Summer 2025 Competition Winner

Summer always seems to be over so quickly. As the days get shorter and the emerald trees start to fade into a sea of golden leaves, it is time to mark the end of the season by revealing the winners of our Sony Alpha Universe Instagram competition.

As usual, we received thousands of entries with photographers and places from all over Europe represented. Your Sony cameras and lenses produced a spectacular selection of images, but after much consideration, we are pleased to announce the photos we have chosen as our winners.

In first place was Ana Martínez Quirosa’s image (@anaquirosa), whose beautiful shot of paddle boarders against a vivid magenta and orange sunset completely epitomised the adventurous fun and beauty that summer offers.

three people on a raft silhouetted against the sky

Every summer I make a habit of going out and watching the sunset with my camera," says Ana, "One evening, the golden light fell just right on the silhouette crossing the horizon, and I clicked the shutter without thinking. When I first saw the image on my screen, I felt a little thrill. It was a simple moment, but the combination of light, shadow and the calm of the sunset made it feel magical. A memory frozen in time.”

Ana took the image with her Sony Alpha 7 III, which was her first mirrorless camera. “I’ve completely fell in love with it,” she says. “It’s compact but powerful, with incredible image quality that captures everything from the soft light on the beach in Croatia to the sharp details of historic buildings in Rome.” But as the competition winner, Ana will now also have the Sony Alpha 7 IV to take with her on her travels. “I’ve been eager to explore video, and having the Sony Alpha 7 IV will let me take this next step thanks to its 4K 60fps recording options. The higher resolution images opens a whole new opportunity to print my photos larger, whether it’s for decoration or to share with others. I’m excited to see how the new camera will help me grow creatively.”

We’re looking forward to seeing where Ana takes her camera and the beautiful new images that she will be taking with it in the coming seasons.

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Marko Župan (@zupan_m1) came in second place with his beautifully composed shot of a boy sitting at the top level of a diving board in Zadar, Croatia.

young boy sitting on the edge of a diving board

I took the photo with my Sony Alpha 7 IV whilst out on a photo walk with a friend," says Marko. "We set out to photograph during golden hour. During the summer, kids are always jumping from the diving tower, so we wanted to see if we could capture some shots of them there. I was using my FE 70-200 f/4 G OSS lens at the time.”

Marko wanted to capture an image that showed the spirit of what summer meant, particularly for children. “I remember being out of the house for the whole day, hanging out with my friends, goofing around and having the best time,” said Marko, “It was very calming, and in the moment, there was a lot of commotion and people around, but this kid was just sitting there enjoying the moment.”

“When I first saw the photo on the camera, I didn’t think much of it, but later, during the editing, I cropped the photo, and I fell in love with it because it has a nice, minimalistic feel.”

Marko’s prize for coming second is the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM lens. “Given the variety of things I can use this lens to photograph, I’m sure I’ll be able to use it to capture many beautiful moments that happen around me when I’m out shooting with my camera” says Marko.

Finally, in third place is Lyubomir Momchilov’s (@liubendy) stunning photo of a European bee-eater in flight.

It's a bird that can only be seen in Bulgaria during the summer months," says Lyubomir. "They're incredibly fast and agile, so photographing one in the air is both challenging and thrilling. I used a fast shutter speed and tracked its movement carefully, waiting for just the right moment when its wings were spread and the colours caught the light. It was a real test of patience, timing and instinct.”

Lyubomir took the shot with his powerful Sony Alpha 1 II, and thanks to coming third, he will now have a Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G lens to mount on his camera. “I’m excited to use my prize to explore more of nature’s fleeting wonders,” Lyubomir says, “from fast-moving wildlife to subtle details in light and motion.”

Once again, we want to thank everybody who has taken part in the summer edition of our Instagram competition. Make sure you are following @sonyalphauniverse.eu on Instagram to stay updated on the latest happenings in the Sony Alpha universe and to avoid missing the next edition of our Instagram competition, which will be starting very soon.