FIRST PLACE & OVERALL COMPETITION WINNER
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
Splash
MULLAGHMORE, CO. SLIGO
"I have been photographing storms at Mullaghmore Co. Sligo for the last 10 years. It's always spectacular and wild, but this day was extra special as the offshore winds were blowing into the face of the crashing waves and lifting the skyward. It was a unique day and one I'll always remember."
PHOTOGRAPHER DARRAGH GORMAN
SECOND PLACE
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
Croaghaun Sea Cliffs
CROAGHAUN SEA CLIFFS, ACHILL ISLAND, CO. MAYO
"I have always wanted to photograph the amazing Coaghaun mountain on Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland. At 688 meters it has the highest sea cliffs in Ireland as well as the third highest sea cliffs in Europe. The views are spectacular in this area. If planning it's important to get the right weather conditions and avoid fog which can be a challenge, but I was lucky on the day to get spectacular views of the highest lake in Ireland, Bunnafreva Lough West from the top of the stunning cliffs."
PHOTOGRAPHER KEVIN FOLEY
THIRD PLACE
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
Sea Path
HIGH ROCK, PORTMARNOCK, CO. DUBLIN
"I've been visiting High Rock many times but there was always something not right. Too little water or too small waves, full overcast or clear skies. This time despite no clouds, I had to face the fulll rage of the Irish Sea. Initially, I was going to shoot from the rock but it would be too dangerous this morning as high waves exploded every few seconds, covering the entire area. I stood at the start of the path and waited for the right moment to capture the waves and sea flow."
PHOTOGRAPHER PAWEL ZYGMUNT
Dunmore Head Dingle Kerry
DUNMORE HEAD, DINGLE, CO. KERRY
"One of my favorite places to photograph is the Dingle coastline. On this trip, following one of the Covid lockdowns, I went to Dunmore Head on a very cloudy evening. Fortunately, just as the sun was setting, the clouds parted for a few seconds to allow the suns rays to bathe the coastline in golden light and add some beautiful colour to the clouds."
PHOTOGRAPHER KEVIN GRACE
Hags Head, Cliffs of Moher, Co.Clare
HAGS HEAD, CLIFFS OF MOHER, CO. CLARE
"If you have ever taken a long hike to the south of the Cliffs of Moher, you probably reached the end of which is called Hags Head. It is a beautiful place overlooking the whole cliffs. The weather was great for taking photos and it was my most successful trip this year, which unexpectedly, apart from the beautiful colors of the sky as the sun was setting, resulted in a huge rainbow. As you know, this phenomenon does not last long and requires haste in taking pictures, however, due to the rain falling, you have to be careful not to let the water droplets wet the lens as the pictures may not be sharp."
PHOTOGRAPHER PIOTR MACHOWCZYK
Days End
LOUGH AHALIA, SCREEBE, CONNEMARA, CO. GALWAY
"A simple single fishing boat - happy to be in the safe arms of Nature. At the end of the day, Life can be simple and uncomplicated, Connemara to me is all of that, no matter the conditions, It’s as mesmerising in the Winter snow as it is in the Summer sun. Enjoy every day from Dawn to Days End."
PHOTOGRAPHER MYLES LAMBERT
Sunset at Fanad Lighthouse Co. Donegal
FANAD PENINSULA, FANAD, CO. DONEGAL
"I was on a photography trip with a group of friends and we wanted to get a sunset of Fanad Lighthouse. We went early to get ourselves set up for what turned out to be a lovely evening. I used a tripod and a wide-angle lens. I love the flora in the foreground and the sun highlighting the lighthouse."
PHOTOGRAPHER SAMANTHA O'CONNOR
Three Wise Sheep
DUNMORE HEAD, DINGLE PENINSULA, CO. KERRY
"I was away for a weekend on the Dingle Peninsula in July with my wife and we decided to go for a walk at Dunmore Head on one of the evenings. I brought my camera gear as I had been told that there can be spectacular sunset scenes to be seen from the summit of the headland. We walked until we reached the top and were met with the most fantastic view across the headland and the Blasket Islands. I set up the camera on my tripod and waited for the sunset to arrive and for the sky to light up, and waited and waited......Eventually it started to get cold and we decided to walk back to the car - without the sunset shots. Just as I had the camera packed away, the sky lit up and the sheep walked into the scene. I didn't have the time to get the camera out again, so I took out my phone (a Google Pixel 4A 5G) to capture the scene before the colours faded and the sheep decided to wander off."
PHOTOGRAPHER CONOR O'BRIEN
Mostly Blue
BULL WALL, CONTARF, CO. DUBLIN
"I was out walking on the Bull Wall in Clontarf looking for some nice sunset shots. I had been trying to get this particular shot for quite a while and on this evening the conditions were excellent with the sun setting and lighting up the Poolbeg and North Wall lighthouses perfectly. The tide was also at just the right level to have the half-tide wall peeking out from the water, providing a nice leading line to the lighthouse. As there was a bit of movement in the water, I decided to use a long exposure to flatten out the water and create the overall atmosphere in the scene. I used my Nikon D750 (tripod mounted) with a Nikkor 70-300 lens. I also had a 10 stop ND filter on the lens to slow down the exposure."
PHOTOGRAPHER CONOR O'BRIEN
