Ilia Smirnov, Gustavo Tavío, and Cristina Hernández are the winners of this year’s XXVII Almond Blossom Photography Contest in the three categories of night, creative, and conceptual photography, as well as in macro, respectively, with a prize of 300 Euros each. This event is part of the activities organised by Santiago del Teide during one of the most unique times of the year for the municipality. It serves to highlight the values of this ephemeral natural spectacle, which not only attracts tourists to explore the highland trails of the area but also contributes to boosting the local economy. Since 1997, the white and pink flowering of almond trees has become a must-see event on the calendar of Tenerife.
The annual flowering of almond trees is the theme of this contest, which this year distinguished the works Final, Seeking the Light, and Seeking the Light. Yes, two of the awarded photographs have the same title.
In the macro category, the winner, Cristina Hernández Díaz, with Seeking the Light, presents a piece that plays with the composition of light and darkness on the blossoming almond tree leaves. It is a great example of expertise, technical control, capturing the moment, and portraying the subject. The author explains that “in the Las Manchas area, there is a group of almond trees that were at their best moment. With the daylight still strong, I searched various locations for landscapes, and as the sun began to set, I focused on taking close-ups of the backlit flowers, as between my flowers and the sun, which was approaching the horizon, there was a dense almond tree that filtered some rays of light, providing a beautiful background.” The result is a spectacular photograph.
The winner of the creative and conceptual photography category was Gustavo Adolfo Tavío Magdaleno, who also titled his image Seeking the Light, capturing the light from a perspective that enhances the pink tones of the Almond Blossom.
The Fisherman’s Museum in Puerto de Santiago hosted the exhibition of all the works that competed in the XXVII Almond Blossom Photography Contest and made it to the final round for the prizes in the three categories. The list of winners also included another six works, with prizes of 200 and 150 Euros for second and third place, respectively.
In the night category, the second prize went to Marisa Antoci, with her photograph “Radiating in the Night”, while the third place was awarded to Jesús Nicolás Martín Luis, who competed with Tears of Orion. In the creative and conceptual photography category, Francisco Javier García Lima took the second place with Almond Sun, and Tamasma by María José Vadillo García secured the third. As for macro photography, Iván Laltrelli, with Elixir, and María Fuerte Armas, with the piece White Soul, completed the rankings.
The Almond Blossom Photography Contest serves as a tribute to the gift that nature bestows in the surroundings of the historic centre of Santiago del Teide, the entrances to the municipality, the Chinyero Natural Reserve and the Corona Forestal Natural Park: the contrast of the ochre tones of the volcanic landscapes and the green of the pine forests with the whites and pinks of the small almond flowers. Between January and February (depending on the whims of the weather), the almond trees will bloom again in Santiago del Teide in 2025. Nature will once again gift us with this ephemeral spectacle.
