Swimming pool photographer wins international award

Photographer Stephan Zirwes uses drones to shoot aerial views of public swimming pools, in a bid to make people appreciate the value of free swimming facilities.

He has now been rewarded for his artistic efforts by being named by the International Photography Awards Jury as Architecture Photographer of the Year 2018.

His Pools series features public pools from Germany, Iceland and Italy all photographed from directly overhead and set against an artistic pattern.

Initially when he started back in 2000 he chartered helicopters to capture the pools, but now uses the less expensive drone technology, via a multicopter with a gimbal and camera attached.

Zirwes acquires permission beforehand, and in post-production adds the tiles that surround each pool to create a tessellating pattern. This provides a uniform backdrop that brings the shapes and colours of the pools into sharp relief.

Click here to see more of his award-winning pool shots.

Another winner at the awards was Hardijanto Budiman, who won the Advertising/Conceptual category for his work photographing a water polo facility, in deducation of Indonesia's hosting of the Asian Games.