Redline Challenge: exploring 'Light in the Dark'

Light trails, subjects in silhouette, coloured filters or clever use of flash – the 'Light in the Dark' challenge offers a wealth of creative possibilities and plenty of opportunities to take your photography to the next level. "It's a wonderful theme because it speaks to so many photographers," says action sports pro Lorenz Holder. "Street, landscape, portrait and sports photographers can all shoot in the dark and make use of light, so it's not limited to any particular genre. It's like having a blank sheet of paper."

Lorenz's high-impact images have won him many followers and building a successful career has meant constantly pushing himself to capture ever-more imaginative and interesting compositions. Here, he shares the thinking behind his own creative process and discusses some of the techniques you might use when capturing the relationship between light and dark.

The aim of the first Redline Challenge is to explore your creativity and technical know-how while working in the dark. It's open to everyone and it doesn't matter what kit you're using – what's important is trying to push your photography to the next level. So, where should you begin?

The amount of time Lorenz spends preparing his shoots depends on the client and their requirements. "If I'm working on a long-term project, it might be months between receiving the brief and creating the final image. If I think an image I could create in the autumn would look better in spring, I try to convince the client to wait. Of course, if a shoot needs to be done quickly, I can turn it around in two or three days. It all depends on what the client wants."

As a sports photographer, Lorenz's natural inclination would be to shoot an athlete in action, telling the story of a whole day in a single shot. With 'Light in the Dark' being such an expansive brief, however, whether you try to tell a story or just seek to craft the most technically daring image possible is really up to you.

Lorenz has shot images all over the world, so when presented with a new brief, his first instinct would be to consider whether a location he'd already used might be suitable. "I know a lot of photogenic places, so I'd use one of those if it fitted the brief," he says. "You cannot really look for cool locations, they find you. I like to be outside at the weekend, I try to get into the mountains to explore. And then, of course, you see cool stuff. I find inspiration everywhere. I might be watching a documentary about volcanoes in Iceland and think, 'Oh, that's such a photogenic place.'"

Lorenz also advises thinking about the conditions that you might be shooting in, and what impact that could have on your final image. "I probably wouldn't shoot in 'perfect' conditions, I'd wait for rain or snow to add some drama and use lights to create an atmospheric picture," he explains. "Fog is perfect for shooting silhouettes. You just need a light source positioned towards the camera to light up the small particles in the air. The flash has to be a little bit hidden – you don't want all the light on your lens – so you need something in between. Snow is reflective, so you can use lights in a nice way."

When shooting outdoors, remember that it's not always possible to control everything precisely. "You have to fit the brief within your natural shooting style and the conditions at the time, while remaining flexible," explains Lorenz. "Your technique will depend on the weather and the time of the shoot. You have to take what's there and decide on what's right for the conditions. If something isn't working, don't push it – look for other creative opportunities."

If he's shooting on location, Lorenz tries to carry as much kit with him as possible. "I might leave the fisheye lens behind, but I always try to have everything at least in the car. If I decide a flash would be helpful – say if fog or clouds suddenly come rolling in on a sunny day – then I can go back and get it."

So, faced with the 'Light in the Dark' brief, what kit would Lorenz want to take with him? "I'd certainly want an EOS R System camera, such as the Canon EOS R5 or the EOS R6, plus the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM, RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM and RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM lenses, and probably one big studio flash," he says.

The theme naturally lends itself to night-time photography, which offers lots of creative opportunities. "During the day, your main source of light is the sun and everything is visible," he says. "But at night, you create the light, which means you can put it where you want. If you don't want something to be in your image, you simply don't light it."

Shooting at night and using flash is also a great way to make a subject stand out and give your images impact. Lorenz often uses carefully positioned flash lighting to capture his subjects in silhouette, their shape clearly defined because the shot has been taken at just the right angle. "I visualise the shoot and set the lights up to illuminate what I want to see," he says.

It's possible to create lots of interesting light effects, even if you don't have access to a studio flash or Speedlite – Lorenz advises considering ways to make the most of the available light. "In the city, there are so many different kinds of light sources that you could use. You just need to look for them," he says.

Lorenz usually photographs professional and amateur athletes, but whoever you're working with, even if it's a friend or family member, communication is crucial so you can explain what you're trying to achieve. "Sometimes, if I'm shooting an athlete, I might miss the moment, or they might not get the trick right, or I might not be happy with their facial expression; it's important to understand what they can do and what's possible," Lorenz explains.

If you prefer shooting landscapes, then play to your strengths. Although Lorenz is predominantly an action photographer, he doesn't always include a subject in his images. "Ask yourself whether you should add a model to the scene," he advises. "If you have a person, the focus is always on them, but sometimes the surroundings are also really beautiful, and you want to show them off a little bit more."

Colour is an important consideration in all photography, but especially when you're trying to create a prizewinning image. If you're photographing a person, think about the colour of their clothes and make sure that works with the scene that you're planning to shoot. "I always ask my athletes to bring a red sweater or jacket, because it really glows in an image," Lorenz explains. "Yellow can be too bright, and blue soaks up too much light, but red looks great. It also contrasts well with blue, which you get a lot of in night and snow photography."

Whatever genre you shoot and however you choose to interpret the 'Light in the Dark' brief, Lorenz urges all Redline Challenge participants to push themselves to be creative and not to be afraid of trying new styles and techniques. "Over the years, I've pretty much done it all when it comes to winter sports photography; I've even shot snowboarding underwater," he says.

He also advises shooting what you love, because that passion will shine through in the final image. "I thought it might be interesting to shoot a new sport, like skateboarding or BMX, that gave me the opportunity to be creative during the summertime and on location when there's no snow, but winter sport is what I know best, he says. "It's always in my heart."