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The Joy is in capturing the Journey
The Joy is in capturing the Journey
Ray Barbee
December 5, 2025
Ray Barbee’s life is a journey that he documents through photography. His images tell stories of places and people, of fleeting moments on the streets and in everyday life, of quirky and humorous encounters.
LFI: You yourself, laughing in a photo... Does photography represent happiness for you?
Ray Barbee: Yes I find a lot of pleasure in shooting photos and making silver gelatin prints in the darkroom.
What moments make you particularly happy or make you laugh?
Any moment that I feel is special in some way. I like trying to capture an emotional interaction.
Trampolining, ball sports and skateboarding, many of your photos show sporting activities. Why do you show people in motion?
Great question. I never think about that. I’m just reacting to what I’m interested in and life as it is happening in the moment.
What is your life like behind the scenes?
A lot of neglected films that I need to process. I probably have just about 150 rolls of film that are waiting to be developed. I do it myself, no lab. So it piles up. Haha.
What role does your home state of California play in your photographic work?
Not sure. I imagine there’s some influence in some way, but I haven’t put my finger on it yet. I do want to work on a photo book about Long Beach, California, where I live.
And what does the Leica camera mean to you?
My Leica M6 with the 35mm Summicron is by far the best tool for what I’m trying to do, which is to make a beautiful darkroom print of a photo I’ve taken with it and that I’m excited about.
Katja HübnerLFI: You yourself, laughing in a photo... Does photography represent happiness for you?
Ray Barbee: Yes I find a lot of pleasure in shooting photos and making silver gelatin prints in the darkroom.
What moments make you particularly happy or make you laugh?
Any moment that I feel is special in some way. I like trying to capture an emotional interaction.
Trampolining, ball sports and skateboarding, many of your photos show sporting activities. Why do you show people in motion?
Great question. I never think about that. I’m just reacting to what I’m interested in and life as it is happening in the moment.
What is your life like behind the scenes?
A lot of neglected films that I need to process. I probably have just about 150 rolls of film that are waiting to be developed. I do it myself, no lab. So it piles up. Haha.
What role does your home state of California play in your photographic work?
Not sure. I imagine there’s some influence in some way, but I haven’t put my finger on it yet. I do want to work on a photo book about Long Beach, California, where I live.
And what does the Leica camera mean to you?
My Leica M6 with the 35mm Summicron is by far the best tool for what I’m trying to do, which is to make a beautiful darkroom print of a photo I’ve taken with it and that I’m excited about.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Ray Barbee
EQUIPMENT: Leica M6, Summicron-M 35 f/2 Asph
Ray Barbee+-
The US skateboarder, musician and photographer from San José, California, began skateboarding in 1984, when he was in seventh grade. The passion and do-it-yourself attitude of his music and skateboarding, also define his photography. His images capture both the loud and soft sounds of life. He is a recipient of the Transworld Skateboarding Legend Award and was inducted into the Skateboard Hall of Fame in 2020. More
Long Beach, California, USA
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Joe Brook, Detroit, Michigan
