French photographer Valentin Groell documents impromptu moments of urban life. Fascinated with large metropolitan conglomerates, he frequently travels to Los Angeles, New York City, and Asia to offer authentic glimpses of street life. His preferred times of day are the early hours of the morning and sunset, when an amber-tinted light casts its warmth on human silhouettes, buildings, and landscapes. Frequent subjects in his recent series are athletes. Once a skater himself–an endeavor thwarted by an injury–Groell frequently visits California, where he documents goings-on at skateparks and basketball courts, often awaiting hours for the perfect shot. In New York, Groell shows the dynamism of intersecting architectures, in high-contrast black and white images.

Groell manipulates his photos digitally, at times superimposing images to weave unique narratives or create interactions between the characters. Groell’s search for the genuine and unexpected is perennial–an endeavor which takes him far from the familiar sights of his European surroundings, not only to the USA, but also to Thailand, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. “I let myself be guided by the street and by the people who bring it to life,” he says. “I want to share the story of the street during my travels [...] show the reality behind life scenes that inspire beauty.”