The lengths to which photographers and athletes go to nail a shot is often extreme — especially with sights on an entry into Red Bull Illume in mind.

Just a few miles down the road from the lights and magic of Disney World and Universal studios was the setting for this light-painting photo shoot at Orlando, Florida’s OWC Cable Park. Onsite were Red Bull wake riders Adam Errington, Dallas Friday and Mike Dowdy.

After the park closed to the public, photographer Patrick Rochon shot the Red Bull Riders as they attacked the sliders and kickers on boards tricked out with intricate LED lighting. Play the video above for a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot, which took place over three nights in late March.


The shoot – which was done in conjunction with a local Red Bull-supported photography event called Snap! Orlando – included many challenges in preparation. It’s hard enough to shoot high-speed action in the dark – add in the tasks of outfitting the boards with the waterproof LCD light systems to staging the cameras, lighting and athletes in proper position to secure the shot, and you have yourself a serious photographic mission.

Some of the most inspired by the project were the athletes themselves. “It really is my movements painting this picture and helping this photo come to life!” says Errington, the 24-year-old wakeboarder at the top of his game.

For Rochon, the set-up and planning were extensive, but the motivation while shooting was simple: “Focus on the art, the creativity, and the beauty,” said Rochon, mid-shoot. Fortunately for him, he knew he could rely on the riders to offer performances worthy of the occasion. “I’m really impressed by the athletes,” he added. “They are so fluid in the water, and they understand naturally what we are trying to do here.”

Will the effort pay off? The best images have been held back to enter into Red Bull Illume. It will now be up to the judges to decide...

How hard would you work to get a shot into Red Bull Illume Image Quest? Don’t delay – show us your stuff. The submission period ends at the end of April! Enter here. 

Snap! is a 4-day photography celebration showcasing the work of renowned photographers from May 2nd-5th. snaporlando.com

Red Bull Illume recently caught up with photographer Tim Lüdin to discuss his recent lifestyle shoot with sports driver Rahel Frey and the Audi DTM team. Tim needed to move fast, have mobile gear and shoot quickly due to time limitations.

Tell us a bit about the shoot…  
It was a training day for the drivers, so the cars were always on the track or in the pit for maintenance. We were there for a whole day and we were on a constant hold. ‘Run and gun’ was the motto for the whole shoot!  Sometimes we had 30 minutes on a certain location, sometimes only 10. Space in the pit lane is very limited. You can't just walk around and put your lights where you want them. There are rules for everything and you have to watch out for cables that no car or person will run or trip over. It was very loud there and you have to work very fast.

Did you prepare much for the shoot?
Not much. I just loaded my car till it almost burst and off I went.
I knew that it would be more like a run and gun day so I just brought enough stuff with me that in case anything broke I could swap stuff!

Any tips on how to manage shoots like this?
I was very lucky to be the first beta tester of broncolor’s new light generator, the Move. This new power pack rocks, period. It helped me a lot during this shoot and is perfect for this kind of environment. It's very light, totally asymmetrical. It has lots of power (1200J) and it's very fast. It's almost as you would shoot with a real studio pack but right outside.
Of course I also brought my other big guns but in the end I only used the Move because I could work much faster than with the studio packs. In this kind of location you have to be able to move around very quickly so using a plug is not the best option speed and security wise.The Move gives you that speed and freedom to go wherever you want within a second.

What equipment did you use (camera and lighting)?
I used my Canon 1Ds3 with Canon L glass – the new Canon 24-70mm Mark 2: it’s an unbelievable lens. Also, I had the broncolor Move 1200 L with the new MobiLED lamps, a broncolor beauty-dish and a normal reflector.

Do you have any tips on how to help athletes relax?
If you stay relaxed, the athlete or the model will too. This girl is really easy to work with. She is used to driving a sports car that goes almost 300kmh. So a photographer won't bother her much! Just talk to her, tell her what you are about to do. Make her part of the process. Ask if she has a cool idea, etc.

What was she like to work with?
Very easy as she was focused. She saw some of my Formula 1 pictures that I took for the Sauber Team. So she knew that she could trust me – that helped a lot.

Do you have any tips for young photographers heading out on lifestyle shoots?
Just know your stuff inside out. You gotta be able to work under pressure. Your equipment must be rock solid. Keep an open mind. You won't always get the picture you planned or hoped for. If you can plan everything in advance and if you have control over the shoot then yeah, only go for the best, but otherwise like in this case here, just go with the flow and be relaxed.