Skateboarder Leo Romero shares the ecstasy and agony of a lifetime spent pushing. With equal amounts of skin in the game and on the pavement, Leo’s legacy remains unstoppable. A true architect of modern street skating, Leo left an indelible mark on Foundation, Emerica, Baker and Toy Machine. With a firm grip on his Nikon, Leo documents the grit, grace and gravity of a life spent in motion.
Words: Morgan Rudolph. Photos: Leo Romero.
No sooner had Leo found success in skateboarding than he picked up a disposable camera, a rite of passage reserved for documenting newfound independence abroad. But this wasn't school camp. This was skateboarding, on tour, in the 2000s. An era defined by its unsanitised image, middle finger to mainstream and waiting for the flash to charge. Fuck that LED light.
There's more to the man than switch flips and handrails, Leo Romero casts an equally long shadow as a photographer. His visual vocabulary holds all the promise of a slow-burning neo-western, complete with Sergio Leone-esque close-ups, outlaws and iron horses. This is life as he knows it.
Dispatch from Long Beach, California, Leo Romero dials in for a Good Chat. We explore life on the road, perspective and a vocation vexed by injury. Read on.
Leo, great to connect. First thing, where are you based?
I have a home in Long Beach, California.
What sparked your interest in photography?
Travelling the world at 16. There was a documentary interest, wanting to shoot photos of myself in front of a big building in Russia or the Eiffel tower and stuff like that. But I think subconsciously there was something more at work.
Can you recall the first camera that kicked things off?
I would go on tour and buy disposable cameras everywhere. I would run out of film and be like, “Oh shit, I’m in front of this cool tourist attraction. I’m gonna buy another disposable camera right here.” But my first staple was an Olympus Stylus Epic.
When did you transition to shooting more high-end cameras?
Probably around 17. It’s funny calling it a high-end camera now. Back then it was like, “Dude, buy this cheap ass camera. It shoots good photos and you can break it and buy a new one for 60–80 bucks.” Then it went to 100 bucks. Now they’re almost 300–400 bucks. It’s fucking insane.
They were branded Olympus Mjü for the Asia Pacific market, which is what we got in Australia. They're so sharp.
They take great photos. I bought so many brand new ones after dropping them on skate trips.
What stands out to you from those early years on tour?
I have a bad memory. Being a 16-year-old kid hanging out with 30-year-old pros while they're getting hammered. Skating was much different back then, in many ways. I remember just being around older people, but also having this common ground. Being around Ed who was also a photographer and being around filmers as well.
Ed Templeton?
Yeah, Ed for sure, but also John Miner. He did a lot with photography.
Did they push you in any direction? Or was it more about the environment?
Being a little kid, you just soak everything up. Anyone that’s a few years older, you think they’re the coolest dudes ever. All those guys are still super cool. It’s funny to think about now. I was shooting with a disposable camera, they were like, “Dude, get an Olympus.” And I’m like, “For sure, I’m getting an Olympus.” Next thing you know, everyone’s shooting Leicas. You’re not even forming your own opinion because you’re just trying to be like your cool older buddies.
That’s gear acquisition syndrome for you. Is that a Leica M6 in your self-portrait?
I've had that for maybe seven, eight years or so.
Do you prefer that to the automated Olympus Stylus Epic?
They're just two completely different vehicles, man. One's a show pony with a nice engine, then one is just a fucking beater that you can drive to the end of the earth and back, you know?
You had mentioned your Nikon FM2
Yeah, that's my favourite.
Why do you gravitate towards that camera?
It just feels good. They're just workhorses. I like that type of SLR, when you can see the perspective through the lens. It's also just one of those things where, when it works, it works.
You’ve been dealt some pretty heavy blows in your career, both physically and mentally. That’s gotta wear on you. How do you bounce back from that? And do those breaks ever lead you to explore other creative outlets?
Well for the majority of my career, I really didn't get hurt all that much. And if I did, I just spent that time off drinking and partying. It wasn't until I was 30 that I broke my ankle. That was the longest time off my board, which was five months. It was tough mentally because my whole career snowballed from being a kid skating, I never had the time to think about my life, where it’s going and where it’s been. It was a pretty jarring experience having to sit still and reflect.
I take it very seriously now, I don’t smoke, don’t drink, eat right, exercise regularly and try to take care of myself. Skating makes me feel creative, it’s a little tough when you're bedridden for five days or limping around for a month. I need to skate and sweat.
What's up with the handrails? Why did you start skating up them?
I went to a BMX premiere for Etnies, I think the video was called Grounded. They were grinding up rails and I just thought it was the coolest shit I’ve ever seen. So I started doing it at skate parks. When you’re at a demo, you skate everything, so I just started grinding up rails and hubbas because there was still time left on the clock. People were like, “You should do a real handrail.”
Your November 2006 Thrasher cover was shot at my local park growing up. Do you recall any of your time in Australia?
Australia has always been a fun time. I went there quite a bit around that time with Emerica and Baker. I went to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney. I've been to Tasmania, not that it's Australia.
That’s Australia [laughs].
It counts? I don't know. I thought there was beef or something. I think I've been to some other smaller towns on a Baker tour.
You have a unique eye for composition. Does that come intuitively? Have your years of skateboarding shaped your perspective?
Thank you. I get influenced by everything around me, from movies, photobooks, advertisements, skate videos, paintings to cartoons. Skateboarding and the people I’ve been fortunate to work with definitely influenced my photography.
I'm seeing a bit of neo-Western in your photography. Is that an influence you’re consciously referencing? Are there any films or directors you look back on and feel have shaped your aesthetic?
I definitely feel there's a subconscious influence for sure. I just like Western style. There's a movie Paul Thomas Anderson did called There Will Be Blood, that inspires me in many ways, not just aesthetically. But even before I was into skating, I was into drawing comic books and watching movies. So there's definitely that subconscious in there.
What's the last line Daniel Day-Lewis says at the end? It's so fucking good when he smashes him over the head in the bowling alley?
Hey says “I’m finished” or something and then it just ends. I used to watch that movie before I would go skate.
What about other skaters turn photographers?
Ed’s stuff has always hit me pretty hard. I really like Greg Hunt's photography as well, his stuff is always really cool. She's not a skater, but Deanna Templeton is another photographer I feel is super good. And actually, my buddy Michael Cukr in that photo behind Kader, he's a filmer who started off in skating, and now he shoots high fashion. He's someone that I think is really sick.
You also mentioned Tim Aguilar before we got chatting. What's he doing differently?
He’s my favourite. Most skate photographers work with the filmer and they’re like, “Hey, can I shoot from here? Am I out of your way?” Tim’s like, “I don’t give a fuck. I’m getting in fisheye no matter what. I’m in the shot.” You’ll see him in the fucking foreground and he gets hit by the skateboard in the face. He gets fucked up. The fact that he doesn’t let someone else compromise his vision, I really like that.
2010 was a big year for you with the release of Emerica’s Stay Gold, Toy Machine’s Brain Wash, and ultimately being crowned Thrasher’s Skater of the Year. What did the success mean to you personally? How did it impact your life and career?
It was a big deal in many ways. It definitely added longevity to my career, more money and legacy to my name, I guess. But it's interesting to think about it now, Skater of the Year was much different then, it wasn't the driving force of video parts. Obviously, it was fucking really cool and it was a great honour. When I was working on those videos, my intention was to put out the best video parts.
Was anyone in your ear that you were in for a shot?
Yeah, there were probably echoes of that. But from my recollection, I wanted my parts to be worthy of the same video as Heath Kirchart, Jerry Hsu, Daniel Lutheran and Ed Templeton. I just wanted to put out the best stuff. And then it happened. I think the approval of Jake Phelps is something that will always echo on in skate culture.
Did it come as a shock to you?
He came to my house and my buddy was like, “Hey, there’s some homeless guy at the door.” And I’m like, “What? Tell him to fucking bail.” And he’s like, “Nah, dude, he’s being crazy.” And I’m like, “All right, I’ll go to the door.” I was so surprised, I just closed the door on him.
[Laughs] Where's the trophy now?
In my mum's house. Last time I saw it, there was a half-drunk Gatorade bottle and my niece's first-grade graduation picture in front of it or something.
Looking back at your skate career, is there one particular part that stands out?
I really liked my first skate shop video part, Pharmacy Chily. I think of that fondly. Just a little kid trying to be like his favourite skaters, and that to me is funny.
Was it scrappy by today's standards?
Well, the shop put some money behind it, the filmer had a Sony VX-1000 and a fisheye. That was kind of the standard at the time. They were known for making wild videos, it was edited really well.
Who else featured?
Bryan Herman and Matt Allen, both well-established AMs. Also, Tony Silva, who was on Foundation. The friends section had a bunch of great cameos.
You recently road-tripped to the Nude Bowl. That must’ve been one for the books. Did Harley throw bikes at that?
The Nude Bowl sucks, but the road trip was great. I got to ride a bike that wasn’t mine. I’d never been on a trip with Ronnie Sandoval, which was cool. The photographer, Mark Kirkland, he’s a super rad dude and super talented. It was a Dickies x Harley-Davidson co-lab. They’re like, “What do you need to make cool content for us?” And Mark’s like, “These bikes, this money and these are the guys.” It ended up working out.
Did they know that you'd be surfing them?
No, I actually posted a photo, and Mark was like, “Can you take the surfing ones down? Just give it a little while until after they stop paying attention.” He wasn’t bummed, but he didn’t want to bum them out, you know?
Understandable. Is that Ronnie in the photo?
That's Ronnie. He just started slowing down and getting a little further back from everyone. I just knew he was gonna pull some shit, so I slowed down with him. Ronnie stood up and I just started firing off.
How’s riding and shooting?
I would say it's pretty easy and maybe I'll die now because I said that. Knowing your gear fucking super helps a lot. On that trip, I had my FM2 and a 28mm. It was a bright sunny trip, kind of hard to fuck up a photo.
That portrait you shot on Route 66 of Brandon, did you put much thought into the composition, or did it come intuitively?
I remember that moment clearly. We’d just pulled up after a week on the road. He rolled his bike out of the gas station and I started shooting. I was like, “Damn, this looks like a fucking movie, this dude looks badass.” It all happened so fast. I took the shot, then a few more and you know how it goes. Looking back, I realise the first photo was always the one.
In your eyes, what makes a good portrait?
I don't know, man. I like really contrasty photos right now, so maybe that. But also, you can't go wrong if the subject looks cool.
There are plenty of characters in skateboarding to shoot.
It's funny, being a character myself, I don't find myself to be all that good at getting my photo taken. Dakota Servold, I shoot photos of him, and he looks great in every photo. The same thing with Brandon Burleigh. Some people have charisma, and some people just don't.
I think it's the big moustache for Dakota.
Yeah, I mean it's definitely a plus. You can't go wrong with a nice thick moustache. I see you got one yourself, maybe maybe you're a little biased.
[Laughs] Maybe. Tell us about 3:15 the zine you and your buddies published.
Me and my two buddies were meeting up, talking about photos, looking at photo books. We just kept saying, “Dude, we should do something.” The three of us had 15 photos each, hence the name. It was fun to lay something out because I’ve been shooting photos for so long, I never ever looked at them on the page.
Ed has been liking my stuff, he’s been telling me to do a book. A friend of mine, Jake, reached out as well, he’s helping me put these photos together from ages 15 to 23, that time frame of my life in photos.
You must have years and years of photographs.
There's so much, it's also funny to see who I was shooting, what I was shooting and how I was shooting.
Do you feel your photography style has changed?
Kind of, I feel like I've learned how to use different lenses. I shot a lot of close-ups of people's faces and like their bodies. I still shoot like that today, which is interesting. But now I know I can get more from a 15mm or 28mm. I know the lay of the land now, as opposed to shooting and seeing what happens. There's some similarities for sure. It's weird.
Is the 28mm your favourite at the moment?
No, I did use this Nikkor 85mm, I think it's an F1.2. I shot a portrait of my friend CJ – it looks like a fucking movie, like the picture is moving. It's fucking crazy. It's such a badass lens, and I want to get one now. I'm so used to using wide-angle lenses and now I'm trying to use 80mm, 100mm and even 200mm, just to see what the fuck I get out of it.
Especially with such a shallow depth of field, you can really get some neat shots.
Yeah, it’s wild, man. I’ve also been experimenting with studio work lately. I wanted to challenge myself and see things differently. There’s something powerful about capturing a really striking portrait. Like that Richard Avedon style, or even William Eggleston, his book 5x7 is so damn good. I went off track, but that lens is badass.
What's the wildest thing you've done to get the shot? I mean, the motorcycle stuff is pretty fucked when you consider the stakes.
My first photos weren't great on a motorcycle. It's funny you say that, Mark Kirkland, who was on that trip, films 16mm while riding his motorcycle. If you know about cameras, that's a fucking Bolex. What the fuck.
You need to ride soft tails for image stabilisation.
[Laughs] No hard tails, for sure. Shooting on a motorcycle is technically dangerous, but if you do it enough, you know how to do it safely.
I feel like street photography is always pretty risky too because some people look non-threatening and super nice. Then you’re like, “This fucking old lady is throwing fucking corn husks at me now,” or something.
Is there anything exciting you're working on that we should keep an eye out for?
Yeah, my Toy Machine part is probably coming out early next year. It's going to be the best video part ever released in skateboard history. And I'm seriously trying to work on my photography book from the ages of 15 to 23.
We’re hanging out for both. Thanks for stopping by Leo.
Hey, likewise, I appreciate that.
Check out more of Leo's work, HERE.
