Photography
Today, it's all about simplicity
Two-time Red Bull Illume Overall Winner Lorenz Holder shares more anecdotes and details behind some of his award-winning shots, his evolving style and why he’s now focusing on keeping things simple.
Lorenz Holder participated in every edition of Red Bull Illume since 2010. In 2016 he took one of his most iconic shots: Capturing Senad Grosic on a bridge in Gablenz, Germany. A picture widely known by photographers, photo and adventure enthusiasts alike, bringing him not only fame but the second Red Bull Illume Overall Winner in a row.
The A-Team – athlete, architecture and autumn
Lorenz Holder
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume
Lorenz tries to combine moving elements with architectural shapes and the right timing. While this picture looks like a glimpse of a moment, it took a lot of preparation and even some failures to get to that. He says: "We were maybe four days late because the leaves were already in perfect color. But what you don't see in the image is that the lake was completely covered in leaves. There was no reflection." A process of trial and error began, as they tried and failed cleaning the lake with a net and leaf blowers. "You can't just google how to clean a lake of leaves", he added. After three days and no results his crew could finally clear the leaves, which opened a nice reflecting water surface. How, you might ask? With a rabbit fence. Photography has a wide range of creative possibilities, but there's a limit to what is accepted to be done digitally. Tidying up a location is different from cleaning a picture in post production, so Lorenz explains, "If I would've done this in Photoshop, then that’s a no-go. But preparing a spot physically is totally fine – and nobody gave me a bad comment about this.”
I am very much back to basics, keeping it really clean
Pushing personal boundaries
Lorenz Holder
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume
Some photographers create beauty by editing or highlighting certain aspects of their pictures, others capture their shot as-is. Lorenz Holder is usually the latter. For the Creative category he had to rethink his style. "I don't really like photoshopping images, but as there was a category called Creative I thought, what can I do? And what I didn't like was to manipulate an image or Photoshop something in or something out. So I was shooting this image from a tripod. You have images that are test images with no rider, just a location. And then of course you have the action shot. And so I took those two images that are exactly the same, just one with athlete, one without, and then put it together, one mirrored. So it looks symmetrical – like a kaleidoscope. And the only part that has changed was that on one side there is a rider. People love symmetrical stuff!"
Inspire to get inspired
Shapes, blocks, lighting. Both architecture and photography are about capturing and conveying a visual experience—one in the built environment, the other through the lens of a camera. It goes without saying that scouting for locations plays a huge role in a picture's outcome. For Lorenz Holder it is also somewhat of a hobby: "Finding locations is something interesting. I always love to look at architectural websites and books because it just opens a little bit the world to a different genre for me. It's just fascinating to see how architecture photographers shoot buildings. And for me it's always very inspirational to see how they work. I just love to look at blogs and websites to find spots or to get an inspiration of what could be a really cool location."
"I'm always fascinated by the kinds of camera techniques used by architecture photographers, such as the tilt and shift lens to correct lines, make them straight and why that is important. I also have a large format camera where I can use the old school tilt and shift technique and experiment how to change the look of an image just by moving parts of the camera. The little nerdy things always fascinate me!"
Lorenz Holder
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume
As soon as I saw it, I knew, this is the best playground I've ever seen
"I think I found this location in an architecture blog that collects interesting buildings.
The lighting was interesting: You can't shoot it in bright sunlight because then you have super bright and dark areas. I wanted to have a really flat light scenery, so we just waited till the sun set. We then had a relatively flat image and Senad (Grosic), the athlete pops out just by his clothing. I haven't seen Squid Games, but people were like, ‘Oh, this looks so much like Squid Games!’"
Where to go from here?
Software and hardware constantly evolve but the basic photography techniques largely remain. While tech might make certain parts of photography easier, it cannot replace skill. When asked about a comparison between photography then vs. now, the two time overall winner said: "Back in the day we used more flashes, almost cinema style. Now it’s about simple things that are astonishing and get those in perfect composition and combine with a trick that is on point with an athlete."
Lorenz Holder has redefined the way we see action sports. His work is more than pictures; it's a testament to the spirit of passion that defines the Red Bull Illume community. His shots showcase not just athletes but convey emotions, energy, and the environment surrounding them, turning action into art. After years in the field he’s still passionate and eager to continue building on his legacy: "I think I will always love action sports. I thought about maybe doing something else, but I love sports. I like to be out in nature. So I’ll probably stay an action photographer."
Discover his submissions over the years:
Lorenz Holder
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume
Lorenz Holder
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume
Lorenz Holder
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume
Lorenz Holder
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume
Want to see even more? Check out Lorenz' website or @lorenzholder on Instagram.
