5 unpublished photos from my archives.

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Gino Iannucci Kickflip on Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, 1998.

Guy Mariano Switch Crooks. Los Angeles, 1998.

Keenan Milton and Aaron Meza. Los Angeles, 1998.

Mike Carroll 1 Footer. San Francisco, 1997.

Chris Roberts FS nose. Los Angeles.