Behind the Lens - Theo Acworth

Theo Acworth is a tall, well-spoken Englishman—somewhat of an anomaly in the scene, but one that makes snowboarding a lot more vibrant. His work reminds you that the most interesting stories are often happening slightly off to the side: in the margins, between destinations, and apart from the usual narratives of performance.

He’s a true original, guided by his sense of humor more than anything. He is often found hunting out the stories that add depth and richness to our culture, or on his own "side quests" at events. With a stellar career spanning snow, skate, and commercial work, we gave Theo a call at home in Innsbruck to talk about beginnings, techno, life as an Editor-in-Chief, and brutalism.

For those of us that don’t know you, please introduce yourself.

Hello, my name is Theo and I take photographs and occasionally write rambling stories for a living. I shoot things I find beautiful, interesting, funny, or gnarly and, astonishingly, I’ve managed to turn that into a job. For reasons unknown, I also enjoy photographing pigeons.

How did you first get into photography?

I was about 13 or 14 the first time I shot photos. It's the classic story: family camera, a kid picks it up to shoot photos and clips of him and his friends trying to look cool. My grandfather made the most amazing collection of family albums; he was almost like an archivist. My great-grandfather was a war correspondent who followed the Allied Pacific campaign and was the only person to film the Japanese surrender in 16mm color, so I guess there’s some family history with cameras. Although, I’m not sure what he’d make of the fact that my career mostly involves photos of people jumping on and off things and regularly falling on their heads.

And how did it progress from there?

The first thing I shot pictures of was something called mountainboarding. If you don’t know what it is, Google it—it’s pretty sick. It's kind of like a hybrid between a snowboard, a skateboard, and a mountain bike. A friend of mine got me into it; there’s a really amazing niche scene, and we would travel around the UK and Europe camping in fields, shooting photos, and making edits.

When I was 14, I moved to New Zealand and was a few hours from a ski resort, where I had the chance to try snowboarding. Fast forward a couple of years: I came back to Europe, and a chance meeting with pro snowboarder Sebi Geiger at a festival in Wales led to a connection with Austria. I helped his filmer, Sebi Madlener, with some second angles for a web series called Different Direction, which eventually led to being with them for the whole winter. At one point, I was offered the job of Editor-in-Chief of Method Magazine. I had no previous experience working with a mag, but I had always loved the tone of Method, so I leapt at the chance. I still work with them on special projects, but now I mostly shoot directly for brands.

And now you reside in Innsbruck?

A six-month trip turned into ten years, which is kind of crazy. There are not many places in Europe where you can live in a city in the middle of the mountains and have such an insane amount of options on your doorstep, along with such a strong snowboard scene. It’s also a great city to skate.

Talk us through your time as Editor of Method Magazine.

It was a fun few years. I did my best to put together a magazine that any snowboarder could pick up and be stoked about. I probably tried to squeeze too much content in, but Pwee, the art director, always made it look amazing. It didn’t matter if someone was sponsored or not; if they made the effort to send me a sick photo or a funny story, it had a chance of going in there. I’d also regularly hide swearwords in the layout just to keep myself entertained.

How do you find that mix of photography and writing? Do you find they go hand in hand?

I love it. Combining words and photos is a really playful thing for me; there are a million ways you can put a story together rather than the classic "we went here and did these tricks" narrative, which gets old fast. Working for the mag helped because I would already be thinking about how something might work as a story while I was shooting it. Instead of taking thousands of action photos, I might use something weird like a Gameboy camera and write down funny quotes.

What do you mainly shoot on?

The Leica Q3 is my favorite—an unobtrusive, beautiful camera. I find I take fewer photographs with it, but the ones I do take mean a lot more. It’s perfect for capturing the in-between moments. I also like B&W 35mm; it’s always nice to have a little point-and-shoot in the pocket.

We’ve heard you are a bit of a technophobe?

Yeah, I don’t like techno music at all; it’s just the same beat for ages, which is boring to me. I’m more of a drum & bass guy. But if you mean technology, then no, I’ve got no problem with it. I’ve actually been using a 360 camera on the hotshoe of my photo camera to make BTS clips, which has been really fun.

What have been some of your most memorable trips?

One that really stands out was in Oslo. I’d been there for a week shooting for K2 and my crew was leaving, but more snow was coming, so I booked the cheapest one-bed apartment I could find and bounced between all the remaining crews for the following week. Just riding public transport and taking Ubers to and from spots. It was really fun just being on my own program.

Craziest moment you have experienced on a trip?

An Italian lady once tried to take our camera bag and then threw a cup of tea at us when we grabbed it back. I was also chased in the woods by a Capercaillie—a beautiful turkey-esque bird, but this one was territorial and looked pretty demonic chasing us out of its zone.

How important is the crew that you travel with?

We’re usually squashed into fairly cheap, tight accommodation or vans, so you definitely want good people around you. I enjoy shooting with people who don’t take it too seriously and know how to enjoy themselves. At the end of the day, we’re just jumping on and off things; we’re not exactly changing the world.

Any standout riders to shoot with?

Sparrow Knox is a favorite because you can take him anywhere and he is going to figure out how to ride a snowboard and have a good time. Hundi is another; her energy is always going to bring the crew up. Halldór Helgason is also an absolute king who might land on his head but will remain constantly positive.

Favourite locations to shoot?

Anywhere with modern or brutalist architecture. I tend to look for aesthetics first and then figure out how to place snowboarding and skateboarding within the frame. Giant concrete structures are my absolute favorite.

What are some of the challenges you have faced?

Finding a regular flow of jobs is honestly the biggest challenge as a self-employed photographer. In terms of shooting, it can be challenging when it’s snowing sideways and your gear is getting wet or your camera can’t focus because of the snowflakes.

Any last words for the internet?

Politeness goes a long way. And never look at your tongue for too long in the mirror—it’s weird.