Red Bull Illume’s Sequence category offers an exciting opportunity for action and adventure sports photographers to submit a single shot that showcases an extraordinary action sequence by a top athlete. It is an interesting category where spontaneous creativity can bring out some interesting results, but at the same time also needs a proper set-up and post-production.
Winner of the 2010 Red Bull Illume Sequence category, Miguel Lopez Virgen, shot a sequence of a skateboarder, with the shadows of the skateboarder from the flash completing a full trick on the wall behind him. In fact, the idea only came in post-production – originally it was planned that there would be a dual sequence, the skateboarder and his shadow.
Lopez Virgen explains how it happened: “I took care of the details of each frame so that it showed the necessary parts for the sequence. That’s when I had the idea to leave the skater in only once and have the sequence represented just by the shadows,” he says.
Very often, sudden creativity and deviating from the plan can bring out the best in a sequence. Jeremy Koreski’s top 50 shot of a silhouetted surfer shows that improvisation can be best: “On that evening, instead of setting up front lit, I decided to shoot backlit with the trees and Peter as silhouettes. Sequence images of surfing are tough, because the waves are always changing – not like skating or snowboarding with static locations. But with Peter and the trees as black shapes it was easier to make this sequence image work. I think the image turned out really well,” says Koreski.
Photographers interested in shooting sequences should check out Red Bull Illume’s video featuring Johan Stahlberg, who demonstrates one way of how to shoot and edit a sequence. Submissions for Red Bull Illume only close on April 30th so there is still plenty of time to get out there and capture a unique sequence shot!
Sequence Category: Capturing the Motion
Sequence Category: Capturing the Motion
