Meet the 2018 Yeah Girl Exhibiting Photographers
With less than a week to go before we open the doors to Yeah Girl LA 2018, it’s time to get to know our photographers. This year’s photographer lineup includes new names from all corners of the globe as well as a couple of Yeah Girl alumnae with all new photos.
You might recognize Norma Ibarra from her rap cameo in the Skate Witches ‘Srsly‘ video. A woman of many talents (clearly), Norma also holds it down behind the lens. We’re honored to be showcasing her work at this year’s Yeah Girl exhibition in Los Angeles.
Norma has photographed skateboarders across the world, from her new stomping ground in British Columbia to villages in India on the recent Girl Skate India tour, and many places in between.
She works hard to push the skate scene in her home country of Mexico and in Cuba where she recently donated boards to local kids and hosted girls skate sessions.
This year we’re welcoming back a couple of Yeah Girl alumnae you might remember from our previous exhibitions. Zorah Olivia was part of the 2017 Copenhagen lineup and joins us again this year in her hometown of Los Angeles.
To put it simply, Zorah is killing it when it comes to skate photography. She recently celebrated the opening of her solo exhibition ‘Royal Blood‘ featuring photos of London’s female skaters, last year she had 5 photos published in an issue of Thrasher Magazine, and her passion for photography was documented in a short film by CLICKON Media.
Amongst all her achievements she’s also been busy behind the camera and has shot so many amazing new photos that we had to invite her back to exhibit again at this year’s Yeah Girl exhibition in Los Angeles.
Get your dose of awesome skate photos over on Zorah’s Instagram here and check out her recent Thrasher interview here.
Hannah Bailey is a passionate women’s skate photographer who founded Neon Stash, a creative communications agency focused on action sports. We’re excited to welcome her to the Yeah Girl LA 2018 photographer lineup!
As a writer and a photographer, Hannah works hard to create coverage opportunities for female skateboarders in the media and last year she took out Photographer of the Year in the Women’s Sport Trust #BeAGameChanger Awards.
Hannah recently wrote an article for Vice about the new wave of female skate photographers which is well worth a read.
Keep up with all of Hannah’s work on her Instagram here.
We’re excited to introduce Nao Oka, a Japanese skater with a passion for film photography, who is the latest addition to the Yeah Girl LA 2018 lineup.
The style of Nao’s work falls into the category of street photography… it just so happens that the streets she roams are full of skaters. In 2015 she made the move to Australia and has been busy skating and shooting on the streets of Melbourne with the all-female skate crew, DNL.
Nao’s rolls of film offer a window into her world of skateboarding. Her photos of the in between moments on skate sessions capture the not-too-serious nature of DNL (the tongue in cheek name stands for Did Not Land).
Nao has compiled many of the photos she shot with DNL in her zine titled “NOW” which you can find on Instagram here. Or check out her street photography account (with plenty of skateboarding) over here.
Our second returning photographer at this year’s exhibition is Yeah Girl founder, Sarah Huston. A graphic designer, a photographer and a skateboarder, it was at the intersection of Sarah’s greatest passions where Yeah Girl first came to life.
When she’s not busy working behind the scenes on the exhibition, Sarah spends time behind the lens seeking out photo-worthy skate spots around the world. Since exhibiting her work in the inaugural Yeah Girl exhibition on the Gold Coast in 2016 she has shot skate photos in Copenhagen, Moscow, California and beyond.
You can find Sarah on Instagram over here.
From the East Coast of the USA we’re excited to welcome Kathleen Hayes to the Yeah Girl LA 2018 photographer lineup. In her photography and her skateboarding, Kathleen draws inspiration from punk rock, the sea, the LGBT community and skate culture.
Often turning her camera to skateboarders, Kathleen has captured the good times at Slash Camp, the annual event that brings together ladies of shred to skate perfect backyard bowls and DIYs.
Kathleen earned her Masters in Digital Photography at The School of Visual Arts in New York and works as a photographer in Brooklyn. In 2015 she created a zine called ‘Shred Til You’re Dead‘ which documents the first real generation of middle-aged skateboarders on the East Coast.
Check out Kathleen’s impressive portfolio here and follow her on Instagram over here.
Anairam de Leon is a part of a women’s skateboarding collective called Britney’s Crew, whose biggest mission is to promote the bond between girls and empower them.
Combining her love of skateboarding and photography, Anairam has compiled a huge collection of photos of Rio de Janeiro’s female skaters which we’re excited to feature in this year’s Yeah Girl exhibition.
Taking full advantage of Rio de Janeiro’s colorful streetscapes, Anairam’s aesthetic is characterized by warm hues and bright pops of color. Her dream is to travel and photograph the female skateboard scenes all around the globe.
Check out Anairam’s photography Instagram account here and her personal one here.
Rounding out our photographer announcements for the LA exhibition this month, we’re happy to welcome back Louisa Menke. Not only was she the first European woman to have a pro model board, she’s also a master behind the lens.
In our 2016 exhibition, Louisa’s photo of an apron-clad woman holding a skateboard and throwing up the horns was a big hit. This year we’ll feature more of her skate portraits shot on film during her trip to South Africa. These photos form part of her latest zine titled ‘Colorful hearts filled with rhythm and rainbows, no one can dance the way you do’. While in Johannesburg, Louisa also co-starred in the film ‘Get Used To It‘ about women’s empowerment, skateboarding and Skateistan.
The Dutch-Alegerian skater/photographer can often be found skating the streets of Barcelona where she lives and works as an artist and an English teacher.
For fun skate clips and awesome photos, follow Louisa on Instagram.
Yeah Girl LA 2018 presented by Vans opens at The Seventh Letter Gallery in Los Angeles on May 25th.
Rewind to 2016 and women’s skateboarding was on the cusp of a transition period. Skaters like Lacey Baker and Lizzie…
The 2018 Yeah Girl zine featuring photos, interviews and articles by this year's exhibiting photographers is now online.
As a writer and an award-winning photographer, Hannah works hard to create media coverage opportunities for female skateboarders. She founded…