This summer, we asked you all to send us the images that best represented your Summer Travel memories for our Instagram competition. You responded in your thousands. Through your photos, we travelled from blue lagoons and sandy beaches to flower-laden fields and historic cities – there were images from every corner of Europe and beyond. The images taken on your Sony cameras was exceptional, but three stood out to us!

The winning shot was taken by Sarah Eichbaum (@sarahsphotoadventures). “It is the “Le Plongeoir” restaurant in Nice, France. The name translates as ‘The Diving Platform’, and the actual platform has been there for over 100 years.”

The complimentary colours of the image created a nostalgic summer feel, and the simple composition attracted the eye of our judges. “The wooden mannequins were added last summer and I love the ‘human’ element it adds to my image”, added Sarah.

“I only had the FE 50mm f/1.8 lens when I took the shot, and I was standing quite far away. I decided to take the image anyway and edited it as soon as I got home. I cropped it quite drastically to focus on the diving platform and mannequins. I started feeling drawn to the image. I loved the feeling of summer and freedom it gave me.”

Sarah’s 50mm lens was mounted on her trusty Sony ZV-E10, “I love all my camera gear, but the little 50mm lens blows me away. It is so lightweight and still crazy sharp! Combined with the ZV-E10, this is the perfect street photography setup because of its compactness and performance. I think it’s the perfect camera for getting into photography.”

As the competition winner Sarah will now be the proud owner of a Sony Alpha 7C II and can’t wait to get out shooting with it.

In second place was Marcin Kocor’s (@marcin.kocor) breathtaking landscape image of the Spitzkoppe mountain range in Namibia. “We spent two nights there photographing sunrises, sunsets, and the night sky.” Says Marcin. “When we saw the weather forecast say there would be morning fog, we thought it was a joke, but when we woke up before sunrise, we were surrounded by a thick fog. I picked up my Sony Alpha 7 IV and FE PZ 16-35 mm f/4 G and went to the rocky arch. The very sight of the fog in the desert was unique, so I already knew this would be a special photo session. On top of that, the morning colours of the Namibian sky illuminated everything, creating a bit of an unreal mood.”

Marcin loves travelling, particularly in the summer when his travels allow him a break from everyday life. “During my summer trips, I often spend a lot of time photographing landscapes I encounter”. Thanks to coming second in the competition, Marcin will now have a Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM lens to take with him on future travels.

Finally, there was Victor de Valles ibañez’s (@victordevalles) strikingly beautiful image of a paddleboarder. “It’s in the glassy waters of a bay off the north coast of the island of Menorca, Spain. It was shot during sunrise, and I was following here from the coast, trying to get a great shot, but I needed a higher perspective. So, I walked to the pier and took a series of images. This one was my favourite.”

Victor is more commonly found underwater taking photos than above it. “Summer is my favourite season as it’s much more comfortable to shoot underwater.’ And, of course, underwater is where Victor wants to take his prize for coming in third place – the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G lens.

If you want to have a chance of winning our next competition, make sure that you follow us on Instagram @sonyalphauniverse.eu.