Hard to believe, It has already been one month since the Red Bull Illume Winner Award Ceremony in Bruneck Italy. Situated on the top of the Kronplatz, the Lumen Museum of Mountain Photography welcomed 52 finalists of the 2019 Red Bull Illume Image Quest. Close to 60,000 images were submitted world wide the past 3 years from the best adventure and action sports photographers in the world…however only 11 of the 52 finalists would walk away with a Category Win and an ever-prized Illume Award.
SUBMISSION PERIOD
Before the submission period ended in early July, I debated whether or not I should submit imagery. The field is so stacked, and during the previous Illume in 2016…I didn’t even come close to being a semifinalist. After convincing myself to carve out time, I organized a submission and noticed there were a couple new categories for 2019…one of them being the “Raw Category”. The first image that came to mind was my MTB Total Solar Eclipse Shot in 2017…I immediately thought to myself, “this image could win.”
The RAW file, unedited, untouched, straight from the camera.
Athlete: Chris Brule
Location: Teton Valley, Wyoming
In early August, I received an email from Red Bull…however this time it wasn’t automated, it was a personalized message asking for the RAW file (the file in which they can tell if you’ve made adjustments to the original image…allowing to check credibility). Right away I knew it they were double-checking the image…and that it was being considered… more than likely. A couple weeks after that, I received another email confirming that I was a semi-finalist …. 1 of 271 images of 60,000 submitted!
Besides being the most elite and prestigious action sports and adventure imagery contest in the world, I think one of the best aspects of the contest is the judging. 50 judges gathered from around the world, a mix of photographers, editors, creatives, and industry professionals…sorting through all 60,000 images, and selecting their favorites…without knowing the photographer’s name, athlete’s name, location, or camera capture info. Simply non-biased, the way it should be!
I couldn’t have been more honored to be nominated as a semi-finalist…however when I was driving back from spending a week backpacking with my brother Ben in Montana, I checked my email and found out that I was a finalist…1 of 5 in my category, and 1 of 52 in the entire world! I’ve been hustling ever since I was a kid, but in this instance let’s call it 16 years…with that said there’s not too many things that excite me, because I’ve worked so hard and often know that I’m at that level before I get the recognition. This however was different, when I found out…it simply brought tears to my eyes.
WINNER AWARD CEREMONY - BRUNECK, ITALY
With that opportunity, my friend Chris Brule (MTB athlete) and I would receive an invite to the Winner Award Ceremony in Bruneck Italy on November 20th 2019. After a humorous itinerary; SLC to Chicago, Chicago to JFK, JFK to Iceland, Iceland to Munich, we had to endure one last leg of our journey….a 4-hour shuttle from Munich through Austria to Bruneck Italy. Over the next 2 days we would meet all the other photographers involved, along with being treated to workshops by Sony (one of the main sponsors of the Illume) and enjoying a couple evenings of great food and drink :)
Finally, the evening of November 20th arrived. Here, located at the top of the Kronplatz at the Lumen Museum of Mountain Photography, they would unveil the finalists imagery to the world and announce the winners of each category. There simply couldn’t have been a better venue for the award ceremony. The Lumen Museum was the first cable car Gondola system in the world to my knowledge…built in the 1940’s. When they were replacing the original gondola, the company building the new gondola…along with a few other sponsors, one of them being Red Bull…agreed to renovate the building into a museum of Mountain Photography.
Beautiful displays, from a mirrored room in which every aspect (wall, ceiling, floor) was a mirror and a screen showcasing visuals, to the most impressive aspect of the building….the room and opening in which the cable-cars entered the building (now a gigantic 25’ diameter screen that plays a movie…opening and closing like the aperture of a camera with views of the Dolomites!
With only an hour or so before the ceremony… all of us enjoyed a breathtaking sunset. Ironically a very funny scene with 52 photographers clambering around the mountain side with cell phones, tripods and cameras. To be honest, it was a very surreal experience. Not only was I a bit delirious from the traveling, but also the realization that I almost didn’t submit any imagery to the contest…and now a couple months later I was here on top of a mountain in northern Italy.
As you can imagine, there was a lot of anticipation for the awards. Throughout the week, many of the finalists shared their imagery with each other. I was asked many times what category my image fell into and if they could view it. I would respond by sharing the Raw Category, however telling them to wait until the unveiling haha. With the award ceremony broadcast live, each category was slowly revealed. Anyone of us could win, however in the back of my mind…I knew I had to be prepared for a speech…yet also reminding myself to be present and enjoy the presentation without worry. Definitely an interesting moment :)
Finally, with only a couple categories to go…the Raw Category Imagery and finalists were unveiled. Ulrich Grill, the founder of the Red Bull Illume came up on stage to personally introduce the category, stating “The Raw Category is the purest category, it is the most prized category, and truly represents the ability of a photographer. When we created this category we didn’t think we’d see anything like what we saw when we laid eyes on the winning image.”
Very quickly the images were revealed…mine being last. With that said, when my image came up on the screen the reaction from the finalists and from the crowd meant the most. Many fellow photographers instantly turned around and said…”you just won, and probably the whole thing.” I’ve never put more thought and effort into a single image before or after capturing the eclipse, I have never been more motivated to capture an image. The main goal was to capture the eclipse in a magical way, and I think everyone felt that when it was revealed, goosebumps and awe. That is the most rewarding feeling as a photographer…to create something that evokes emotion from deep within.
Each and every photographer in that room knew how much work it took to get there, how much patience and persistence it took throughout the years. The raw category is a prized category, it's the purest category, and it carries a great deal of respect. There is no greater feeling than the work in which I'm so passionate about being recognized amongst such a talented group of photographers, some of the best photographers in the world. After a plethora of interviews and interrogation from other photographers as to how I captured the image… haha, we finally made our we back down the gondola to the town of Bruneck…for the after party. It couldn’t have been a better atmosphere, everyone so positive and encouraging of each others work.
Unfortunately, Red Bull threw us on a 7am shuttle the next morning back to Munich : ) , and very quickly we were back in the states, processing the short… 4.5 day trip. For me, every time I look at the eclipse image, I can feel it, I can feel that day, that moment. I can smell the air, I feel the drop in temperature by 15 degrees, and I can hear the birds and insects dormancy for a handful of minutes. For me when I look at this image it's an accurate representation of my emotions I experienced while watching the total solar eclipse. It was such a magical moment, such a rare occurrence, the raw beauty of nature amplified only for a few fleeting moments. I can hear the ooo’s and ahhh’s that echoed around the mountain valley from different groups watching it. I feel goosebumps, and that’s what I wanted to capture, that's what I want others to feel when they look at this image.
The Red Bull Illume is the most elite photography contest for action sports and adventure imagery in the world. The contest itself is so unique, and it showcases art, revealing our passions to those around the world that may not have access, inspiring many new individuals. I truly think that art and active hobbies have the ability to transform the world...and to heal it in many ways. I couldn’t be more honored to accept an Illume, but most importantly…I couldn’t be more motivated to start creating some unique imagery once again!
From here, all 52 finalists images will go on a global exhibit, stopping at locations around the world to be unveiled and showcased on large screens for a week in each location. There’s also a limited edition coffee table book, which includes all semi-finalists images, along with the finalists images accompanied with their bio’s and behind the shot description!
Below…if interested, I’ve included the very detailed background story…of the whole process, from conception to creation. Thank you so much for your support!
BEHIND THE SHOT - The Whole Story
For me, this journey began in the early summer months of 2017 after hearing of a Total Solar Eclipse visible in the U.S. I immediately started conceptualizing…how could I capture the Eclipse in a unique way. If only I could incorporate mountain biking somehow…I knew it had the potential to be something special.
CONCEPTUALIZING
Over the course of a couple months, I started doing research on the Eclipse. The path of totality would come close to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where I was currently based...however the difference between 99% totality and 100%...is literally day and night. For example in northern Colorado the eclipse was supposed to be 98%, good enough you would think, however at 98% you still cannot look at the sun without proper eye protection. However at full totality of 100% when the moon passes in front of the sun, it blocks all light creating a perfect ring that you can stare at with the naked eye. In the path of totality, the sun is blocked, and day literally turns to night for just a couple minutes.
I began to theorize how I could capture the moment of totality. I knew I only had 2 min 18 seconds to do so...which is quite a short time-frame. I also knew that this is one of the most magical moments you can witness as a human...and that I would also want to enjoy the experience personally and not miss all of it due to the pursuit of a crazy image. I debated many locations and or what activity I wanted to shoot, however I eventually decided on Teton Valley Wyoming. Not only would the path of Totality cross directly over Teton Valley, but also my good friend Chris Brule had recently moved there and had a lot of knowledge of the mountain bike trail system.
Over the years I have been inspired by other photographers and their quests to capture the Total Solar Eclipse. Many ideas and concepts started to fill my every thought, however I still had no clue as to how I would pull off a shot like this. One of the main issues would be the fact that totality would occur at 11:36am. Given the timing, the sun and moon would be positioned directly overhead. Originally, I had planned on compressing the image with a telephoto lens...zooming in from a distance on the rider Chris Brule to thus make the eclipse much larger in the overall frame of the picture. However, with the eclipse directly overhead, I knew this would be almost impossible to do. If I did, I would have to find a location way down below the rider, where I could then zoom in on the eclipse and the rider above me...practically impossible. Another option would have been to build a massive jump and shoot from underneath the rider towards the sky...however, I would have to be hundreds of feet below the rider for this to work...perhaps find a deep canyon that you could jump over...I knew this option was probably impossible too. I even entertained shooting the eclipse in Oregon, where the eclipse would be lower in the sky and give me just a little bit more room for error. However even with the eclipse occurring at 10:15am in Oregon, the eclipse would be positioned...still, too high in the sky.
After much thought, I knew I could find a location and shoot a wide angle to capture the eclipse way up there in the sky overhead, however doing so would result in an eclipse no bigger than the tip of your pinky finger held out from your face at an arms length distance. Immediately I knew that wasn't an option, I wanted to capture the eclipse and accurately convey the feeling of watching the eclipse...a magical experience that leaves you speechless, with goosebumps gracing your skin.
With that said, I knew the only option would be to combine the images somehow...but I had to do so in camera...if it was done in post processing it wouldn't be honorable to a purest photographer...or more importantly...myself. Anyone can work on images after shooting...however that's called editing as compared to photography. In the days of film, you could shoot an entire roll of film, and then re-use the same roll to shoot over the first images...or you could also combine images in the dark room. Knowing that I could now use the same technique and produce it in camera with my Canon EOS 5DIII I started researching just how to do so. In camera double exposure's are very hard to grasp, to be honest, for me it's typically a trial and error experience. However in this scenario I knew I wouldn't have that luxury.
Attempting to capture a double exposure will require a few things. After capturing the first image, anything that is white/bright will destroy information and anything black/dark will maintain information for the next exposure. Also, I would be restricted to use the same camera settings (ISO, Aperture, and shutter speed) for the second image attempt, making it damn near impossible. With a ton of experience shooting off camera flash photography, or wireless flash photography, I knew most of those images were captured in the fading moments of twilight...within a 15 minute window where the fading ambient light (natural light) matches the manufactured lighting, balancing the scene and allowing you to expose the areas of shadows as compared to shooting in complete darkness. With that said, I know off-hand that most of my twilight flash shots are captured with an ISO of 800-2,000, generally shooting with a very low aperture value between f/2.8 - f/4.
One morning I woke up and somehow it all made sense. If I shot the first image during the 2 min and 18 seconds of totality with the camera pointed straight upwards, the only thing surrounding the eclipse would be darkness, therefore if captured correctly, the data in the lower part of the first image would be replaced with the data from the second...(aka the white aspect of the eclipse would be the only data that would remain for the second shot).
JOURNEY TO TETON VALLEY, WYOMING
After ordering new filters and gear, drawing sketches, and testing multiple in camera double exposures...it was time to pack my vehicle and head to Driggs, Wyoming. Given the rarity of total solar eclipses, there were many rumors surrounding the eclipse of 2017. Given the large amounts of people making the journey, not only was there a potential for stores to be sold out of food and water, but also gas stations without fuel. It was kind of like preparing for dooms day, however in this case it was our decision to head straight into the storm.
I would need to arrive multiple days before the eclipse to give us time to scout the surrounding areas. I needed to find a very very specific location, not only did there need to be a beautiful composition with detailed foreground, I also wanted to find an area that featured the Grand Teton, one of the most recognizable peaks in the entire US...on top of that I had to find an area that the rider would be above the horizon. After multiple days of scouting, I spotted a location that I thought would work well. Now all we had to do was secure a camp spot in the area, allowing us easy access to the location...even if traffic was a nightmare.
There was definitely a ton of anticipation the night before. Knowing that I would only get one chance to capture something truly magical was a bit overwhelming. I didn't know if everything would line up, but with my experience and preparation, I was pretty confident that I would be successful. The day of the eclipse, our alarms sounded at 5am as we quickly ate some breakfast in the darkness, loading the final gear into our backpacks and hitting the road. Within our packs, we loaded multiple flashes, light stands, tripods, camera bodies and lenses along with backup equipment, radios to communicate with each other, filters, computers, headlamps for the hike out, and finally enough food and water to withstand being up in the mountains all day long.
FIRST CAPTURE - MOMENT OF TOTALITY
Hiking in a couple miles, we reached the exact spot. After weeks of conceptualizing I came to the conclusion that I could capture the second image around twilight, matching the look and feel of the eclipse by utilizing 3 wireless flashes, backlighting the scene, and making it appear as if the light was coming from the eclipse. However I would have to first successfully capture a shot of the eclipse, positioning the eclipse in the top right third of the frame, the exact position I needed to position it for the final shot.
With pressure building, the moment of totality finally approached with a shadow of darkness engulfing us and gifting us with an unbelievable sight. It was literally dark outside, the temperature dropped by 15 degrees, birds stopped chirping confused with the occurrence...it was very surreal. In that 2 minutes and 21 seconds, I rapidly changed my settings on my camera, changing the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to capture the eclipse with the right settings I anticipated I would shoot the second shot at...that would occur later that day. After the eclipse we celebrated with our friends and poured champagne...the first half was complete, however we had a lot of work to do.
SECOND CAPTURE - TWILIGHT
For the next 9 hours we sat on the hillside, the riders Chris Brule, Evan Grott, and Blake Sommer preparing the natural log feature...and me, looking at the imagery on my computer to check clarity and camera settings. Taking a notepad, I wrote down 10 image options that had different camera settings, just in case something would go wrong and I would need to select a different frame for the first image in the double exposure. Without deleting the imagery from the card (the double exposure has to be captured from the same card and camera), I put the card back in my camera and prepared the other equipment. On a slanted hillside we attempted to nap while avoiding the sun underneath the shade of a pine tree (the trees positioned in the right of the frame). Eventually, the afternoon heat departed and the sunset approached. I was feeling pretty happy and confident as I knew there was only one more frame to go, and this was my specialty...twilight flashed shots.
I prepared my equipment as my friends kept on hitting the feature dozens of times to get used to it. I placed one flash behind the group of trees on the right, another flash behind the log aimed at where the rider would be in the air, and finally one last flash aimed at the group of trees on the left. Unfortunately, when it came time for the test shot around 845pm...the flashes didn't fire. What I didn't realize was that 3 weeks prior when I was shooting fly fishing on the river...I had taken a fall and my camera had received water damage. I sent in the camera to canon to get fixed, however when I received the quote, I had them return the camera unfixed...because it still worked. What I didn't realize was that the hot shoe was damaged on the camera, preventing the proper communication between the camera and the wireless transmitter which communicates with the wireless flashes telling them to fire instantly when the shutter is pushed.
After sprinting back and forth between the flashes and my camera…turning the flashes off and on, trouble shooting, plugging in remotes, to try and bypass the bad connection...I was heart broken. I only had a 15 minute window to shoot the second shot at twilight...and those moments were fading away. I had wrangled these athletes...my friends, and they followed my vision, we had done all the research, we had prepared with all the scouting we needed...however the one thing that I would never check came back to haunt me. I felt horrible, and devastated, I couldn't believe I had made this mistake.
FADING REDEMPTION
The athletes were helpful but quiet, they knew there was nothing they could do. I literally wanted to cry, to let all that emotion out...but I held back the tears because I knew...there was still a few minutes of light before it was true darkness. I couldn't be more thankful that I didn't give up...because right then I remembered the original way I first started shooting wireless flash shots, I call it... "the poor mans wireless flash." I simply had to have the camera on a tripod, and take a long enough exposure where I could manually trigger the wireless flash transmitter when the athlete was in the air. It was a sigh of relief, but it was really really dark and I wasn't sure if even the athletes would start hitting the feature at this point.
I kindly asked if anyone would then hit the jump. Thankfully my friend Blake stepped up to the plate and said he would hit it once in near darkness. Prior to that moment, I received a call earlier in the day from Blake, asking if he could come up to Teton Valley from Salt Lake City. I knew that Blake was a stylish rider, and his skill set would add to the group dynamic...so even though he didn't have a car, I told him to snag a ride up with a friend (I just had this gut feeling I would need him). Also, previously that afternoon after watching the eclipse, his friend Jordan...and his ride...wanted to leave (rightfully so). I still had a feeling in my gut that I needed him, so I told Blake that I would give him my car to drive through the night back to Salt Lake City so he could make it to work by 8am the next day. With that said, as a photographer I know that it always helps to have more people...three athletes is better than two, because if it's just two athletes and one of them doesn't feel up to it, it's easy for the other athlete to side with safety. When you have three athletes, there's a better chance to talk things through and for one to step up to the plate.
Fast forward back to that moment, and Blake steps up to the plate...and what happens after that was exactly as planned, Chris and Evan began hitting the feature as well. With the athletes ready to drop into the feature, I started the timer on my camera, when the camera started exposing the image...that’s when I told them to drop. During the 2.5 second exposure they would have to drop in and hit the feature, me then firing the flashes manually with the transmitter in my other hand when they were at their apex moment in the air off the feature...the exposure soon ending hopefully milliseconds after (I wouldn't want them to drop early and have them flashed in the earlier part of the 2.5 second exposure, because then the light behind them would be exposed...and the rider would then appear slightly see-through). As the light got darker and darker, the shot became more and more balanced...every time referencing my notepad settings while selecting the first image in the double exposure. Chris, Evan and Blake kept on hitting the feature in near darkness, their muscle memory aiding in their low light abilities...however they couldn't hit it anymore. I kindly asked if they would hit it one more time. Thankfully, they agreed, one last time, and that is the shot you see above...the final frame.
What a crazy swing of emotions, I couldn't put it into words at the time. A slow build throughout the day of confidence...to a sudden moment of loss. Everything gone, all the vision, all the preparation gone out the window with one tiny mistake. If I would have known my camera's hot shoe was damaged, I would have shot the first frame on my other camera... regardless, we battled through and somehow rectified the whole scenario in the fleeting moments of light. I was excited, but I played it off. We packed up all the gear and soon departed the hillside to venture out a couple miles. Along the way, I reached into my bag and suggested we should open the last magnum bottle of champagne. They agreed and as we sat their taking it all in on the side of the trail in darkness with our headlamps...I pulled out my camera and showed them the image we had captured. They were elated to say the least...it was such an incredible experience!
That night we hiked out in the darkness at 1030pm..it was a total of 16 hours we spent on the mountain. Upon getting to the base area, it was silent, all the people, all the cars had gone home many many hours ago. Returning to our camp, Blake snagged my car and drove through the night to make it to work...and the following day I drove first to Salt Lake with a friend to snag my car, and then made the final trip back to Steamboat. So thankful for that experience...what a wild intense trip, highs and lows...ending on a high and sharing it with my best friends!
EQUIPMENT USED:
Canon EOS 5D III
Canon EF 16-35mm F4
Singh-Ray 0.9 Reverse Graduated ND Filter
3 Wireless Strobes (Flashes):
2 x Godox Witstro AD-360 2C
1 x Godox TT685
Canon TC-80 N3 Timer Remote
Benro Tripod and Lightstands