One week left to enter world’s largest action and adventure sports imagery contest.
Photographers and filmers in the action and adventure sports scene can enter the world’s largest contest in the genre, Red Bull Illume, for one more week ending on July 31st. The Red Bull Illume Image Quest is officially back for its seventh edition and looking to showcase the next wave of talent, with categories to appeal to both photographers and videographers, whether amateur or professional. Red Bull Illume returns to shine the spotlight on the often-unsung heroes behind the camera – the photographers and filmers who go to the most extreme lengths possible to create imagery that grabs your eye and captures your imagination.
Submissions for Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2023 will be open until July 31st, but as always, we suggest getting ahead of the game. Go out and create – for the contest all you need is an idea, a camera, a willing athlete and a great location. The contest is free to enter and open to everyone on redbullillume.com. It doesn’t matter if you’re an aspiring amateur, a seasoned pro, a social media enthusiast or a videographer, Red Bull Illume is open for amazing content from all the creators out there.
Will Saunders, overall winner of the previous edition in 2021 says entering is a great opportunity. “Winning was beyond special and I would encourage everyone to check out Red Bull Illume and submit your photos. You never know. I never thought this would happen.” He adds: “Red Bull Illume is all about blending art and sport. It’s a special competition because it pushes both athletes and photographers to create something new.”
Ulrich Grill, the contest’s founder, says: “Red Bull Illume is the pinnacle of action and adventure sports imagery. It’s great to be back, we are so excited to see what 2023 will bring. Anyone who shoots adventure and action sports should enter! It can be a life-changing opportunity which can help establish your name and launch your career.”
10 categories, endless possibilities
In 2023, there are 10 categories. There will be a category to celebrate every aspect of the genre from RAW shots fresh out of the camera to creative edited photos to the increasingly popular videos. However, this year participants are limited to up to 5 submissions per category, so only the finest selection will progress, and all submissions must have been captured after August 1, 2021.
The following categories can be submitted on redbullillume.com:
Emerging – A fresh approach offers new angles. The up-and-coming category is for rising talents to compete on similar footing – submissions accepted only from photographers 25 years old or less.
Energy – Images that demonstrate the force that powers an action and show the energy, speed and strength required for an athlete to perform.
Innovation – Images that reveal a unique angle, a visual idea, a different format, light and flash effects… something never seen before!
Lifestyle by COOPH – Images that visually capture the creativity of the lifestyle, music and culture that surrounds adventure and action sports, or represents what happens before, between, and after the action.
Masterpiece – Images that illuminate your artistic skill, your personal best, your unique style – give us your best shot!
Playground by Radiant Photo – Images that showcase the landscapes, locations, platforms, and environments in which athletes play.
Creative – Images that have been enhanced digitally or in the darkroom through alterations made in the production or digital editing process. This is an open category, so anything goes!
RAW – Shots that are straight out of the camera showcasing the real image. Composition, exposure, lighting done in front of the lens and in the scene, not behind a screen. That’s the RAW category – un-cropped, untouched, no filter.
Submissions on Instagram with the tags @redbullillume and #rbi23submission:
Photos of Instagram – Photos submitted on the Instagram feed – the most gram-worthy photos. Stuff so cool the jury will have to stop scrolling.
Reels of Instagram – Videos up to 60 seconds submitted on the Instagram feed – the best footage of adventure and action sports.
After submissions close for all categories on July 31, 2023, the winning images are selected by an international judging panel over the following months before being revealed in the Fall of 2023. They then travel the world as part of a global exhibition tour, alongside the stories behind the shot and about the photographer.
For your shot at recognition and a chance to join the Red Bull Illume community enter now!
Past winners of Red Bull Illume have gone on to achieve worldwide recognition. On top of exposure from the top voices, trend setters and publications in outdoor and action sports photography, there are awesome prizes and experiences for the winning photographers. Previous winners who have lifted the trophy include Will Saunders, Ben Thouard, Lorenz Holder, and Chris Burkard among others, can be found on redbullillume.com.