Think You Can Take An Epic Photo? Then This Is The Competition For You

Is there anything more integral to Irish society than a GAA match?

Be it in your local, Croker or the most scenic pitch of them all, Gaelic games is all about great sportsmanship and being at the heart of the community.

From the corner forward’s parents making the sandwiches to the caretaker lining the pitch, nothing can capture these special moments like a great photo.

In recognition of this, Guinness has teamed up with The Huawei Snapys Awards to recognise some of the best snaps highlighting GAA at the heart of the community.

In celebration of its committed partnership with the GAA over the past 20 years, Guinness is sponsoring the ‘GAA’ category at this year’s independent Instagram awards.

In addition to the GAA category, budding photographers can also submit photos for the Food, Fashion, Selfie, People, Family, Love Dublin and Wild Atlantic Way awards.

Consider yourself an expert Instagrammer? Here’s how you can enter:

1. Take inspiration from the Guinness ‘Behind Every Great Town’ ads.
2. Take a photo that emulates the campaign – think local pride, sporting passion and emotion, Irish culture, and community spirit.
3. Upload your best snap to Instagram with the hashtags #GuinnessEveryGreatTown and #huaweisnapys to be in with a chance to be named one of Ireland’s greatest Instagrammers.

You can enter multiple times, so be sure to share your pic with your mates to increase your chances of winning.

Entrants must be over 18. As part of our commitment to responsible drinking, any person featured in an entry image must be over 25 years old.

Some simple tips for taking that perfect shot:

Because we’re sound like that…

• Framing: The focus of your image should always be clearly set within the frame of the photo, whether it’s abstractly set to one side showing the background of the scene or else framed smack-bang in the centre of the pic.
• Bursts: Most iPhones have a ‘burst’ function within their camera, where you hold down the capture button to take a burst (or series) of photos one after the other. This is a key function when taking action and moving shots.
• Straighten: Every little helps. When the judges are studying your pic, wouldn’t you want them to notice how straight the picture is? Most phones have a simple straightening tool within the crop and edit section.
• Lighting: Keep an eye on your shadows and pay attention to where both natural and artificial light is coming from. Use contrast, brightness, shadow, exposure, highlight and saturation tools to get your photo to where you want it to be. But remember, less is more.
• Look Local: Keep an eye out for moments when the GAA shows up at the heart of your town’s community for great photo opportunities.

As a final tip: have fun with it. The best of shots are taken in the moment.

Good luck.

May the best snapper win…