As the old saying goes, a photo can tell a thousand words, but getting it to tell the story you want is what turns it into a memory. The right shot can make you feel the size of a feature, the risk behind it, and everything happening just outside the frame.
In this episode, I sit down with Joe Wakefield, a Squamish-based mountain bike photographer who moved from England to fully immerse himself in the Sea to Sky riding scene. Joe has built his career by focusing on storytelling over trends, capturing not just the riding, but the people, the atmosphere, and the moments that often go unnoticed.
We get into how he got started, why he loves passion projects, and how those have opened doors over time. Joe also talks about stepping away from social media to reset creativity, and how some of his best ideas come from doing exactly that.
We also dive into what it’s like being behind the lens when things get properly gnarly, the importance of trust and safety when shooting high-risk riding, and the difference between working one-on-one with riders versus shooting major events.
To wrap it up, we talk about social media, printed photos vs digital, dream shoots, and why some of the most inspiring riding right now might actually be coming from places people aren’t paying enough attention to, like adaptive mountain biking.
If you’re into mountain biking, photography, or just creating something meaningful without getting lost in the algorithm, this one’s worth a listen.
Share it with your riding crew, hit follow, and tell us where you want to ride, the next chapter starts right now.