Kristof Ramon of kramon.photoshelter.com is a pro-cycling photographer who covers some of the worlds biggest and most prestigious races including the Tour de France, the Giro d Italia, the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix.
Kristof was born and raised in Belgium and attended film school at the age of 19. It was here that he discovered photography. He eventually followed his passion for cycling and photography and started photographing the sport.
It's difficult to define Kristof as a sports photographer. His photography captures so much more than the action.
He says the riders are always his main focus… and that comes through when you see his portfolio which features close ups portraits of racers caked in sweat, mud, dust, snow and grime.

You’re not going to catch all those little moments and it’s exactly those little moments that set you apart or that makes it unique and what makes it absolutely worth for me are those little moments – Kristof Ramon

Here’s some of what we cover:
What is your big takeaway?
Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?
Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Kristof had to share?
The thing is you evolve. When you begin something and you learn a trick or a technique and you try it out, you always tend to overdo it. But in later photography, it’s like those little tricks you try to implement them more subtly and that’s when it becomes interesting because I needed those to go really overboard to be able later on to make that trick more subtle and maybe not noticeable or not as noticeable as the trickery it is, and that’s technique – Kristof Ramon
Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.
If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Kristof or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

Your own voice is much much much more important than being a tool for whatever art director or somebody who is not into photography and telling you how to do it is completely wrong – Kristof Ramon


I’m a sports photographer in that I focus on one sport and it’s simply the one sport I really like and the one sport I’m passionate about, which is cycling – Kristof Ramon


The difficulty is that I don’t want to put a style on anybody. And I think I have a style or a specific point of view and an experience, and I can only bring that experience to that person and hope that he develops a style all by him/herself – Kristof Ramon


I want in the future to have a more classical look that can hold the test of time. So that’s when you get away from effect or heavy effect and be very much more interested and that’s where I am now is storytelling – what makes a picture – Kristof Ramon


As a photographer, you develop a style simply by your cultural reference – Kristof Ramon


I think the biggest, absolute biggest mistake you can make is to let yourself be told how to shoot – Kristof Ramon

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:
Kristof Ramon Website
Kristof Ramon on Instagram
Kristof Ramon on Twitter
Bahamontes Magazine
Soigneur Magazine
Rouleur Magazine
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