Punta Insua Lighthouse by Félix Sánchez-Tembleque

Captured at the rugged Punta Insua beach in Galicia, this photograph serves as a poignant tribute to a site once devastated by the 2002 Prestige oil spill. The photographer, who first encountered the landscape while volunteering for cleanup efforts, returns annually to document its enduring spirit. By utilizing a long exposure of nine seconds, the image transforms the turbulent Atlantic waters into a silky, ethereal veil, contrasting beautifully with the steadfast presence of the lighthouse. This evocative composition highlights the intersection of environmental resilience and natural beauty, earning its place as a distinguished award-winning work of travel photography.

Punta Insua Lighthouse by Félix Sánchez-Tembleque
Nikon D200 with 12-14mm | Exposure 9sec @ f/11 | ISO 100
Copyright © Félix Sánchez-Tembleque
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Félix Sánchez-Tembleque

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Based in A Coruña, Spain, Félix Sánchez-Tembleque balances a professional career in civil engineering research and academia with a deep-seated passion for photography. With over fifteen years of experience behind the lens, he has developed a keen eye for the nuances of landscape and travel imagery. His work is defined by a commitment to capturing the natural world, often returning to significant locations to document their evolution over time. Whether navigating rugged coastlines or mountain climbs, he continuously refines his technical approach to better translate the beauty of his surroundings.

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15.0/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
464/500
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Award Reach | Reviews
17,031 views | 7 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date July 11, 2010
64.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 15.0
Style 13.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Punta Insua Beach, Galicia, Spain

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Félix Sánchez-Tembleque Photography
Travel Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (15.0/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
2,496/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
17,031/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.4/5 points
7/100 Review
Submissions
4.6/5 points
464/500 Submission
Jury Score: 64.0/80
Resonance Score: 15.0/20
Total Award Score: 79.0/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 4

Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The Atlantic’s churn, rendered in the bruised, slate-grey of a Morandi still life, dissolves into a mist that feels like a soft, mournful sigh against the lighthouse’s resolute, ochre-stained stone. It’s a haunting chromatic dialogue where the cold, metallic blues of the tide bleed into the warmth of memory, and honestly, I’ve found myself weeping at the way that singular, amber light clings to the horizon, refusing to let the encroaching darkness win.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Most long exposures of water feel like tired clichés, but this one hits differently. By holding the shutter for nine seconds, Sánchez-Tembleque turns the Atlantic into a ghost, haunting the jagged rocks of Galicia. It’s the contrast between that ethereal blur and the lighthouse’s stubborn, sharp geometry that makes me stop. I’ve seen thousands of coastal shots, but this one stays. It’s a quiet, aching reminder of resilience that I’m genuinely glad will survive the next thirty years.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Nine seconds of exposure doesn't just blur the tide; it erases the trauma of the oil, turning the Atlantic into a shroud. I find myself shivering, not from the Galician wind, but from the lighthouse’s cold, unblinking stare. It’s a sentinel guarding a graveyard of memory. Shadows here aren't merely absent light; they are the heavy, suffocating silence of a landscape that refuses to forget what it once lost. It’s haunting, really.
Thomas Hargreaves Earned Photographs, Craft Discipline & the Long Wait Expert Review
Nine seconds of exposure on a Galician shore is a polite way of saying the photographer stood in the freezing spray until his boots were ruined. I’ve spent enough nights shivering on similar coastlines to recognize the commitment here. It isn’t just a pretty blur of water; it’s a decade of returning to a place that once broke your heart. One doesn’t capture that kind of resilience by accident. It’s a proper, earned photograph.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Sven Lindqvist

The Weight of the Watch

We build things to stand against the tide. Stone, iron, the stubborn refusal to be washed away. There is a particular loneliness in a lighthouse, a vertical line drawn against a horizontal world.

Read the reflection →
By Margaret Holt

The Persistence of Stone

In the nineteenth century, lighthouse keepers were often solitary figures, tasked with the singular, rhythmic duty of ensuring that the light did not fail. They lived at the jagged edges of the world, where the land finally admits defeat to the sea.

Read the reflection →

Reviews & Comments

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7 replies
  3. Biplob says:

    Thanks for the very nice picture. Quality of the picture is excellent and at the same time the place is very attractive too.

    Reply

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