THE ASAS DO MAR PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

2021–2025

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Photography has a unique ability to reveal moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. A fraction of a second can show the grace of a bird in flight, the determination of a parent returning to its nest, the drama of life at sea, or an unexpected encounter between a bird and the marine environment.

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In 2021, Asas do Mar launched its annual Photography Contest to celebrate these moments and to encourage a greater appreciation of seabirds and the ocean they inhabit.

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During the first five contests, hundreds of images were submitted by photographers from the Azores and around the world. The photographs revealed the extraordinary diversity of seabirds across the Azores and the wider Macaronesian region—from familiar species close to our shores to birds encountered far out at sea, and from intimate moments in breeding colonies to dramatic scenes shaped by wind, waves, and weather.

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The contest welcomed photographers of different levels and backgrounds, united by a fascination with seabirds and a desire to share what they had witnessed. An international panel of judges experienced in seabird photography and ornithology selected the winning images according to criteria including technical quality, originality, composition, behaviour, storytelling, and the ability to inspire appreciation for the natural world.

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Together, these images form a visual record of seabirds and their marine environment—and of the patience, skill, and respect required to observe them.

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This exhibition brings together a selection of photographs from the 2021–2025 cycle, celebrating five years of the Asas do Mar Photography Contest and the photographers who helped us see the Atlantic through their eyes.

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