In Focus: Rafal Wojnowski
Next up in our Nike SB x Polaroid In Focus series is Rafal Wojnowski. Originally from Walcz in North Western Poland, Rafal (Or Rafski as he is more commonly known) made the permanent move to London around 10 years ago and since then has cemented himself as one of the most prominent figures on the front line of UK skateboarding. Whether it’s producing lookbooks or shooting out on the streets for some of the biggest skate brands on the planet, Rafski is one of the busiest shooters out there and we can guarantee that you’ve seen at least one of his shots somewhere down the line.
Illustration by Eloise Dörr
Filip Wojnowski - kickflip - Wałcz, Poland. 2012
“This was almost exactly ten years ago, at my local skatepark in western Poland with my younger brother Filip. I got my first flash and set of cheap wireless triggers, which allowed me to shoot photos any time of the day, freeze action, and have that classic skate photo look. Definitely a game changer.” - RW
Tristan Rudman - kickflip - London 2017. Cover of Grey Skate Mag Vol 4 Issue 4
“Huge thanks to Henry Kingsford from Grey Skate Mag for helping me since day one when I moved to London and tried to make it into the magazines with my very mediocre photos. He took time to help me understand some basics of the industry, all the technicalities that I had no idea about and got me inspired to shoot more natural light which now I love to do. This is my first cover photo so it’s even more special that it was in Grey, and on top of that I got my chum Tristan Rudman with the neck high kickflip.” - RW
Jake Church - drop in - London 2019. Free Skate Mag Issue 26
“I believe it was my first time going out with the Yardsale guys and when Jake explained to me 'the spot' he wanted to drop in, I knew I had to be there to capture it. A few weeks after that I quit my job and two days later I got asked by Dan if I wanted to go on a trip to Bulgaria to skate at probably the best bank plaza in Europe. It was a dream come true to start working for one brand and document everything they do. So far we’ve released two magazines that showcase the in’s and out’s of the brand, alongside full interviews with the riders and everything in-between.” - RW
Ben Raemers - Bs tail - London 2019. Grey Skate Mag
“Losing Ben was definitely the most difficult thing that happened in my life. When shooting a couple loose photos on that day I wasn’t paying too much attention to it as it was just a weekend stroll with bbq’s on the way, but now they are one of my most precious photographs. It made me realise how important it is to capture all the little moments with my friends. Massive thanks to The Ben Raemers Foundation for doing a great job helping the skateboarding community to develop the skills and tools needed to understand and address mental health.” - RW
Kyle Wilson - switch bs tail - Brixton 2020. Palace Skateboards ad
“Watching Kyle skate is unbelievable. Shooting that level of skateboarding feels like creating a little piece of history. If I remember correctly this happened during a warm up session before going to the main spot we tried to shoot at in Brixton.” - RW
You can see more of Rafski’s work here. The raffle for the Nike SB Polaroid Dunk Low opens on Wednesday 20th April 2022 at 17:00PM (BST) and closes on Thursday 21st April 2022 at 09:00AM (BST). You can enter the draw here.
