FIRST PLACE
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
Fog on the 3 Sisters
Clogher Head, Dingle, Co Kerry
This is one of my favourite places to be for dawn. I had to do a bit of a climb up Clogher Head to get this view, with the very distinctive Three Sisters in the background. This particular morning had the added advantage of the rolling fog.
PHOTOGRAPHER: John Hooton
SECOND PLACE
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
Top of Croagh Patrick
Westport, CO Mayo
For years, I had envisioned capturing the perfect sunset from the summit of Croagh Patrick, with the breathtaking view of Clew Bay coastline stretching out below. On this day, everything finally aligned—the wind was calm, the skies were clear, and as the sun began to set, I patiently waited for the light to illuminate the church at the summit and cast its golden glow across the top of the mountain. The long wait at the top was worth every moment for that magic moment. By the time I began the climb down, darkness had settled in, and I was grateful for the torch and gear I had brought to navigate the descent safely.
PHOTOGRAPHER: James Buckley
THIRD PLACE
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
The Red House
Glanearagh, Co Kerry
I have long planned to visit Skelling Michael, Co Kerry. The weather was dark and gloomy. I was walking along the shore to find a good composition for a photo when I saw a red house standing out against the dark sky. I got into position and at that moment a few rays of sun broke through the clouds and seemed to say "Here are the islands, take a picture". Seconds later, they sank back into the darkness of the ocean.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Krastyu Vasilev
Doolin Wave
Doolin, Co Clare
Waves have always captivated me with their ever-changing shapes and forms. So, when a storm rolled in, I knew I had to make the short trip to Doolin. Positioning myself low to the ground, I aimed to capture the massive scale of the waves. In these conditions, using a continuous shutter and a fast shutter speed is key to freezing the action and revealing the wave's unique, fleeting design. What makes this shot special is knowing that the exact shape of this wave may never be seen again—it remains my favourite wave photo to date. The way the light illuminated the water was the perfect finishing touch.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Phelan
Stranded
Marble Hill Strand, Co Donegal
I had heard about the incredible beach at Marble Hill and made a bee-line for it during a recent trip to Donegal. I went back there several times to look at the seascape at different states of the tide. Finally, everything came together on a beautiful November dawn. Waiting for the right state of the tide, I launched my drone camera and was blown away by the stunning colours and textures of the stream as it emptied into the swell of the Atlantic Ocean.
PHOTOGRAPHER: John Seager
Foggy Morning
Cliffs of Moher, Co clare
I must admit that I hunted for such conditions for a long time and finally my patience was rewarded. Such conditions do not happen every day and you have to constantly observe the weather to observe an interesting phenomenon which only gives a 50% chance of success, the rest is just luck and being in the right place at the right time. This time luck smiled to me and I managed to photograph the Cliffs of Moher bathed in morning mist falling into the ocean.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Piotr Machowczyk
Sunset at Fastnet Lighthouse
Fastnet Lighthouse, Co Cork
On what was one of the first Sunset tours to Fastnet Lighthouse this year, due to inclement weather, we were treated to stunning views which resulted in one of my bucket list shots being ticked off the list. This was a shot I had wanted for years and a 450km round trip on the day (weather meaning it was hard plan for anything this summer), getting the perfect conditions for Ferry sailings to go ahead and then to get a cracking sunset meant it was truly a fantastic and worthwhile trip. I find lighthouses to be enchanting buildings and Fastnet was one that had eluded me for years, so this shot was instantly a personal favourite.
PHOTOGRAPHER: William Murphy
Moon Over Vico Baths
Vico Baths, Killiney, CO dublin
Vico Baths is one of my favourite spots to catch the sunrise. This particular morning I arrived an hour before sunrise and was fortunate that the moon was still in the sky. The sea was quite calm so I also managed to get a nice reflection of the moonlight.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Kevin Grace
Bioluminescence
Port Beach Co. Louth
After an evening of astrophotography At Port beach Co. Louth i noticed a blue flashing glow from the corner of my eye and quickly realized that something quite rare in Ireland was happening. I quickly made my way down to the beach and set up shot. this will always be one of my favorite Photographs and proof that you can spend a lot of time planning and prepping a photograph but every now and again mother nature can provide something completely unexpected and special.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Sean Berry
