16mm   f1.4::f/7.1::1/250::ISO 20013 / OCT / 2024ID :: DSCF6135
Skateboarder mid-trick seen through a triangular concrete opening at Vancouver Convention Centre plaza with North Shore mountains behind, 16mm street photography.
Light Triangle :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/2.8::1/250::ISO 642 / JUN / 2023ID :: DSCF5061
Skateboarder catching air off a ledge at the Vancouver Art Gallery with Hotel Vancouver and glass towers behind, low-angle 16mm black and white street photography.
Orpheus :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/3.2::1/250::ISO 642 / JUN / 2023ID :: DSCF5029
Skateboarder leaping down stone steps at the Vancouver Art Gallery with Hotel Vancouver rising behind, 16mm black and white skate street photography.
Skating Act :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/3.6::1/250::ISO 802 / JUN / 2023ID :: DSCF5007
Parkour athlete leaping beside the stone lion sculpture at the Vancouver Art Gallery with glass towers rising behind, 16mm black and white street photography.
Iron Lion Zion :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/1.4::1/250::ISO 644 / JUN / 2023ID :: DSCF5118
Breakdancer frozen mid-headspin at the Vancouver Art Gallery with crew watching and the gallery's classical façade behind, 16mm black and white b-boy street photography.
Quantum Leap :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/4.5::1/250::ISO 6418 / JUN / 2023ID :: DSCF6049
Breakdancer holding a handstand freeze at the Vancouver Art Gallery beneath a cloud-heavy sky as a crowd gathers, dramatic 16mm black and white street photography.
Tense Sky :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/3.2::1/250::ISO 6417 / AUG / 2023ID :: DSCF1554
Silhouetted parkour athlete mid-leap across metal railings under a blown-out sky in Vancouver, high-contrast 16mm black and white street photography.
Take the World by Storm :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/3.6::1/200::ISO 6427 / JUN / 2023ID :: DSCF6784
Young shirtless skater with dreadlocks standing on a downtown Vancouver ledge with Nordstrom and glass towers behind, 16mm colour street photography.
The Calling :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/4.5::1/250::ISO 6412 / JUL / 2023ID :: DSCF8329
Breakdancer suspended mid-move in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and its Fashion Fictions exhibit banner, 16mm black and white street photography.
Street Poets :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/8::1/250::ISO 803 / MAY / 2023ID :: DSCF3679
Solitary basketball resting on an empty outdoor court beneath the Granville Bridge in Vancouver with clear blue sky above, minimalist colour street photography.
Ball is Life :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/8::1/160::ISO 8012 / APR / 2023ID :: DSCF2132
Silhouetted skateboarder in action reflected on polished floors at Vancouver's BC Place stadium with the BC Lions logo visible, 16mm black and white street photography.
About Skate :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/2.8::1/250::ISO 1604 / AUG / 2023ID :: DSCF0053
Skateboarder catching air beneath a Vancouver overpass with a manhole cover anchoring the low-angle composition, 16mm black and white skate street photography.
Evolutive Jump :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/1.8::1/250::ISO 10018 / SEP / 2023ID :: DSCF4419
Skateboarder launching off a ledge at the Vancouver Art Gallery beneath the Fashion Fictions exhibit banner, 16mm colour skate street photography.
Street Ballet Dancer :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/3.2::1/250::ISO 6413 / JUN / 2024ID :: DSCF1119
Skateboarder caught mid-air with the board still under his feet at the base of the Vancouver Art Gallery steps beside the stone lion sculpture, minimalist 16mm black and white street photography.
Chill by Nature :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/2::1/250::ISO 10018 / SEP / 2023ID :: DSCF4437
Man balancing atop a row of Vancouver Mobi bike-share docks with the Vancouver Art Gallery stone lion beside him, low-angle 16mm black and white street photography.
Colossus of Rhodes :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/3.2::1/250::ISO 32021 / SEP / 2023ID :: DSCF4597
Overhead view of a young skater resting on the stone steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery with their skateboard and bag beside them, geometric 16mm black and white street photography.
Lionesses Irae :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/1.8::1/250::ISO 1604 / AUG / 2023ID :: DSCF0066
Skaters gathered at a skate park beneath a Vancouver overpass, a rider in a "Blue Collar" shirt seen from behind, 16mm black and white skate culture photography.
Blue Collar :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/1.4::1/250::ISO 8024 / MAY / 2023ID :: DSCF4558
Cyclist carrying a bicycle up the stone steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery — a modern Sisyphus scene, 16mm black and white street photography.
Modern Sisyphus :: Vancouver, Canada
16mm   f1.4::f/3.6::1/250::ISO 8027 / AUG / 2022ID :: DSCF1351
Hula-hoop circus performer in a metallic bodysuit and combat boots on a Granville Street stage in Vancouver, 16mm black and white street culture photography.
Granville Promenade :: Vancouver, Canada

Contracultura

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Contracultura — Vancouver street photography by Miguel Franco

Contracultura

The street's pure joy: a subtle, irresistible music always humming in the background. Urban artists, performers out there hustling on pavement, they rarely get the respect or recognition they deserve. Most of us are just wandering the streets of the city we call home, casually stumbling upon breakdancers energizing a crowd or skaters commandeering library stairs as their personal playground. And there we stand, inexperienced spectators, captivated by every trick, groaning sympathetically when they crash, applauding wildly when they stick the landing.

Contracultura: raw, entertaining, unscripted slices of humanity, served up freely on the streets for anyone bold enough, curious enough, or lucky enough to stop, look, and savor.

Collection

Intrinsically connected frames, united by one vibrant pulse: contracultura. B-boys spinning tirelessly, skaters carving concrete waves, parkour rebels defying gravity, circus performers charming the asphalt, this is the beautifully rotten squad serving up their own gritty last supper in the urban jungle we call downtown. This collection is my humble tribute to these street virtuosos. Full disclosure: it's deeply personal. My own sister carved out her place in this wild, brave culture, I've witnessed the struggle, felt the injuries, heard the roar of applause, and seen the pure, unfiltered joy on their faces. Trust me, it's messy, it's exhilarating, and damn, it's glorious.