JOSEPH ROBY | 7 STILL [o] STORIES

Those completely dedicated to capturing images of snowboard culture are few and far between. Joseph is a rarity and we're fortunate to have him on our team. It's been amazing to watch the level of his art fall in line with the level of his passion and pursuit. He's become a master of lighting and composition, living in the streets delivering shots that enhance the spot, the style and the tricks.
Tightly connected to the scene and hungry to progress we expect Joseph’s images devour the lion’s share of our pages for years to come.
Here are a few snaps and stories from the past. Follow Joseph's work in King Snow Magazine and on Instagram.

Follow Joseph Roby | @jos_robyphoto 

Louif Paradis, Frontside Blunt, Mount Hood | July 2016

This was my second summer attending the HCSC Photo workshop at Mount Hood. To be honest I had no intention of attending again that year. I had been accepted into a student exchange program in France and was saving money for that. Some things got fucked up and I ended up cancelling my Euro trip. Instead, I invested that money into my dream of being a snowboard photographer. I went to Oregon intending to make some more contacts. Ran up into Louif and Frank April one day on the volcano, this was probably one of the first time we met. I’m pretty sure it sucks to try to get a photo with someone you don’t know and you’re just taking hot laps, having fun in the sun. I didn’t want to be a pain, so I just stood at this feature and waited. I remember Andy Wright coming to me just to check if I was alright. I was kinda a stressed out, but he slowed things down and gave me some tips. After a couple hits, Lou stopped and came up to check the photos. Was he stoked? I don’t know, but he came by the workshop that night to shoot a portrait with Darcy Bacha for Transworld. Darcy asked me to come by to “assist”, and Louif gave me a Dakine pack full of gear. The coolest thing that happened that week. That and the $100 I spent on tall cans at Charlie’s as a newly turned 21-year-old.

Mammouth Durette, Gap, Quebec City | January 2017

The first session Mammouth invited me to was at a spot where he was gapping to the last down of a triple kink trying a Switch Lip 270. Mellow, right? He broke two boards and we had to leave without getting it. This was the second session I was invited to. Four or five guys were pulling a bungee to give him the speed needed to drop down this bridge gap. He slammed down there for a while until I had to leave for work. He was so bummed that he wouldn't be able to land for our second time in a row. As I was leaving he screamed something like, “I'll call you if I land!” He dropped and landed. I was still up there but really had to leave. He called me two minutes later, “I landed it! We got a shot!". We've had a great journey ever since then.

Louif Paradis, Switch 5-0 to Wallride, Quebec City | March 2017

Remember that photo in Hood? Well here’s the next one we got. To say the stars aligned for me is pretty accurate. This was the year filming for Beacon. And this might have been the only day no other photogs could be there. Mammouth brought up my name, and I got the call. Probably had to bail on school like a bunch of days that season. Anyways, we got a photo, but I was panicking about focus and the dark background (like every session of my life). So, in between tries, I ran up there with a shovel spreading snow on the brown leaves behind Louif for the photo. I wanted his black sleeved arm to stick out more. Lou looked at me probably asking himself, "what the hell is he doing?" I was trying my best to not fuck this up. Not sure my shovelling ended helping in any way, but I’m still stoked to have been part of a Beacon session. 

Frank April, Backside 50-50, Alma | April 2017

Classic Frank. The day before we hit that spot in Alma, he was at a Rockstar event in Tremblant. This was the last weekend of the season where this feature was hittable. Low snow conditions, it was at a school, and we had permission to do it. So, he probably partied all night then left early Sunday morning to meet us back here. He was with an Arbor crew, and I was with Zak Hale and Ethan Deiss at the time. Since it was a hell of shovelling job, he had asked us to come by and help. We spread melting snow, grinded halfway through the ledge, attached an electrical wire, had to use two ladders to get on top. I remember being so hyped, couldn’t believe I was there to see this. Frank looked at the shot, and his comment was, “Okay, I’m down, there’s a spot to write the name of a mag in that corner.” Probably because of my inexperience, this photo was never published.

Frank April, Seb Picard, Anthony Drolet | February 2018

I don’t know why I love this photo so much. It’s probably the memories it brings back. It was taken during the last night of our Rimouski trip in 2018, and this was one of the wildest nights I ever had. Ice fishing, losing my phone in the fishing hole, carrying Twisted Tony in and out of the Airbnb, making it to the strip club, getting thrown out of the strip club, puking at the spot the next day. Taking great action photos isn’t what it's all about. The photogs I look up to are the ones that can capture it all. Ambient, lifeys, action; the whole culture. Like, Oli Gagnon, Matt Georges or Andrew Miller. It’s the hardest part of the gig, but the most rewarding in my opinion. I keep telling myself that I suck at it, only to try harder. Keeping your eyes open and a camera around your neck. I know I’ll be way more stoked when I look back at my season. Note to self: get a lighter camera.

Seb Picard, Julien Choinière, Marc-André Séguin, Axel Théoret | March 2018

When on that China trip, a bunch of weird stuff happened and I’d been through a real cultural clash. That day, the hills were empty (as usual) and we were asked to ride in a demo for some resort investors coming in. They went up in suits and ties on snowmobiles, they waived at us and left. We drank a bunch of Tsingtao beer and did what we did. When I look back, this trip was an amazing cultural experience. But more than that, this photo is what The Bruners means to me. When you think of The Bruners, what might come to your mind is best spot selection in the game, best style, blah blah blah. But to me, they’re a bunch of legends that gave me a chance to be part of their family and that helped me get where I am today. They are some of the most passionate guys I know, the way they keep doing what they do year after year, with minimal support. Love and dedication. Every time I call Ju, we talk about projects and snowboarding for hours, and it could go on forever. Thank you for being you.  

La Réunion 418 | March 2019

I only have good memories of this day. A hundred snowboarders slashing every inch of powder the Valinouet had to offer for a one-day reunion. This photo sums it up. It was my first Chinese downhill experience, so I really didn’t know what to expect. There was a minimal schedule that day, so we almost forget to be at the top for this race. Got there last minute, and I decided to go down a little bit, then a little bit more. Guillaume Brochu gave the countdown and it was on. I saw all of these guys coming at me and the snow lifting up as they were heading my way. I shot a whole sequence of this scene, then traded my camera in for gin and tonics.