Cork Photos claim top spots in competition

Two images taken in Cork have won first place across different categories in the Clean Coasts Love Your Coast photography competition.

Now in its 20th year, the focus of the competition is to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of the Irish coast through the lens of photographers.

Derek Bolton, with his Emerald Jewel, taken in Sovereign Island, Co. Cork, won the first prize in the Underwater category. The picture portrays a jewel anemone, a species that thrives in areas of strong currents that have low light.

This particular jewel was taken at a depth of 20m hiding inside an underwater swim through.

"Photographing jewels is always challenging as they like to cling flat to rock or cave wall surfaces making it very difficult to achieve a desirable camera angle when shooting.

“This image is taken using a compact camera approximately 5mm from the jewel itself and a torch to create the uplight effect," said Derek.

Sturgeon Moon taken by Karol Ryan in Ballycotton came first in the Coastal Heritage category.

Speaking about the image Karol commented: "Capturing the image of a sturgeon was meticulously planned,” she said.

“My first attempt at this shot the month before was clouded over, so I was delighted to have ideal conditions during this visit to Ballycotton and the moon emerged on the horizon during the blue hour.

“However, what truly made this shot unique was the consideration given to timing the shutter release. The deliberate aim was to capture the flash of the lighthouse beacon, adding a dynamic element to the final image," she added.

Another entry titled Northern Gannets Gathering by Tadgh O'Connell, taken in Bull Rock, was also shortlisted among the top 10 in the Coastal Heritage Category.

"We watched the gannets soar and then made our way to the arch underneath the Bull Rock which is associated with folklore and legend and is believed to be the ‘gateway to the underworld’ but that's a story for next year's competition," said Tadhg.

Finally, Ailish Treviss, with Sunbathing Babes, Seal Island, shot in Glengarriff, was shortlisted in the top 10 of the Wildlife and the Coast Category.

Ailish said: "One beautiful, sunny morning this summer, when on a boat trip over to Garnish Island in Glengarriff, we sailed past Seal Island and I was blessed to get this shot of these two harbour seals.

“They were quite content catching some sun-rays along with the rest of their pod whilst watching the boat go by.”

"Love Your Coast mission extends beyond a photography competition," said Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager of Clean Coasts.

"Our coastal and marine environment form an integral part of Ireland's identity. Through this competition, we invite the people in Ireland to appreciate, celebrate, and safeguard our coast, echoing the dedication of our over 2,000 volunteer groups working tirelessly to protect our marine environment."