This stunning composite photo by locally-based Argentinian Lucas Marin has taken out the ‘I love Queenstown’ competition.
Marin, who wins an all-expenses paid trip for two to Auckland, says his entry was compiled from a couple of shots taken from the same spot up at the Skyline gondola complex.
The recreational snapper took the photos as part of a project he’s embarked on to shoot a picture from up the gondola every day for a year.
The hotel housekeeper, who paraglides in his spare time, started snapping on July 12 last year after a huge snow dump.
“I got into time-lapse photography and came up with this crazy plan to take a photo from up the gondola every day for a year. Sometimes you can’t see anything because of cloud.”
Marin says when he left town to go back to Argentina for 10 days last November he got a mate to continue taking the daily shot.
Queenstown Airport minority shareholder Auckland Airport, which organised the competition, plans to use Marin’s photograph and others from the more than 500 entries in promotional material in overseas markets.
Stunning snaps: These four photographs were among the finalists of Auckland Airport’s ‘I love Queenstown’ competition
A major display of the entries is also planned to run in Earnslaw Park during Winter Festival from Friday, June 22.
Auckland Airport marketing boss Bridget Spraggon says she’s incredibly pleased with the variety of entries.
“We got everything from photos that looked like they’d been professionally shot to really great family snaps of people just having a great time in Queenstown.
“Because of the breadth of photo subjects, we have stuff that will talk to a whole lot of different markets. While the main shot is something we can use for the adventure tourist, others will be good for those looking for a winter escape
or a scenic helicopter trip.”
Your say
LOVE IT! "STRONG" tobybear "STRONG" wrote: http://i.imgur.com/dLI6L.jpg
11 Jun 2012 10:14PMsaxmo
The very best Queenstown has to offer?
Congrats to you Lucas, but I agree with you Tobybear it is an Interesting choice.
On their website AKL airport say "We called for entries that show off the very best that Queenstown has to offer and Lucas' stunning photograph of a crowded flying day over Lake Wakatipu does just that."
It may very-well be why Lucas 'loves Queenstown' and fair enough but its not real.... its photo-shopped.
"Auckland Airport marketing boss Bridget Spraggon says she’s incredibly pleased with the variety of entries." - Of course she is and so she should be - for the sake of return flights for 2pax to AKL and $1000 spending money it appears to be a cunning gimmick that Akl Airport have constructed to update their photo stock library for marketing purposes.
With the competition open for professional and amateur photos (oh and photo-shopped) they will be spoilt for choice out of the 500+entries that they received.
Bridget says "While the main shot is something we can use for the adventure tourist, others will be good for those looking for a winter escape or a scenic helicopter trip.” When Akl Airport use the above images I wonder if the owners of these photos will be acknowledged in their marketing campaigns?
PS: Tobybear your rejected entry was awesome! The silhouette of the cats look sharp and you have captured Godzilla in a beautiful light, his flames look so realistic - wonder what shutter speed you used?
11 Jun 2012 10:05PMsaxmo
Here's my rejected entry to the contest:
http://i.imgur.com/dLI6L.jpg
08 Jun 2012 03:04PMtobybear
Interesting choice...
Photoshop wins!
08 Jun 2012 10:34AMtobybear
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