An amateur photograph taken at Wyadup Rocks off the coast of the Margaret River region has scored top prize in the 10th annual iPhone Photography Awards.
Snapped by avid iPhone photographer and WA radio presenter Christian Horgan, the image was awarded the best photograph in the Landscape category, selected from thousands of entries from people in more than 140 countries.
The award winners were announced in New York last week, and Mr Horgan also received two ‘honourable mentions’ for his photographs taken in Kununurra and Broome.
Mr Horgan said he was “genuinely shocked” at the announcement and was pleased to be able to shine another light on the Margaret River region and Western Australia.
““I captured this image in the Margaret River region – it’s my second home, and one of the most spectacular places on earth,” he said.
“It was taken on the coast at Wyadup Rocks, and is called Singing Rock.
“I was swimming there with family when I was drawn to it by the sound of it’s song as the wind whistled through it, and just had to capture this image.
“This image of Margaret River has now been seen around the world through the global publicity from these awards.”
Sharna Kearney, Group Marketing Manager at the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association said photographers of all skill levels had the potential to influence travellers.
“The Margaret River region is a hive of photographic talent, both amateur and professional, and these artists are incredibly influential in inspiring visitors from around the world to visit our stunning region,” Mrs Kearney said.
“Photographers also have a wonderful way of encouraging even the most seasoned visitor to revisit the region’s scenic spots by showcasing well-known landmarks in new and interesting ways, as demonstrated by Christian Horgan’s winning image taken at Wyadup.”
Entries in the annual photography awards are required to be taken with an iPhone or iPad product, and cannot use any desktop computer editing software such as Photoshop, although some minor manipulation is allowed using only the inbuilt phone or tablet camera software.