Internationally renowned photographer and multiple Red Bull Illume Winner, Lorenz Holder, today joins Kai to announce the first theme – Light in the Dark – designed to be the ultimate test of talent. Amateur photographers can put their skills into action and explore the possibilities of shooting in low-light and the relationship between light and shadow, contrast and colour in this first ever Redline Challenge.

Entrants will be in with a chance of winning over €14,000 worth of Canon kit to help advance their creative ability and an incredible money-can’t-buy photography mentoring session with Lorenz. Known for his fresh and dramatic style and exceptional ability to capture the unexpected even in the most challenging of settings, Lorenz is brilliantly placed to act as judge and mentor.

Speaking about the Redline Challenge, Canon Ambassador Lorenz Holder said: “When Canon asked me to be involved as a mentor for the Light in the Dark challenge, I jumped at the chance as I know how exciting these competitions are for photographers to test their skills and gain industry recognition. Light in the Dark is a great theme to kick off Canon’s Redline Challenge because it’s one that speaks to so many photographers – whatever genre they shoot.

“It’s possible to create lots of interesting light effects, even if you don’t have access to a studio flash or Speedlite – you just need to get creative! Whatever your subject and however you choose to interpret Light in the Dark I urge all entrants to push themselves outside of their creative comfort zone and not to be afraid of trying new styles and techniques.”

Entrants have from 00:01 GMT on 22^nd March 2021 until 23:59 on 31^st May 2021 to submit their images, which can be taken on any device, and the competition is free to enter. The competition will see a total of three rounds of judging by an independent panel of experts and Canon will announce on its website the judges’ shortlist of 10 finalists in June. The final winner will be announced by the 27^th June and will walk away with the following Canon kit:

• Canon EOS R5 - Canon’s latest professional mirrorless camera which offers uncompromised performance
• 3x RF lenses built for Canon’s revolutionary EOS R System offering optical excellence:
  • Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM
  • Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM
  • Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM
• Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 – a 17-inch large format printer packed with advanced technology resulting in stunning quality prints
• Speedlite EL-1 – an advanced Speedlite flash that delivers reliability and high-speed performance

Susie Donaldson, ITCG European Marketing Director for Canon EMEA said: “ We created the Redline Challenge to encourage amateur photographers to push their creative boundaries and provide an opportunity for them to gain recognition from respected industry experts. Now more than ever we know the importance of supporting and celebrating creatives. We also understand the importance of having not only the right tools to push creative boundaries but the know-how, which is why many of our Ambassadors will be sharing their own technical tips and techniques throughout the duration of this first challenge – even how to capture low-light scenes using ambient light in the home.

“The Light in the Dark challenge is all about capturing the relationship between light and shadow, and contrast and colour, it’s a tricky thing to do – but done correctly the results will be exceptional. I’m really excited to see the shortlisted entries.”

Images submitted to the Light in the Dark Redline Challenge will be judged on the following criteria:

• Reflect the challenge – Light in the Dark, this means capturing the ever-intriguing relationship between light and shadow, contrast and colour
• Creativity– Is your entry fresh and original?
• Impact– What emotions or reactions are evoked from the submission. Is the submission amusing, emotional and/or thought provoking?
• Technical prowess – Has the image been captured in a way that demonstrates an understanding of the abilities of the camera and the subject?
• Size – Image size should be 150DPI, 2000 px along the longest side
• Other – Participants must not upload images which have been previously published or won an award or prize.

Follow #RedlineChallenge on social platforms and enter Canon’s Redline Challenge by visiting: www.canon-europe.com/redline-challenge/