We’ve shortlisted five entries from our ‘Light of Winter’ Instagram photography competition and we need your help deciding a winner.
The theme is inspired by the ‘Light of Winter’ light and sound installation in St John’s Gardens, Cardiff (opposite Cardiff market). Funded by FOR Cardiff, the free installation is open daily from 8am-9pm until 11th February.
We asked for photographs that experiment with light and dark and capture the illuminations and atmosphere of Cardiff during the festive season. We also asked for photographs that capture togetherness and community which is at the heart of the Light of Winter campaign.
To help us choose a winner, please vote for your favorite image by clicking here. The winner will receive a £400 FOR Cardiff gift card to spend in over 70 businesses in Cardiff city centre.
The public vote will close on Wednesday 1st February 2023 at 11:30pm and the winner will be announced on the City of Arcades Instagram channel on Thursday 2nd February.
Find out more about the five photographer who have been shortlisted.
(1) Sameer – @grandsnap
Hi, my name is Sameer and I live in Penarth. Photography is a passion/hobby which I intend to make a full time occupation hopefully in the near future.
The day I took this photo it was raining, so instead of my usual Sunday morning routine of taking my daughter to Penearth Pier for a walk, we decided to drive to the city and venture somewhere indoors. That’s where the arcades came in. I have taken photos of arcades on several occasions which all look similar but this time I had an idea to create something different. I used a mirror in High Street Arcade to take a reflection shot. Without needing to use any lens filter, the texture of the mirror and the diffused lighting gave this photo a very unique look.
(2) Tom – @tomaesh
I’m Tom and I started posting photos of Cardiff on the socials a few years back as (in my opinion) I didn’t really see anyone showing Cardiff off like I see happening with London for example. Basically it’s just steadily grown since. It really ramped up when I added drone photos into the mix and I get so much feedback from people telling me how much they love the photos and the new perspective they bring. The growth is kinda crazy, I think I’m gaining 1-400 followers a month!
I took this photo two days before Christmas so it was basically my ‘Nadolig Llawen Caerdydd’ post for my followers. We had planned to go round the markets in Cardiff Castle. Although the conditions weren’t great, I managed to get a good bracketed shot facing the stadium. The edit is quite colourful. I was basically going for a Christmas tree type edit with all the colours. I went down this path after noticing that I was really able to push the reds/magentas in the clouds and it just felt right. It’s not an edit style I’d normally do but was really chuffed with the response and feedback.
(3) Tianchi Wu – @tianchi94
I am a PhD student majoring in Civil Engineering at Cardiff University. I grew a greater interest in photography after I came to Wales. I want to perpetuate every beautiful moment and every specular view in my life which Wales never lacks. Photography has been a big part of my life and a perfect gateway for me to find happiness and tranquility after a whole week’s research.
I took this picture in December when I was on my way home. I looked up and thought the moon looked so close and bright that day. Then an idea came to my mind of how it would look if I went to Alexandra garden where there is a very elegant sculpture. So I went home quickly and took my camera out to that place. Well, my instinct did not fail me. The moon was exactly in the top middle of the sculpture, shining and shimmering. The human statue was stretching its hands towards the night sky like it was summoning the moon and bringing peaceful light to the city. And that is the light of winter, tranquil and magical.
(4) Rebecca – @rebeccaanwen
My name is Rebecca and I’m a teacher. Despite not having a professional background in photography, it is something that I have enjoyed doing from a very young age. 7 years ago I decided to enrol on an evening A-level course in photography at Cardiff and Vale College. I soon learnt that photography presented itself in many different ways, and that quite often it is luck of the light, the weather and being in the right place at the right time that produces a photograph that you really enjoy and enjoy sharing with others too!
I chose to photograph the art installation at St Johns Gardens on a cloudy and showery Saturday evening in January. The bright, colourful lights floating in the evening breeze, contrasted well against the silhouettes of the church and the outline of the bare branches of the winter trees. The shape of the lights look like bright fruits on the trees. The remainder of the lights frame the church in the background whilst also lighting up the foreground on a gloomy January
evening. Being a Welsh speaker, it was comforting to listen to ‘Ar lan y môr’ echoing around the gardens as I took my photograph.
(5) Teri – @capture.moments_ts
Hi, my name is Teri. I am an amateur photographer from Cardiff. My camera comes everywhere with me. I don’t really have a specific genre of photography so I snap everything! I knew the lights at Winter Wonderland at night were going to be amazing, and they did not disappoint. Snapping people in their natural form is always a winner for me, even better when they are genuinely enjoying themselves, makes me happy too.