When art, action and photography collide, it can only mean one thing - Red Bull Illume. The world's best action and adventure sports photography has now arrived for it’s only tour stop in Austria and will be put under the spotlight at the Hangar-7 Outdoor Lounge every evening during the festival month of August.
Out of the 22,764 submissions to the contest from 4,773 photographers, only the top 50 images will be exhibited in 2x2m lightboxes. They will illuminate the Salzburg sky each evening as the lights are switched on at the Hangar-7 Outdoor Lounge – making these spectacular scenes and athletes look larger than life.
The joy, pain, speed and sheer athleticism and physicality of the athletes in these photos give exhibition viewers the chance to appreciate and “feel” the action from an artistic perspective. To date, over 100,000 visitors have seen the exhibition at spectacular outdoor locations in the US, Germany and Ireland.
Red Bull Illume puts the spotlight on the people responsible for these incredible photos, paying tribute to the individuals behind the lens. These photographers hang from steep cliff faces, climb the most challenging mountains, wait all day in cold waters or glaciers and risk their lives in the most extreme conditions. All for that moment, that one shot.
The fact that these photographers often carry very heavy equipment and face other physical and technical challenges often go unnoticed. Photography is not just about having an eye for detail or the athletes in front of the lens. Red Bull Illume aims to give audiences a full picture of the life of these exceptional photographers as well as the opportunity to exhibit their photography.
The pictures covered a diverse spectrum of disciplines, including BMX, surfing, skateboarding, B.A.S.E jumping, climbing, cliff diving, motor sports and winter sports.
Austria is also represented by the presence of Rainer Eder and Christoph Schöch, who were nominated in the “Playground” and “Close Up” categories respectively. Austrian resident and “Wings” category winner Marcel Lämmerhirt will also feature.
Opening times and dates for the outdoor exhibition at Hangar-7 will be revealed soon.
All images can be seen online at www.redbullillume.com as well as photographer biographies and photo descriptions written by the finalists themselves.
Check out the Red Bull Illume facebook page for the Salzburg event for updates!
SALZBURG, AUT AUG 2011
The World's Best Action and Adventure Sports Photography has come to Ireland!