Another one of my interviews was published in the Auto Bild Magazine, worldwide known auto magazine, which brings news from auto industry to the true fans of speed. I was more than pleased to share some interesting details about my work with their readers.
Especially for Auto Build magazine, Predrag Vuckovic a professional photographer from Belgrade (Serbia) who photo shoots the most extreme events in the world and who is one of the official Red Bull photographer, reveals details of his very exciting, but above all a remarkable career.
Do you remember the recent driving of the Red Bull Formula 1 car in the Himalayas? Surely you saw in newspapers or anywhere on the internet at least once the unusual photo that went around the world (Auto Build magazine no. 16 – the cover). What you might not know is that the official photographer from around the world to whom the Red Bull has entrusted this important task is Predrag Vuckovic. For most of his colleagues this would be an incredible experience and project, but for Predrag this is just one of the usual tasks entrusted to him by the company that invests so much money in its promotion true the extreme sports.
Formula 1, Moto GP, WRC, Red Bull Romaniacs, X-Fighters, carting… are just part of the disciplines covered by Predrag and in our case the reason of interest because they are sports “on wheels”. On the other hand there are numerous extreme sports in which Vuckovic enjoys much more because he’s the kind of man that likes challenges and loves to work in the unusual places where few people would go. Many years of training and doing extreme sports, allows him the knowledge of various skills which helps him to reach the places that are definitely not common for photographers and to return with unusual and unique photographs.
This time, we will retain only the cars and motorcycles, but only that part of Predrag’s portfolio is very impressive. He worked with the biggest names of the Red Bull promoters, and here we will single out only those who have left big impression on Vuckovic as top professionals – David Coulthard, Sebastien Loeb, Robbie Maddison and especially his good friend Chris Pfeiffer. During the break between the two spectacular travels through the meridians, we managed to meet with Predrag and ask him everything that interested us, especially what it looks like to have a job that you must be good in to push on to fulfill high standards of himself and the Red Bull company and job which takes him to different places on the planet – from the Himalayas, across Sri Lanka, Antarctica, Maldives, Israel, and even to the depths of the sea…
AB: How it all began?
PV: The first photo shooting that I did was related to cars and it was the event that took place in Belgrade. When it was the biggest flood in the city a few years ago, we came up with the idea that the car pulls wakeboarders on the streets and the whole story was organized by Red Bull. Since I knew those wakeboarders and the driver of the Land Rover as well as people from the organization of the whole event, I happened to be there to photo shoot the entire event for myself. We could hardly wait to see what will turn out riding the waves in the middle of the city! It was really interesting. This was my first, unofficial photo shooting for Red Bull and that is how it all began. When they saw my photos, all slightly started to grow and get to this level today when I’m one of the international Red Bull photographers and when I do most of the biggest events on the planet.
AB: We are interested in “wheels” and your experiences and challenges as a photographer when it comes to this segment.
PV: The wheels certainly make up half of all my photo shootings, whether it is about motorcycles, Formula 1, WRC, bicycles… The biggest challenge when it comes to these sports photography for me is that people from the rally car on the street do not expect much, so I try to make of that something completely different and fully interesting. When I worked in Bulgaria with Sebastian Loeb, we had a “show run” on the street (it was then when I realized that they actually drive these cars) and then I made completely different and unusual photos that have gone spectacularly. In fact, I always try to make of some shooting where there is not much space for it to use, to actually make something new and unusual.
AB: Thanks to your great experience, which shooting of the “wheels” would you single out?
PV: Definitely “Red Bull Romaniacs“! I have been working there for four years and this race falls into one of the toughest enduro rallies in the world. It is indeed a serious matter when compared to other rallies of its kind. I experience so much there with drivers and everything, especially when passing through the woods. All this is happening on the entire Carpathian Mountains and the course is such that you can not sit in one place and shoot, but you have to be everywhere. And, if you want something different and better, then you do not go where ordinary people go, but you have to actually physically be well exhausted, and then eventually be satisfied with the results. There I ran into anything while I was shooting, so I would single out this event in each segment. In second place is the photo shooting with motorcyclist Robbie Madison jumping over the Corinth channel.
AB: Given that photography and extreme sports athletes in your case involves a job in the air and under water, which is the most dangerous location for work that you would single out?
PV: It would certainly be Antarctica where I photographed Base jump. I can single out that photo shooting as the riskiest. Preparations lasted for a long time, we have been there for 35 days, climbing was very hard, especially with all my photo equipment, while, on the other hand, the jump lasted a few seconds! But in the end it certainly worth it!
AB: Which discipline of all extreme sports that you’re shooting is your favorite?
PV: Everything is different, everything is strange and you can’t shoot ordinary photographs. This is my biggest challenge. Mainly I’m dragged by water and water sports. I thought about it a lot and I can’t say that I have a favorite sport for photographing, because the main feeling is in a location where the event occurs. That is one of the reasons why I do not have a favorite sport, because one day I’m working in the Maldives, and then on the Antarctica. In the end when everything is added up, all those extreme sports are similar, but the location is one that is the most important.