Red Bull Off the Planet was the shoot of a lifetime for professional photographer Chris O’Connell. Melbourne-based installation artists ENESS wanted to bring a new perspective to action sports by fusing interactive art with skiers and snowboarders flying through the air. Chris was the man with the challenge to make the stills look as good as the motion video for the Red Bull Off the Planet shoot at Mammoth Mountain, California.

Although no stranger to mixing creative photo shoots with cutting-edge technology – he shot the first wireless synced flash sequence with a shutter speed of 1/500s – the Off the Planet shoot was an ambitious shoot for Chris and everyone else to say the least.

Here’s what Chris had to say on how they managed to create probably the best-looking kicker you have ever seen and visuals that really were out-of-this-world.

Chris, tell us about the idea behind Red Bull Off the Planet.
The concept was to have a 21-foot inflatable sphere hover between the two hits as the software mapped 3D visuals onto the snow and sphere. To make the visuals interactive, the riders [including Russell Henshaw, Sean Pettit and Simon Dumont] were tracked via an infrared camera as they flew through the air.

It was the most visually spectacular ski or snowboard shoot I have been a part of in my 15 years of being a professional photographer. But it almost didn’t happen. The idea seemed simple: Eness Agency would bring projection equipment over from Australia, set up a 21-foot helium-filled sphere in the gap with the earth projected onto it, and then project moon rocks onto the jump. And skiers would jump over the world. Easy right? Well, in theory it was.

What was the set-up like? It must have been a huge challenge?
We arrived to a perfect 65-foot table with the middle cut into a big channel to give room for the globe. Everything appeared perfect. The problems came when the Eness crew tried to inflate the sphere with helium. The size of the floating sphere didn’t bode well with the Sierra Mountain winds and the orb almost blew away. Then came projector problems: none of the projectors worked. The second day’s shoot was called off and it looked like this massive project was never going to happen.

So when did the shoot seem like it was going to work?
On night three, while we were enjoying a couple beers and sake at sushi dinner, we got the call at 10 p.m. saying that Eness had figured out the problems with the projectors and we had a go.

How did you freeze the action with lighting without affecting the multimedia graphics?
I used Broncolor Scoro A4 and A2 lights and a Broncolor Verso Battery Pack. I used long throw reflectors and had to get really creative with the lighting. I had to side light and hope I got enough light to wrap, because anything on the jump would destroy the projections for the video. It was like a chess game trying to get all the pieces to line up, but they did.

I had to shoot everything on a tripod and make a composite to make the most of the projections and really get them to pop.

How did you get power up on the mountain?
Luckily, the shoot wasn't too far from Hollywood so we had a dedicated lighting and a power guy came to Mammoth. He brought a huge diesel powered generator up the mountain to provide lots of clean power for everything we had going on.

What camera gear did you use?
I shot with Canon Mark IV with Zeiss lenses to ensure max sharpness across the entire field.

How did you feel when the shoot happened?
When the Eness crew flipped the switch and turned on the projectors at about midnight, the sight was awe-inspiring. As promised, there was a rotating earth and moon rocks projected on the jump, but the fun didn’t end there. There was a 3D laser light show with birds flocking across the jump onto the sphere, exploding lights and even goldfish and jellyfish were swimming around. The potential was limitless.

Best event shoot ever?
I think we got some of the most interesting video and still shots of skiers and snowboarders that I have ever seen.

Find more behind-the-scenes action on the Off the Planet shoot, see Chris O'Connell's making of video here on YouTube and check out the photos in the gallery.

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Category Unseen submission by Victor Haegelin

In a world where it seems everything has been done already, what does “unseen” mean for you?
Wow! … This is where you can mix something technical and simple with some cool ideas.

Sometimes it’s really the simplest ideas that are actually unseen. Like this very, very simple water silhouette animation made by Kevin Parry few days ago. It is SO simple!! The idea, the technique, the realisation, all is simple, but all together it has definitely never been seen before.

How would you describe yourself as a creative?
I like to find unexpected simple ideas. Usually it comes from the everyday life surrounding us. I love to give life to still stuff. I think of imagination as a muscle, if you train it, ideas will come naturally. Even if they are not always the best.

How did you become a stop motion artist?
By doing stop motion! Stop motion is a good way to start telling stories. It’s easy to set up on a corner of a table. You can start to make cool stuff with almost nothing. It’s easier than building up a full cinema crew with actors, DOP and stuff. So that’s what I did, what I liked and that’s why I kept doing it.

Talk us through the process of creating your short clips – where does your inspiration come from?
When I have a new idea, I really have to go for it. I can’t stop thinking about it, until I get to shoot it. And sometimes - the moment I’m facing the project - it becomes harder than expected…

Making of the "Invisible Skater Loop" by Victor Haegelin

Are you operating alone?
I usually have my creative process alone. But I also work with Coco Di Bongo, a model maker. When I have a new assignment, I would talk to her and involve her in the creative process.

How long does one project usually take from beginning to end?
It really, really depends on the complexity of the project. I like to work on fire, keeping the idea in mind till I do it, otherwise the idea loses its fascination… in case I wrote it down, it sometimes comes back! Usually we say that 1 second of stop motion takes about an hour to shoot. This is approximately true.

Who/ what are your biggest influences?
I really learned a lot by watching the Czech Masters of Animation, like Jiri Trnka or Jan Svankmajer.

'Soap Board' by Victor Haegelin

Any real-life situation/ person you would love to shoot with?
Oh… I don’t know, I would have to think about it for longer...

When not creating stop motions, what type of photography/ videography are you most into?
Those last months I discovered drone aerial photography, I’m really enjoying it!

What’s your favorite piece of work of your own - where can our readers find it?
I think it’s “Professor Kliq – Wire and Flashing Light”. It’s a music video I made alone over the course of 3 months with free to use electro music. I was a moment where I was thinking I needed to renew myself, so I decided to push further and finally had the idea of seeing sound.
As it was finished, I sent it to the author who didn’t know I was working on it. He was so surprised that he decided to remaster his 6-year-old piece of music to match the animation better. And as the video had some success, he decided to quit his job to only do music! You can see the video here.

Find more of Victor's work here or follow him on Instagram: @patagraph

Snowboarder Seamus O'Connor © Dasha Nosova

What were the three most significant things that happened to you since the Winner Award Ceremony back in November?

The first one got to be the trip to Atlanta, GA, for the Big Air World Cup back in December where I was offered a job to follow Jamie Anderson for the rest of her contest season. We’ve been on some trips before, so I was extremely excited to join the journey. It was a great few months of traveling together, shooting at every top event and doing some fun stuff in-between.

Second must be the two weeks that I spent just snowboarding in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, over the Christmas holidays. This doesn't happen too often when I can simply go up and do some turns or shred in the park, so that was awesome, aIso because I was riding with my boyfriend Vlad and his friends. By the end of our time there I was able to hit the middle jump line which is pretty crazy for me! We also got a really cool sunset session going one day. I was pretty hyped to shoot at a new location and see a 9-year-old talented shredder, Nico Bondi, in person.

Last, I would say our experience volunteering during the outbreaks of COVID-19. A random circumstance brought Vlad and me to Novosibirsk in March (right when all the international snowboard events got cancelled), and none of us expected getting stuck there. So, we joined the organisation in early April after we watched the newscast covering some students who were helping elderly people in the city. It’s been an amazing and fulfilling experience being able to give back to seniors. It is something that has always been on our minds and that we would periodically bring up in conversations with each other. I’m happy we did it. If you have the opportunity, research some local organisations and try it yourself.

How did Red Bull Illume affect your professional (and personal) life?

In 2016, Red Bull Illume gave me a lot of motivation and showed me that people value my work. My submission 2019 kind of woke me up and reminded me that it’s not about the event photography, it’s about those meaningful journeys and a love for the sport and nature. Plus, the ceremony was such a good vibe, Red Bull knows how to throw a good event and bring so many talented people together. I got to see many friends I had not seen in a long time and meet new people. It was fun! Many of us kept in touch and we still support each other.

Where do you usually find inspiration/motivation for your images?

Back in the days it was the good old snowboard and skateboard magazines and movies that fueled my inspiration. Now it’s more about new destinations, people and other sports, or even something that doesn’t have anything to do with sports. New equipment also helps me to go out there and play more.

Have you ever thought about shooting other action sports or do you stick to snowboarding?

Before snowboarding, I was taking photos of BMX and skateboarding, because it was more realistic to make these happen in my hometown of Moscow which is a concrete jungle. Nowadays, I get to shoot other action sports in summer when I have time. I think it’s so much fun to explore and shoot other sports and it’s definitely something that I would look more into. Maybe even more music, urban or fashion maybe. Hit me up!

What makes your images unique in your opinion?

The colors, I would assume. This is just the most common thing that people ask me about. Also, minimalism. I can’t say all of my photos follow this style, but I’m certainly a big fan of keeping it simple.

You already talked about your personal experience during the last few months. What impact has the global situation had on your work? Is it still possible for you to shoot?

It has had a big impact. Almost all my jobs are outside Russia and my job as an action sports photographer literally depends on being able to travel. I haven’t really picked up my camera for work since February 29th. That was the last day of the Burton US Open in Vail, CO. Given the situation in Russia at the moment it’s not really possible to shoot the way I used to. It forces me to be creative and find new opportunities. While we wait it’s a good time to learn new skills and maybe explore different sports and different industries even. Though, the most important thing now is that my family and friends are staying safe and healthy.

Under "normal" circumstances: What would your plans for this year be? Any projects along the way?

Snowboard-wise, I would try to go to one of my favorite places - Folgefonna in Norway, we usually go there in late May - early June. A mandatory surf trip would’ve happened, of course. My idea was to go to California and maybe finally Hawaii, but at this point I would be glad to go to any country that reopens its borders to tourists and that has waves. There are some non-snowboard projects scheduled that I’m keeping my fingers crossed that some of them will take place later in the year.

In the Top 260 images from the Image Quest 2019 were only 4 female photographers, you included. How do you feel about the male dominated action sports photography scene?

It always depends on the people and the setting. Some days it would not even cross my mind that I’m pretty much the only girl, but other days it can be frustrating, and guys throw comments that are not ok. Some guys can be sceptical at first, having this image in their head that all girls are just drama and having a girl in the crew would ruin the “dude-vibe”. If you really mess it up, guys will be like, "Oh, girls…" and that can definitely add some pressure. Earlier this year, I was shooting at one of snowboarding’s most prestigious events, and one guy came to me and said something like “I’ve always been curious - how do you travel so much? I see you everywhere. Like, do you get paid for your photos?”. I don’t think this guy would walk up to another guy and ask the same question. I would say it’s a bit more challenging and uncomfortable, however it keeps me on my toes. It’s so cool to see that there are far more people and companies who are stoked to invite and work with girls now than it was even five years ago. Hopefully, we will see more girls in the industry in the near future!

Find more of Dasha's work on her Instagram!

Take your content creation to the next level with the amazing prizes to be won when you enter Red Bull Illume Special Image Quest 2020. Every week a set of category finalists are selected through the Red Bull Illume internal jury and put to a community vote. These weekly finalists each receive a full license for Luminar 4 photo-editing suite by Skylum. A tool that can be used to make even more amazing adventure and action sports content.

That’s just the weekly winners, as one of the three overall winners you will win an out-of-this-world experience from Red Bull; a COOPH gift card valued at €250 for stylish photography apparel and accessories for your next shoot; furthermore, your content will be added to the current Red Bull Illume Exhibit Tour where it will be shared with the world.

Red Bull Illume Special Image Quest 2020 is the perfect opportunity to get your work recognized by a community of like-minded creators and the prizes are designed to give you that extra headstart. Go on, enter today and share your adventure and action sports creativity with the world.

It’s super easy to enter, click here to find out how!

© Matthias Dandois and dog @arianatherocket filmed by Constance Jablonski

The categories for the Red Bull Illume Special Image Quest 2020 are specific, but still give content creators the freedom to share their own interpretation of the category. Homework is specifically for adventure and action sports content that is created in and around your home.

People all over the world have had to turn their home into their office, their gym, and ultimately their playground. The Homework category is for the creators who looked at their bed covers and saw the perfect wave, turned a tree in the back garden into an 8B climbing boulder, or realized that their dining chairs are great for parkour practice. As long as you are being creative at home, you can submit your content into this category.

Simply follow these easy steps to enter the Homework category:

1)   Share your best still and moving images (up to 1 minute) on your public Instagram feed.
2)   Tag @redbullillume, use the hashtag #rbi20submission and the category #rbi20homework
3)   Tag a friend to invite them to take part too.

Got the shot? Submit your content to Red Bull Illume Special Image Quest 2020 and you could have your work featured in the current Red Bull Illume Exhibit Tour and stand the chance to win a full Skylum Luminar 4 editing suite, plus a money-can’t-buy experience from Red Bull.

Well, what are you waiting for? Stop reading this and go make great content!

"Isolated Skateboarding in Salzburg with Philipp Josefu during Covid-19, March/April 2020. A series of photos that document an empty town and unusual ambience. Salzburg is a highly touristic destination with crazy numbers of tourists especially during spring time. Yet even during rush hour completely empty and quiet. Skateboarding through the streets and bringing a piece of life back outside to document this unique time for later generations.

The reason behind this project is quite simple and then also not quite so obvious at the same time. The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a worldwide stop of the life we were used to have. Suddenly restrictions for moving outside and limited freedom in general. It was not too tough to adjust to stay home because usually I am working from home anyway. Yet as time goes by I realized that things changed and being home for such a long time without social contacts is quite a challenge. Then also reality hits and with zero money coming in and no job bookings all the way until summer, I started wondering how I am going to adjust and amply to survive this situation. There is no way to panic because life goes on one way or the other. So I sit at home wondering what I can do. Scribbling ideas and concepts for the time after Corona and setting up my workspace and archiving systems new. Cleaning my desktop and gear and then… then what. After a couple of weeks all is done. Slowly but surely the inner wish to capture this special situation on camera grew. Yet I also didn’t want to violate the regulations and be a part of the solution together with everybody else. Eventually I concluded that it is more important to create those images than staying home and saving lives. Those images might be a reminder for later generations to be careful and remember those Corona days. Of course all security measures like keeping distance and wearing a mask I took care of and it was only Philipp and me hitting the streets together and looking for spots to skate where you usually could’t because of masses of people. The goal was to bring back something that connects this surreal scenery with something that was there before. The message is „Skateboarding is still alive and so are you!“ and skateboarding can also be representing any other sport or art people were performing outside in the streets before this pandemic stopped the life outdoors."

Words by Markus Berger

Photographer: Jaanus Ree Red Bull Illume 2016 Category: New Creativity Athlete: Erik Orgo Location: Tallinn, Estonia

The extension of Red Bull Illume Special Image Quest by another week is an opportunity for creators to try out every angle. How many times have you thought of an even greater idea after a submitting something amazing? Sometimes after a week of brainstorming, the very best ideas come out, that’s why the submissions phase is now open until July 12, 2020 at 23:59 CEST.

That doesn’t mean wait until the last minute because there will still be a set of finalists announced every week. One week of the submission phase has already passed, however the first round of community voting will now take place next week, from June 18 till June 21, 2020. Remember, there are three categories for still and moving images of up to one minute and a completely new category dedicated to the most original Instagram stories.

The external panel of judges consists of photo editors, digital experts, and world-renowned athletes that decide category winners and choose the overall winners for still, moving, and stories. As an overall winner, you become an official Red Bull Illume Winner and receive a tailor-made experience from Red Bull. Your content will also be added to the Red Bull Illume Exhibit Tour that’s currently travelling all around the world, gaining great exposure with a community of people passionate about the adventure and action scene.

Share your epic content with the world in Red Bull Illume Special Image Quest 2020. Stay tuned to redbullillume.com and follow us on your favorite social media channels to get the latest news.

Get all the details here!

It’s official! Red Bull Illume is hosting a new contest, bringing you more of the world’s greatest adventure and action content with the Red Bull Illume Special Image Quest. It’s a celebration of all the outstanding creativity that is coming out on Instagram in 2020 and submissions open on June 1, 2020. Red Bull Illume wants to showcase the passion and dedication of photo- and videographers pushing the boundaries of content creation.

The Special Image Quest 2020 has three categories you can submit your still or moving images into, as well as a fourth and totally new one which calls for your most creative adventure and action sports Instagram stories. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional photographer or a first-time content maker, it’s the idea and execution that counts.

See all 4 categories and descriptions

The competition runs for 5 weeks from June 1, 2020 at 00:00 CET until July 5, 2020 at 23:59 CET. The Red Bull Illume jury will select the 5 still and 5 moving images per category, plus the 5 best stories every week. This selection will be displayed on our website. where the community will have the power to vote for their weekly finalists in each category and the winners are announced every Monday from June 15, 2020. An external panel of judges comprised of photo editors, digital experts, and world-renowned athletes will then select the category winners and thereafter the overall winners.

Full timeline and submission details

For the first time there will be 3 overall winners because still and moving content will be adjudicated separately. Each category (with the exception of Storytale) will have a moving image winner and a still image winner, resulting in: 1 Overall Still Image Winner, 1 Overall Moving Image Winner, and 1 Overall Storytale Winner. The winners will be announced on July 30, 2020.

As an overall winner, you’ll earn the title of being an official Red Bull Illume Winner and receive a tailor-made and out of this world experience from Red Bull. Your content will also be added to the Red Bull Illume Exhibit Tour that’s currently travelling all around the world, gaining great exposure with a community of people passionate about the adventure and action scene.

Get ready to show the world your adventure and action creations! Start by checking out your existing footage or finally making that content you’ve been thinking about because submissions open on June 1, 2020.

Stay tuned to redbullillume.com and follow us on your favorite social media channels to get the latest news!

People become more creative when faced with a challenge, that’s a fact. Right now, no matter where you are in the world, you have probably found yourself finding new ways to stay relevant and do what you do best. The result? A variety of unbelievable, unforgettable, and we believe, award-winning content. It’s for this reason that Red Bull Illume is happy to announce a special contest, starting next Monday, June 1, 2020.

Red Bull Illume celebrates the world’s best adventure and action sports imagery content creators with Illume Image Quest; this special contest is no different. With all the amazing creative work coming out in 2020, this additional special contest aims to provide a platform for you to showcase your originality on Instagram.

Have you challenged yourself to create something totally new? It’s time to go through your 2020 content or perhaps even plan the next shoot. Start now, because the contest opens for submissions next Monday! All the details will be announced and shared this Thursday, May 28, 2020. Mark it in your calendar and keep a look out on redbullillume.com and our social media channels.

The Image Quest 2019 saw a completely new category, Best of Instagram by SanDisk, which reflects how important social media has become for photographers over the past few years. With the fascinating image of a skier without snow french freeskier Fabien Maierhofer was one of the finalists of this category. With his award-winning web series "Bon Appetit" on YouTube Maierhofer has shifted his perspective more towards content creation online. With us he talked about this transition and more.

Your iconic shot of the skier made it to the final stage of the Image Quest 2019 in the Best of Instagram by SanDisk category. How important is social media for your work as a photographer?

Social Media is a big opportunity to show my work and for a lot of great photographers this is the best tool to show their pictures to the world. Previously, it was really hard to share what you created with a large number of people.

Why did you choose to submit to this category?

Submitting to Best of Instagram was the easiest way for me and it also meant that I could submit a little bit earlier.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the shot? How did it come about?

Although the shot looks out of this world, it was actually taken at the Col d’Izoard, a mountain pass in the Hautes-Alpes region in France. The image was captured while I was filming a behind the scenes video for one of my projects. When I saw the skier with the suit and the rocks I just took a quick snapshot for my Instagram. It’s funny because it looks so unrealistic and it made me question if skiing will look like that in the future due to climate change.

Your transition from a professional freestyle skier to a content creator seems pretty smooth. Were there any challenges for you?

The real challenge is to be good in both! I’m still a professional skier and need to perform well on my skis but I also need to work on my photography skills. When I’m skiing the first thing I do is ski down the mountain and then, when I’ve reached the bottom I try to take pictures for practice. The only bad thing though, is that now I have to carry a heavy bag when I’m skiing.

What are you more passionate about: skiing or photography?

I think nowadays it’s 34% skiing, 33% film making and 33% photography. No, I’m just kidding, I don’t want to choose between my passions.

What inspires you to create?

Mountains always inspire me. Outdoor sports take up a lot of my free time and it’s crazy to see all of those colors, landscapes and adventures you can find there. I just love the mountains.

What do you usually look for in an image? What makes the “perfect” image for you?

The first thing I look for is a good landscape even before I look for the action. The perfect image is the right move in the right place. And if you have great light as well, you will make a really awesome picture.

What does an image need to perform well on social media?

If you want your picture to perform well on social media I think it has to be vertical. It also helps if it’s a bright shot that is understood by everyone.

What’s your favorite social media platform and why?

Definitely YouTube! You are able to tell a story and you can take your time with it as well. If people want to see behind the scenes material I redirect them to my Instagram. That’s where I usually show that kind of stuff. That’s also a great way to connect the different social media platforms.

Where can we find more of your work?

I share video content, tutorials and podcasts on my YouTube channel. Right now, you have to speak French to understand it, but I’m working on subtitles. On my Instagram account I constantly share images of my adventures.