Alex Papke is a skate photographer, yes, but that’s not all. His latest artistic endeavor proves it. A recent interview with Monster Children goes on to assert that “In fact, he’s a real photographer! A guy who shoots really good photos whether some dipshit is grinding a rail or not. Who woulda thought!?”
Which brings us to “Airplane Mode” – a real, honest-to-goodness photography book that’s printed on physical paper. And there’s not a single snap of a skate sesh.
Papke describes the project as “68 pages of point and shoot film photos journaling three trips throughout Ohio, Portugal, and upstate New York during 2021. Featuring Austyn Gillette, Sammy Montano, Aaron Kim and friends.”
The collection was taken while shooting a film for Globe. After filming, the images were sent through an inkjet printer, then scanned back in, giving the project a very analog feel. Clearly, there’s a market for skateboard-less photography books because in just four days, “Airplane Mode” is already sold out.