One phone call led to this award-winning sports image. It was a conversation between photographer Louis Garnier and his friend Kevin Rolland, a former world champion and multiple X Games gold medallist.
"I've got an idea with fire. You in?"
The result: An image so vivid you can almost feel the heat, with the skier flying off a pipeline in the dark, smoke billowing around him into the night, his silhouette sharply defined against the flames.
Garnier's image has now been recognized among the world's most prestigious adventure and action sports photography awards, earning the Category Winner – Snow title at The Illume Awards 2026.
The shot was captured in just three attempts, using a Canon full-frame mirrorless camera paired with a 100-500mm telephoto lens in Tignes, France. And while the image practically radiates heat, the actual shooting temperature was a chilly 14°F / -10°C.
"When I got there, I realized how dangerous it could be"
Tech info
Gear: Canon EOS R3 + RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Exposure: 1/4000 sec, f/6, ISO160
Image info
Athlete: Kevin Rolland
Location: Tignes, France
The photographer explains…
Garnier says to Illume, "I've been photographing Kevin since we were teenagers. A bit less since he retired, but one evening he called me and said, 'I've got an idea with fire. You in?' I said yes without thinking.
"I had just become a dad, so I drove there and back just for the shoot. I arrived only ten minutes before everything started, with almost no time to prepare.
"Luckily, I could count on Mathias Lopez. He had already prepared all the angles for the video, so I basically just had to stand next to him and press the shutter.
"When I got there, I realized how dangerous it could be.
"It was around -10°C, and our friend JB Merendet and his fire crew Tout en Vrac ["a bit of a mess"] were working with cables and wires, trying to get everything ready.
"Kevin had to fully trust his speed, and we also had to light the take-off and landing so he could see clearly. The energy around the whole project was incredible.
"We only had three attempts with the flames, and it is still my favorite photo I’ve ever made with Kevin."
The world’s most recognized award for adventure and action sports photography
Built on the legacy of Red Bull Illume, The Illume continues to celebrate the people behind the most striking photos – the photographers themselves, while evolving with a renewed focus on human-powered sports and the goal of being the inspiration to preserve the places we are so privileged to play in and capture.
The Category Finalists were revealed earlier this month and can be viewed in The Illume Gallery. Follow @theillumeawards and check in on the-illume.com for the next Category Winner announcement: Surf on November 04.
[For full disclosure, DCW's Editor in Chief, James Artaius, serves as a judge for The Illume.]
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