The winners of the pictures competitors ‘Concrete in Life’ 2025/26 have been introduced, with Filipino photographer Celbert Palaganas taking the US$10,000 grand prize for his picture Pillars Across the Sea.
Shot on a Google Pixel digital camera telephone utilizing its 48MP ultra-wide digital camera, the successful picture captures the distinction between nature and engineering on the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) within the Philippines – the longest bridge within the nation, spanning approx 8.9km and accomplished in 2021 utilizing largely sustainable development supplies.
Against a glowing sundown, the construction rises above the water whereas pure components body the scene under. It reveals a hanging visible steadiness between human infrastructure and the pure world – a central theme within the pictures competitors.
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The successful picture: ‘Pillars Across the Sea’
Tech particulars
Gear: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL with 2.02mm f/1.7 back camera
Exposure: 1/280 sec, f/1.7, ISO 52
Palaganas explains, “What inspired me to take this image was that striking contrast I witnessed in a single moment, the strength and permanence of concrete infrastructure rising above, and the quiet strength of nature growing below.
“It made me pause and reflect on how progress is often defined by what we build, yet given meaning by what continues to grow around it. In that frame, I saw not conflict, but coexistence, where engineering and nature share the same space, each enhancing the presence of the other.”
Commenting on the winning picture, competition Judge Chris George, Content Director at Digital Camera World, said: “What a brilliant image with great color, using the huge depth of field available with a smartphone to ensure the plants in the foreground are as sharp as the bridge’s structure.”
GCCA’s Concrete in Life photography competition
Organized by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), that is the seventh time the annual competitors has celebrated the artistry in concrete structure and highlighted the essential function concrete performs in our day by day lives.
This yr’s competitors obtained over 20,000 entries from across the globe, showcasing numerous views on concrete – the world’s most generally used substance after water.
The images not solely seize exquisitely designed structure but additionally depict city environments, vital infrastructure, and the interactions between folks and their concrete environment.
For extra information, and to find all awarded images, go to the GCCA website.
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