THIS YEAR, MORE than a thousand people submitted photos of themselves and their families seizing special moments as part of Centra’s #LiveToday photo competition.
Twelve images have been shortlisted for the €1,000 prize, and you can vote for your favourite here.
In this article, we’ve picked three of the images that capture a very special moment set against the Irish landscape.
We asked the finalists to tell us why this moment was important to them, and how they made the most of it. We also spoke to photographer Barry McCall – who helped compile the shortlist – about what made each photo stand out.
Breda Murphy told us why the moment was special:
“It’s a picture of my daughter Michelle. It was her first year in college, her first year away from home. She and a friend decided to get up and watch the sunrise at Killiney, and she stood up on top of the pyramid. I don’t think they thought the photo would turn out like that. It was just one of those magic moments.
“But it has a special sort of a meaning. A couple of weeks before it was taken, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. And Michelle sent me the photo and said to me: ‘When you’re on the other side of it, that’s the kind of thing we’ll be doing.’
“I’m a year the other side of it now. And this year we climbed the Little Sugar Loaf and watched the sunrise.”
Competition judge Barry McCall said:
A good bit of energy went into this. You can’t tell where it is, it’s just such a well composed gorgeous image. It’s kind of spiritual: an enlightening, uplifting moment.
Etienne Muller told us why the moment was special:
“I turned 59 in September, and I’ve been kayaking for 40 years. And there are a few iconic locations I haven’t been to, even though I’ve done thousands of miles over the years. So I did the Skelligs.
“I built my own boat. It adds to the ambience of it, sitting in something you’ve constructed.
“There were only three of us out there that day. It’s a big ocean, you feel the movement in the ocean. You feel like you’re alone out there.”
Competition judge Barry McCall said:
It’s a very personal image. What an experience. And impressive that they managed to keep the horizons straight!
Brendan Cullen told us why the moment was special:
“I live close to Mount Usher Gardens. It’s a beautiful place in any season, but most especially in autumn. On this day I met a couple from New York on their honeymoon. They agreed to pose on the suspension bridge in return for a large print.
“I decided to send the photo to the newspaper – and it appeared in full size on the back page the following morning. I rang the couple who picked up a copy of the paper. They were lost for words. A very special honeymoon in Ireland indeed.”
Competition judge Barry McCall said:
It’s really all about the colour. That’s Ireland in full fall, the turning of the leaves. The photograph is pretty perfect.
All of these #LiveToday photos are special, but we want you to help choose the winner of the €1,000 grand prize! When you’ve picked your favourite, click here to vote. Every voter has the chance to win one of 5 Centra €20 gift vouchers.
The nationwide competition marks the launch of Centra’s new brand position, Live Every Day, which encourages people to live in the moment and make the most of every day.
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