Gazes that Inspire
Join the Landuum Team to discover the stories behind the winning photographs of this edition’s contest in Gazes that Inspire: Winners of the “Sand Landscapes” Photography Contest.
For several years, Landuum magazine has organized a photography contest open to the public, inspired by the current edition’s theme. This time, the call revolved around “Sand Landscapes”, inviting our readers to explore their sensitivity and creativity through the lens of a camera.
It is always inspiring to discover the proposals of the participants and to witness the passion for photography shared by our community of followers and collaborators. For this reason, we wanted to talk with the winners of this contest, to learn about the stories and emotions behind their works.
IT IS ALWAYS INSPIRING TO DISCOVER THE PROPOSALS OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND TO WITNESS THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY SHARED BY OUR COMMUNITY OF FOLLOWERS AND COLLABORATORS.
IT IS ALWAYS INSPIRING TO DISCOVER THE PROPOSALS OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND TO WITNESS THE PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY SHARED BY OUR COMMUNITY OF FOLLOWERS AND COLLABORATORS.
The winner of the 1st and 2nd places, Johanna Meza Hernández, tells us a little about the photographs she took and the story behind them:
El Mirador del Toro rises as a natural balcony over the Riviera Nayarit. To reach it, one must cross a trail that winds through the low jungle, the tall palms, and the murmur of hidden birds. Along the way, the beaches of Frideras and Frideritas appear as small postcards of turquoise water, and in the end, after almost an hour of walking, the panorama is revealed: the Pacific Ocean stretching as far as the eye can see.
From the top of the cliff, my lens captured a landscape where the turquoise blue sea merges with the shadows of the rocky coast. The white foam spreads along the shore, contrasting with the dark sand and the stones that wait motionless for the next wave. The composition holds the strength of the ocean and, at the same time, the calm of that hidden corner, where the tide writes and erases its own story, and probably the story of everyone who stops at that shore.
The memory of that morning lives on in the photograph: we had traveled to observe whales, but a moment of leisure led us there. I see the image and hear the murmur that life also beats in cycles: advancing, retreating, beginning again.
Orillas / Shores
Fotografía / Photography: Johanna Meza
On the coast of Acapulco, the photograph captures in the foreground the beach morning glory, a creeping plant that extends its reddish and firm stems over the light sand, seeking space to cling to the world that exists between beach chairs, loungers, spread towels, and walking feet. Its thick, shiny leaves reflect the harsh sunlight like green mirrors that contrast with the rough texture of the dune. The image shows that almost invisible balance between the strength of the coastal environment and the fragility of a species that strives to protect the beach from erosion.
Each leaf speaks of the effort to survive against wind, movement, and time. That day, four years ago, the camera lens became witness to a simple lesson within the landscape: even the most discreet sustains the essential. Resilience can also be delicate.
Verde y arena / Green and sand
Fotografía / Photography: Johanna Meza
Likewise, the 3rd place winner of this contest shares the following about her photograph:
The photograph was taken with a Samsung s22 cellphone, in the Tottori sand dunes in Japan.
I wanted to see sand dunes and sought the opportunity to visit them, a landscape you don’t usually imagine in Japan. It was a solo trip in December. Amazed by the landscape, by the magnitude of the dunes, although it is a “small” place, I was very happy to enjoy the sea and the dunes.
The intention of the photo was to express the magnitude of the scale, how there can be water in the sand landscape. The reflections, textures, colors that appear in something so “simple.”
Muros paralelos / Parallel walls
Fotografía / Photography: Megumi Andrade
Many thanks to all the people and the community who participate in the Landuum magazine photography contests. We deeply appreciate you sharing your talent and passion, and we hope you will continue to be part of this initiative, inspiring more people to join and show their own vision of the landscape.
