The image of a Donegal beach won big in the landscape category.
A stunning photo of a Donegal beach earned its photographer a prize in the 2021 edition of the National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition.
For the overhead shot of Marble Hill Beach near Dunfanaghy, which can be seen below, Ozgun Ozdemir was crowned the winner in the competition’s landscape category.
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The photo was captured by Ozdemir through the use of a drone.
“I’d been trying for this shot for months but couldn’t get a calm early morning,” Ozdemir told National Geographic Traveller.
“On this November day, my friends and I agreed to meet at the beach at sunrise, but after checking the forecast I realised that would mean missing the ideal conditions, so I arrived an hour early to set up.”
The judging panel praised the planning and execution of the shot.
“The photographer was able to capture a moment to allow us to experience a much deeper view of the landscape,” they said.
“The use of a drone is incredibly impactful, making the stream from land to water feel like a magic spell.”
Ozdemir said in a post on Instagram that winning the award was “like a dream came true”.
For the image, the photographer will receive a Nikon D3500 SLR camera and AF-P 18-55mm VR lens worth nearly €500, which are described as great on-the-go companions for travel photographers.
As for the grand prize of the competition, that went to Andro Loria for his portfolio of images taken in Iceland from a small airplane.
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