How the Lack of Female Representation in Skateboarding Led Joana Melo to Create Betesga Skate Mag

I became a photographer to give visibility to women in skateboarding. The lack of female representation was the trigger that led her to create a magazine entirely dedicated to female skaters. A year later, some results are already visible. Here’s Joana Melo, publisher and photographer.

Skater Agatha Alencar

What led you to become a photographer?

The lack of representation of women in skateboarding and photography. I started street skating in 2019 at 18 years old, and three years later, I began taking photos. I noticed that almost all the images were of men, and photographers had very few pictures of women each one had maybe three or four shots, often of the same skater. So, I founded Betesga Skate Mag, first on Instagram and then in March 2023 as a platform exclusively for female skateboarding. Since there wasn’t much available content, we had to start creating it ourselves. Fortunately, more men photographers are now capturing female skaters, and I believe we have also opened doors with brands for many of them. On a personal level, after learning and experimenting, I think I have developed my own style.

Skater Margarida Cepeda

Is it different to photograph a male and a female skater?

Yes, it is. With female skaters, I think there’s a certain delicacy. You can more clearly see the difficulty they faced in executing a trick. Capturing that struggle adds depth to the picture.

Skater Gabriella Santana

Skater Valentina Petric

What is your opinion about the PUSH Festival?

It’s a great initiative. This was missing in Portugal. I was really happy because, for the first time, I was referred to as a photographer. It’s a recognition of our work, and at the same time, it’s a step toward changing the language itself, people usually say the skater in a masculine form, but we want to show that skateboarding is universal.

Skater Cote Rojas

Skater Fabiana Santos

Visit Instagram Joana Melo