Eyes on the prize: meet the Redline Challenge judges

The Redline Challenge, for ambitious amateur photographers who want to stretch their creativity and test their technical know-how, is now entering the judging phase. A panel of judges made up of professional photographers and industry experts has been assembled, and they will be looking for images that best meet the "Light in the Dark" brief set by Canon Ambassador Lorenz Holder. Creativity, impact and technical prowess will also be key considerations.

Each valid submission will be reviewed intensely and rigorously, with images facing a tough voting process to make it through each round of the three-stage judging process. The final stage will see our panel of judges come together to choose the overall winner from a shortlist of 20 entries.

So who are the judges, and what will they be looking for in the submissions? What makes a prize-winning image?

As well as setting the brief and sitting on the judging panel, Lorenz will be mentoring the overall winner of the Redline Challenge on a personal photography assignment.

What will he be looking for when judging the Redline Challenge? Lorenz provides a simple answer: "The wow factor."

Lorenz has earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries of creativity when it comes to action sports photography but reveals that he faced his his own "red line" when shooting a still, autumnal landscape. "I was trying to get a perfect reflection of the colours in a lake, but I was a couple of days late and some trees had already dropped their leaves into the water. So my friend and I put on fisherman's waders and spent three days in the lake removing the leaves before I could get the shot."

Laura says that while first and foremost she will be looking for images that best meet Lorenz's "Light in the Dark" brief, she is also keen to discover "work that surprises me in some way, through the photographer's use of light or their perception of the world.

"What's interesting for me is an image that raises questions, an image that doesn't give it all away, an image that leaves a little bit of mystery for me as a viewer to dream a little bit and allows me to bring my own interpretation to it. So I'll be looking for a photograph that's thought-provoking in that sense but also one that is technically successful at the same time. And again, I'm really interested in somebody who is going to be using light in a way that's very provocative and evocative and emotive as well."

This approach is a hallmark of Laura's own work. "With every picture I really try to think about what I'm feeling at that moment, and how I can express that in the image. Even though I'm a documentary photographer, my images are quite impressionistic, and they're more evocative about the feeling rather than just what I'm seeing. With all the pictures I take, I'm trying to go there, to reach that point, so every image is a redline challenge for me in a way."

"Judging photography competitions is one of my favourite activities," Monica says. "I find it a very good way to explore the new trends, and because I judge internationally I get to see how different parts of the world engage with photography and visual storytelling."

Monica has considerable experience in the critical evaluation of photographs, having served on the World Press Photo jury four times, as well as Visa pour l'Image, the National Portrait Gallery's Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize and a host of other international photography competitions. "I like the fact that I don't see just one type of work, such as photojournalism or art photography," she says. "I cover a broad range of categories and I'm able to judge a cross-section of work.

"It's going to be very interesting to see how photographers are able to fulfil the 'Light in the Dark' brief, as I think it's a very difficult challenge. We talk about light a lot in photography, but I think it's sometimes taken for granted. You have to have the perfect intersection of the light, the composition of the frame and the content to create the perfect image, and I think it's very difficult to do well."

With her extensive news agency experience, Gabrielle brings a unique photojournalist perspective to the Redline Challenge judging panel. "Photojournalism is about accurately capturing a moment that tells the story in the most aesthetic and powerful way possible," she says.

Although her role at The Wider Image is primarily focused on building bodies of work that explore contemporary issues more deeply, Gabrielle emphasises the impact that a single image can have. "The most enduring and iconic news photos, the ones that you'll never forget, tell a story in a single frame. It's the essence of photojournalism."

As a result, she is hoping to see Redline Challenge submissions that "give us insight into how the photographers see the world," and images that are both "inventive and surprising". A high technical standard is, of course, expected too. "For an image to be successful, it needs to be technically accurate, even if it plays with technique to produce an artistic effect."

Gabrielle is no stranger to sitting on judging panels, and is ready to argue the cause for images she feels strongly about. "I'm sure everyone on the panel will," she says, "and that's been my experience in the past. You've got to advocate for what you see as powerful work."

"For many years, we have talked about photographers who achieve great things in low light. But with this brief, we are asking for an active use of light, not just as something to light up a scene or a subject but to create a feeling, a mood, drama, action, a different perspective, a challenging view, or to highlight the hidden – wherever the photographer wants to go with it.

"For Canon, the 'red line' may be the common thread that binds together an amazing range of cameras, lenses and printers, but for our photographers, it represents belonging to a creative community. Through this competition we will be able to celebrate the achievements of thousands across EMEA.

"Imagination will be key to achieving standout and distinctive imagery," Susie concludes, "and I'm looking forward to seeing the unique perspectives that we know our photographers will bring to the competition."