A stunning aerial picture of a beach in Donegal has won the landscape category prize in the National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition.
The photograph, which was of a small stream flowing into the sea at Marble Hill Beach near Dunfanaghy, was taken by Ozgun Ozdemir.
The Turkish native announced his win on Instagram account.
Describing the photo, he said: "I’d been trying for this shot for months but couldn’t get a calm early morning. On this November day, my friends and I agreed to meet at the beach at sunrise, but after checking the forecast I realized that would mean missing the ideal conditions, so I arrived an hour early to set up."
The judges of the competition said: "The planning and execution of this shot is the most striking aspect. The photographer was able to capture a moment to allow us to experience a much deeper view of the landscape. The use of a drone is incredibly impactful, making the stream from land to water feel like a magic spell."
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The National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition, now in its 10th year, "seeks to highlight the best in travel photography." Photographers of all levels were invited to submit their photos in six categories, and the competition accepted thousands of entries across all categories.
"We might have spent 18 months in a global pandemic, but that hasn’t diminished the consistent quality in our annual competition. Whether shot in the UK, or abroad during windows in which people could travel, this year’s winners remind us how photographers see the world around us and the magic of capturing a once-in-a-lifetime moment."
"A huge congratulations to our grand prize winner but also to those who made the shortlist — all 18 photographers are exceptional talents. From the abstract and mesmerizing overhead shots taken from drones and airplanes to studied portraits of people and wildlife, together these images capture human behavior, changing landscapes and nature’s beauty in a way that resonates with the National Geographic brand," said Pat Riddell, editor of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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