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 between family members.
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.
Sharon Campbell-Shaw told us why the moment was special:
“My son Hayden is 10, and he wants to be an astronaut. So being on the swings is really good practice.
“That day we went to Skerries, and had an evening of being at the beach. I was taking pictures of the clouds, and he just swung into shot. It was lovely to capture that moment.
“He still wants to be an astronaut.”
Competition judge Barry McCall said:
This is one of those shots when it’s just… a moment. He’s in free flight or free fall, his mum is there to catch it, it’s a moment that won’t happen again. There’s a freedom and wild abandon about it. It’s just beautiful.
Martina Corry told us why the moment was special:
“This is a photo of my grandmother Josie O’Brien – Nana O’Brien to all of us. Nana was the youngest of eight, but she’s the last one remaining. She’s waiting for me to pick her up to bring her to her niece’s birthday party.
“Her husband died five years ago and since then she does everything. She says “I mightn’t be here tomorrow.”
“I took this photo because she was already standing there waiting for me when I arrived. I said “Just stay there” and took the photo.
“When I told her it was in this competition, she was worried that she hadn’t had her hair done. So I told her if I win, we’ll both go out and get our hair and nails done together.”
Competition judge Barry McCall said:
The composition is gorgeous, the framing, and the stone wall sets it in Ireland. We’ve maybe all had moments with our nan is waiting for us, because seeing her family is the most important thing she’s going to do that day. It’s a simple, thoughtful, lovely picture.
Avril Egan told us why the moment was special:
“My daughter is four. We were just out in the garden, she loves being outdoors, and she’s always picking those up and blowing them. The sun was just going down and it looked really nice. So I ran inside to get the camera.
“It’ll be something to look back on. You always remember it when you have the photo, don’t you? It was a lucky moment.”
Competition judge Barry McCall said:
I think with the application of black and white, it almost brings you back in time – we’ve all done that with a jinny-jo. The photographer was very clever to catch the little shoots being blown away and the flare of the sunlight in the young girl’s hair. Gorgeous.
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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