Few people have managed to merge all their passions into one and turn it into a lifestyle. And that is exactly what the photographer and lover of extreme sports, Samo Vidic, has achieved this with his exuberant action, adventure and sports photography, with whose striking, unique and creative style, he manages to tell memorable stories, giving his own voice to the moments behind each portrait.
“I liked photography, but also everything related to sports and the outdoors, so the idea immediately appealed to me,” he says. Samo Vidic.
Of Slovenian nationality and originally graduated as a Mechanical Engineer, Samo Vidic He began his career in photography in 1999. He has always been passionate about sports, and in his youth he juggled sports such as tennis, football and ski jumping.
Fascinated by his passion for photography, he taught himself about lenses, cameras and film at the age of 17, quickly acquiring the knowledge to land his dream job, the perfect combination of his passions. By the age of 23, he was already working as a professional photographer for major companies such as Red Bull® (in 2005), which would take him on trips and photographing adventure sports, athletes in action and landscapes all over the world.
“As I am a self-taught photographer, learning the best techniques for each sport was difficult, but at the same time I really enjoyed it. I worked very hard, and I would have done anything to become a sports photographer. My first ambition was to do sports photography for a local newspaper, and from there it only went from strength to strength. I was always looking to reach a little higher, and I still do,” he said. Samo Vidic.
He is currently an ambassador for Canon®, a collaborator of companies such as Getty Images®, and is part of the Limex Images® team. In addition, in his work as a sports photographer, he carries out sports advertising campaigns with high-end companies at an international level, having appeared in prestigious magazines such as ESPN®, Outside and The Team.
Samo Vidic He is also the organizer of his self-named 'Samo Vidic Photo Workshop', held annually around Lake Bohinj in his native Slovenia. He has also won the Slovenian press photography competition on multiple occasions and in 2013 he was the winner of the "Wings" category of the Red Bull Illume Image Ques.
In his most recent project, photographer Samo Vidic has decided to focus his efforts on bringing to light a sporting sector that is currently ignored: disabled athletes. His own spirit of overcoming has led him to direct his passion towards photography and use the power of the image to tell true stories, of realities that transcend society.
“There is very little coverage of disabled athletes in the media,” he says. Samo Vidic“The Paralympics probably only get 5% of the attention that the Olympics get. I wanted to capture a different kind of sports fan, to make people notice them, and to tell the amazing stories of their lives,” said the photographer.
In this way, Samo has portrayed a group of athletes with disabilities to generate and direct the attention of the media and the general audience to their sporting prowess and the obstacles they have had to overcome, despite which, they shine and stand out in the sporting world.These include:
Slovenian swimmer Darko Duric, born with one arm and no legs.
Blind sprinter Libby Clegg, British and Paralympic gold medalist.
British climber Anoushé Husain, who was born without a right forearm, and Brazilian skater Felipe Nunes, who lost his legs in an accident when he was a child.
“I wanted to show different types of athletes and tell their fascinating stories,” says the photographer.
The images of Samo Vidic They are truly impactful, dynamic and creative, celebrating life, action, and inspiring stories of determination.
But let's see the evidence! Here's a little more about the incredible photographic work of Samo Vidic, adventure photographer:
