Meet our photo competition winner

[Peter_S.]

We would like to present to you the winner of our competition on the topic of "Life". Read the interview and discover more about the photographer and the story behind his image.

Firstly, can you please tell us a little about yourself and why you took up photography? 

I live with my wife and son in Steinmaur in the Swiss canton of Zurich. I work in a heat-treatment plant as a mechanical engineer. I took up photography around six years ago as a way of overcoming the stress of my job. Photography helps me get out into nature to revitalise myself and switch off from the strain of the daily grind. When I first started, I already had a Sony Alpha 58.

How did you feel when you were told you had won the competition?

I was overjoyed when I received the email and I let my family know straight away. I then spoke to my mother and told her that I was dedicating the photograph and the victory to my father, who had passed away the week before. She was just as delighted as I was.

Tell us what inspired you to capture this image and what equipment you used.

I took part in a photography course for around a year and one day while were out in Zurich exploring street photography and black-and-white images, I was people watching and noticed this woman. She was sat at a table with her pastry and making sketches while deep in thought and I wanted to capture that moment. I took the photo with my Sony Alpha 7 M II with a 70–200 mm F2.8 GM OSS zoom lens. I used the following settings:

- 170 mm

- ISO 200

- F2.8

- 1/750 second

I then converted the image from colour into black and white using a filter from Silver Efex Pro 2. I tried various filters until the photo reflected exactly what I had in mind.

Can you share some tips that could help other photographers to create photos worthy of entering a competition?

My tip to others would be to head out into nature with open eyes and dare to try things. I can also recommend the Sony Community where you can upload photos and ask questions. Rather than just giving kudos to the Community, I would also encourage people to post comments on the images. I am sure that everyone who does this can gain a lot from it.