Every three years, the Red Bull Illume contest showcases the greatest images in sports and action photography. This year’s contest was titled Image Quest 2019, and the winning pictures did not disappoint.
Red Bull Illume is the world’s greatest adventure and action sports imagery contest. It showcases the most creative and captivating images on the planet, while illuminating the passion, lifestyle and culture behind the photographers that shoot them.
The dynamic compositions capture breathtaking moments by amateur and professional athletes framed and captured by photographers with a keen eye for detail and drama. The acts that these bikers, surfers, climbers and skaters and others perform, look all the more impressive when illuminated by smoke or shot from mind-bending points of view.
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In November of 2019 the winners of the Image Quest 2019 were crowned at a spectacular Winner Award Ceremony in LUMEN atop Plan de Corones in South Tyrol, Italy.
So, who took the top prize? Ben Thouard was the Overall Winner for his underwater photograph featuring athlete Ace Buchan surfing in Teahupo’o, Tahiti in French Polynesia.
Thouard highlights Buchan in the midst of a giant wave as the surfer uses all his force to stay upright and break free of the incredible wall of water. Of the shot, Thouard reveals, “I‘ve dedicated the last few years to shooting underwater, looking for new angles and a new way to shoot surfing and waves. Shooting surfing from underwater is a whole new world and I love it! Tahiti has some of the clearest water in the world so it was easy for me to take advantage of it and explore it as much as I could.”
Beyond the contest, Red Bull Illume has a deeper meaning. One of my favorite things about photography is that every photo is different, each time I pick up the camera, it’s a completely new experience than the last. I spoke to many of the finalists and it doesn’t matter how long you have been a photographer, there is a point that we all reach when shooting that when you feel like you’ve hit a creative wall, break through it by learning something new.
Best of Instagram by SanDisk: Baptiste Fauchille, France, with a shot from a buddies trip with a business goal showing Alex Bibollet’s shadow in the bowl of Fillinges, France.
Creative by Skylum: Denis Klero, Russia, for his visually striking image of Paul Alekhin to celebrate the change of season in Streetfire Club, Moscow, Russia.
Emerging by Red Bull Photography: Jean-Baptiste Liautard, France, joins the big leagues with this mirrored shot of Jeremy Berthier at his trail in Bourgoin-Jallieu, France.
Energy & Overall Winner: Ben Thouard, France, shows the power of surfing with this underwater shot of Ace Buchan kicking out from the barrel through the wave in Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Innovation by Sony: Laurence Crossman-Emms, United Kingdom, takes the imagination by storm with this image of Katy Winton BMXing through a puddle at Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales, United Kingdom.
Lifestyle: Alexander Wick, Germany, for his tribute shot of Philipp Bankosegger, Chris Rudolph and Luke Lalor taking a nap by Salathé Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, USA.
Masterpiece by EyeEm: Lorenz Holder, Germany, for his shot of Senad Grosic flying in the magical Game of Thrones location, The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland 
Playground: Lorenz Holder, Germany, with a shot of Vladic Scholz in the surreal Ouse Valley Viaduct, South England.
RAW: Noah Wetzel, USA, for his shot of Chris Bule riding under the Total Solar Eclipse in Teton Valley, Wyoming, USA.
Wings: Philip Platzer, Austria, captures athlete Marco Fürst flying on an unthinkable hot air balloon swing in Fromberg, Austria.