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‘Summer in Ballyer’ wins our annual readers’ photo contest

Alan Murphy’s atmospheric photograph takes top prize in our Summer Pix competition

Summer in Ballyer. Photograph: Alan Murphy

Tue Aug 20 2019 - 06:00

It’s (nearly) the end of another Irish summer and time to announce the winners of the Irish Times Summer Pix 2019 photography competition.

This year we are offering two prizes in two categories: an overall winner (who wins a Canon EOS2000D) and special Summer of Family category winner (who gets a CanonEOS4000D).

You can read more about the cameras at the end of this article. Both prizes are courtesy of Harvey Norman, the competition’s sponsor.

OVERALL PRIZE

The overall prize goes to Alan Murphy for his evocative snapshot of suburban life on a hot day, titled Summer in Ballyer.

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Summer in Ballyer. Photograph: Alan Murphy

Alan is a keen amateur photographer and a member of Ballyfermot Photography Club.

“I took the photo one day in late July,” he says. “Zara, on the right in the photo, is my daughter; she’s nine. The other girl, Hannah, is one of her best friends – a really funny girl, always telling jokes.

“I was in the kitchen, and the girls were outside, play-acting. They had been on holidays together, and they wanted to re-create the holiday feeling, so they decided to put on sunglasses and do some sunbathing. That’s when I got the shot, focusing on them with the background just a little blurred out,” says Alan. “They’ll be delighted to see this in the paper.”

SUMMER OF FAMILY PRIZE

The Summer of Family category winner is Daniel Hatton, who took this photo of his daughter Harriet, roaring laughing on Banna beach in Co Kerry. Submitted by his wife Helen O’Sullivan, it is titled Beach Fun.

Beach Fun. Photograph: Daniel Hatton

All summer, The Irish Times will offer tips, advice and information for parents on how to help their children thrive during the holiday months. See irishtimes.com/summeroffamily

“It was a family day out on the beach, enjoying the bit of sun back in June,” says Helen. “He is quite into snapping and takes a lot of photos of her on his Samsung phone. After a lot of trial and error that day, he got this one. It typical her, just full of beans and enjoying the beach.”

At the outset of the competition the Irish Times photographer Alan Betson had some advice. “What makes good photographs? Simplicity, composition, timing, lighting and emotion. The best photos will have some or all of these.”

The photos here certainly achieve all those elements. Our thanks to all 2,811 entrants to this year’s competition, and congratulations to both winners. What follow are some of the other photographs that caught our eye.

BEST OF THE REST

Summer shower! Photograph: Barbara Quinlan

That’s my broccoli. Photograph: Charlotte Simpson

Reflections of Summer 2019, Lahinch Beach. Photograph: Enda O’Connell

Jump. Photograph: Evonne O'Shea

Summer festival fun! Photograph: Jennifer Van Iperen

Sunslide fun. Photograph: Jerome Fennell

Derrynane's leading bodybuilder. Photograph: Johanna Moore

Four Galway hookers at the Spanish Arch. Photograph: John Cunningham

Race to the finish. Naadam Festival, Mongolia. Photograph: Leo Murphy

Two swimmers kissing before heading out to open water during the triathlon in Salthill in Galway. Photograph: Martin Kalvaster

Daddy daycare! Photograph: Mary Dillon

THE PRIZES

Overall prize

Canon EOS 2000D with 18-55mm IS II lens
Easily tell superb stories with detailed photos and cinematic full-HD movies full of colour, even in difficult light, using the 24.1-megapixel EOS 2000D. Share instantly and shoot remotely with wifi and the Canon Connect app.

Summer of Family-themed prize

Canon EOS 4000D with 18-55mm DC lens
Create outstanding photos and movies full of detail and colour with this easy-to-use 18-megapixel DSLR. Instantly share and shoot remotely with wifi and the Canon Connect app.

[ here ]