Tell us about the 2007 Ray Demski?
"I was a young photographer, halfway between going pro and I was shooting mostly b-boying and had had just a few jobs."
And today?
"Today I shoot commercial work for clients like Adidas, Audi, Red Bull, Salewa. And I get the chance to shoot with some of the top athletes on the planet. I'm lucky that my expedition shoots throw me all over the globe."
Such as?
"There have been some epic shoots in the last few years. Recently I did a release campaign for Nikon for the D750, I did the photo and video for that. That was pretty cool. I did a campaign for Callaway Golf which was one of the craziest shoots I’ve ever done. It was pretty amazing – We made three perfect mega pictures in nine days! The idea was to create these huge panoramas. I was shooting golf from a helicopter over Vegas between rooftops at night, this kind of stuff."
So did Red Bull Illume help get you on the road?
"It had a pretty big impact. The first Red Bull Illume really kickstarted my career in the action sports area. I didn’t win or anything, I just made top 50. But I met everyone at the Winner Award Ceremony and the value of that was really great. Through that I was asked to do my first Red Bull test shooting for the Red Bull X-Fighters in Mexico City."
Any media interest in you?
"At the first Red Bull Illume I had a bit: I had a national TV piece about Illume and about me in the US. That was kind of good and helpful, plus a lot of little press things – not a huge amount."
Do you get inspired by the other photographers?
"The book’s always amazing to sift through. Every year it’s getting more and more full on, each one better than the last. It’s always amazing to see what’s there in the top 250, not taking ideas directly but just to get inspiration."
What’s your view on the new mobile category?
"The best camera you have is the one you have with you. Sometimes the best images are the unplanned moments and the only thing you have is your phone. Then it’s pretty great. If I’m on a trip or holiday I’ll just have my phone with me not my camera and I’m quite happy snapping away. It’s going to be interesting to see the results."
Do you already have an image in mind for Red Bull Illume 2016?
"I just got back from shooting bouldering at 4,000m in India. On the last shot on the last day – bam! – I got this shot and thought: ‘this is going in Illume!’ I’m definitely going to enter and see how it goes. It’s always nice to be a part of the event."
Find out more about Ray and his work by visiting his website or Facebook, Instagram or Twitter feeds.
The world's greatest action and adventure sports photography contest is back and better than before with the addition of a new mobile category. Download the Ultimate Guide to Red Bull Illume here and mark March 31, 2016 on your calendars! That's when submissions close.
Visit the Red Bull Illume Facebook page for regular updates and check out Instagram for more visual action.
The Illume Effect: Ray Demski
We take things to the street with our next edition of the Illume Effect, as Ray Demski tells us how competing in the first Red Bull Illume in 2007 really helped him transition to pro.

© Ray Demski