2012: Wildscapes - Specially Commended
Fortunato Gatto (Italy)
Celebration of a grey day
If the Isle of Eigg is a gallery of landscapes, then Laig Bay is its masterpiece. Fewer than 100 people live on this tiny geological jewel off the northwest coast of Scotland. It’s part of the Small Isles (an archipelago in the Inner Hebrides), the result of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. ‘On a stormy day, you get the feeling of having been catapulted into a black-and-white world, with more shades of grey than you could ever name,’ says Fortunato. Bracing himself against the powerful winds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, he photographed the textured patterns in the volcanic sands of the long, silvery beach, etched by the ebbing tide. ‘To me, it represents the essence of this place.’
Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Zeiss Distagon T* 21mm f2.8 lens; 121 sec at f16; ISO 50; Giotto tripod + remote; Lee Neutral Density 0.6 hard & soft filters + neutral density 0.9 filter.
View other winners in this category
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Winner Aurora over ice Thilo Bubek
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Runner-up Heavenly view Magnus Carlsson
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Commended The cove by moonlight Miquel Angel Artús Illana
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Commended Morning Glory by night Robert Sinclair
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Commended The great Maelifell Hans Strand
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