Jury 2010

Brenda Milis

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY, MEN’S HEALTH (USA)

Returning for a second time to the Red Bull Illume Judging Panel is Brenda Milis, Director of Photography at Men’s Health magazine, a position she has occupied since October 2008. The magazine is the world’s largest and best-selling men’s publication, with 43 international editions and a readership of 22 million people around the globe.

Her interest in photography stemmed from her studies at Northwestern University where she studied art history with an emphasis on history of photography.

“I moved onto gender and media studies at New School of Social Research, New York City where I also completed a number of internships, crucially one at Jane Magazine which led me into photo editing.”

Work at other publications and websites followed, including at Outside magazine which she describes as a career defining moment. “It completely changed the kind of photos I worked with.”

“The best thing about my job is its balance: It’s equal parts creativity, collaboration, and organization. A photo editor wears many hats so it doesn't get boring. I think you also have to be pretty darn social because you talk to many, many people every day.

“You manage tons of details and tons of personalities. It can be draining but very rarely is it boring.”

www.menshealth.com