How the judges chose the winning entries

The panel of three judges comprised of prominent Mexican visual artist Manuel Delaflor; founder and editor of Mexperience Matthew Harrup; and Mexican creative photographer and stylist living in London Maria Marie.

A total of 344 submissions were uploaded by the closing date, and the panel of judges considered every image in turn, keeping in mind the central theme of the contest: images that expressed Mexico’s cultural heritage, its rich history, as well as its color and lively traditions. The image also had to contain elements that would inspire others to visit Mexico.

Manuel Delaflor used his visual artistic talents and professional photography expertise to consider the technical and aesthetic aspects of each entry; Maria Marie was seeking-out creative uniqueness and idiosyncratic elements within each snapshot, while Matthew Harrup sought to discover elements in the images which expressed intimate facets of Mexico that also helped illustrate the authentic experiences on offer here.

The winning images were those the judges consider illustrate a clear and authentic reflection of Mexico.

Following several short-lists culminating in a final sift to choose 9 images (3 from each judge), the First prize winner emerged early-on during the conversations as a clear contender for its accolade, whereas Second and Third place required more deliberation.

First prize was “Fruit Seller in Action,” by Anna Bruce.  Markets and trade have been, and continue to be, an intrinsic part of Mexican history and culture.  When the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlán, they watched in wonder at the Aztec markets they found, and the tradition of lively trade lives-on here to this day.  Mexicans are natural merchants, and everywhere you go in Mexico you’ll find lots of colorful and bright markets to enjoy and shop, many of which are a contemporary reflection of those the Spaniards were amazed by 500 years ago.  Anna’s photo captured that aspect of Mexico’s history—in a modern context, while also expressing the colors and atmosphere you find in Mexico’s markets, along with the friendly and warm charisma of the Mexican people who make these places such a fascinating experience to behold.  In one shutter flick, Anna profiled significant essences of Mexican culture.

Second prize was awarded to Robert McDermott for his image “There’s No One Around.”  Mexico is a lively, and sometimes noisy place—filled with people and soundscapes playing at its lively festivals and events, its bustling markets, and holiday beaches.  Robert’s image revealed that Mexico is also a place of tranquil serenity—and his image of the Maya textile museum situated in the ancient highland town of San Cristóbal de las Casas was also a reminder of how much active care and attention Mexico continues to give preserving its rich indigenous heritage throughout the country—and sharing it with others.  The Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya is one of thousands of museums and cultural centers you can visit and enjoy throughout the country to gain deeper insights into Mexico’s profound culture as well as the history of its distinctive regions, the traditions they pay homage to, and the peoples who live there.  The colors and sunlight pouring through the colonial arches also express the warmth and historical culture that you can enjoy throughout these lands.

Third prize was awarded to Sean Hooker for his image “Looking at The Sun from The Moon,” in Teotihuacán, an archaeology site situated about 75-minutes’ drive north of Mexico City.  This is one of the most-photographed places in Mexico, but the judges considered that this perspective of Teotihuacán shared an excellent representation of the site, flanked by the mountains in the background, and illustrating the pilgrimage of visitors who climb the 248 stone steps to reach the summit of the Pyramid of the Sun.  Teotihuacán is considered one of the most important archaeological areas in the world and remains one of the most visited archaeology sites in Mexico. Sean’s image also helped to share a vital story about Mexico’s world heritage: our ancient civilizations, which can now be explored and learned about across Mexico’s many archaeological treasures, including Teotihuacán.

You can see the winning photographs and learn more about the winners here

See the winning pictures and meet the winners!

Read about how the judges chose the winning pictures

Anna’s Story:

“I first fell in love with Mexico when I went on holiday with my family. It was a life changing experience, and I knew immediately I would want to get back to this amazing country. Since then the place that I have spent most of my time is the city of Oaxaca, a beautiful and vibrant city, full of color and art. The food in Oaxaca is also a clear highlight, and the image I submitted for #MyPicofMexico shows one of the local markets where I like to go and buy fresh fruit and jugo verde.”

Anna has won four days and three nights for two people at the sumptuous Grand Velas Resort in Los Cabos, with flights compliments of Aeromexico.

Anna Bruce on Instagram

Learn more about Oaxaca on Mexperience

Robert’s Story

“I am a Yorkshire man who married a Mexican, which means that I’ve been to Mexico more often than most Brits. I love the rich cultural and architectural heritage, the people and of course the food and drink. I enjoy taking photos and each year make a calendar of my shots for my family—often featuring images of Mexico. I recently finished a Masters Degree in translation, and hope soon to begin a career translating Spanish and French into English.

Robert has won a cooking class and dinner for two at the Santo Remedio Restaurant in London.

Robert McDermott on Instagram

Learn more about Chiapas on Mexperience

Sean’s Story

“I was born and raised in Nottingham, England before spending 4 years at university in Newcastle (and 6 months working in a surf shop in Cornwall). I currently work as a Trainee Solicitor for an international law firm in London, although I often day dream about skiing, surfing, travelling and food. I first went to Mexico in 2011 and fell in love with the tacos and micheladas. I then spent 12 weeks travelling between Mérida and Puerto Vallarta in 2016 and have been back 3 times since.”

Sean has won a Mexican meal for four at the Mestizo Restaurant in London

Sean Hooker on Instagram

Learn more about Teotihuacán on Mexperience

Competition Closed

The #MyPicOfMexico competition closed on October 31, 2017.  The entries are being considered by the jury and the winners will be announced soon.

The winning entries will be revealed by Mexico’s Minister of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid, at the World Travel Market in London on November 6, 2017.   The winners and their entries will also be profiled on Mexperience.com.

The Mexican Embassy in the United Kingdom has opened a photo competition for British tourists who captured their memories in pictures of Mexico, offering an opportunity to win a luxury trip back to Mexico compliments of Aeromexico and Grand Velas Resort, as well as two runners-up prizes.

The competition is called My Pic of Mexico and is being run using Instagram. You can enter up to 5 images for the judges to consider.  Each image should be given a title and include a brief explanation describing its relevance to the competition’s theme and why the image makes you wish to go back to Mexico.

The winning photographs will chime with the competition’s theme:

“Tell us about your trip to Mexico — through a single, eloquent photograph that best expresses how you experienced its profound cultural heritage, its rich history, its color and lively traditions, in a way that will inspire others to follow in your footsteps and discover for themselves the exceptional experiences Mexico has to offer”

First prize is a luxury trip to Los Cabos where two people will enjoy four days and three nights at the sumptuous Grand Velas Resort, with return flights from London provided by Aeromexico.

Two runner-up prizes include a cookery class and dinner, and a meal at renowned Mexican restaurants in London.

Full details about the competition, including terms and conditions, can be found here on the Mexican Embassy’s UK website.

The competition closed on October 31, 2017.  Learn about how the winning entries were chosen and meet the winners of the prizes.

The Mexican Embassy in the United Kingdom launched a photo competition for British tourists who captured their memories in pictures of Mexico, offering an opportunity to win a luxury trip back to Mexico compliments of Aeromexico and Grand Velas Resort, as well as two runners-up prizes.

Prizes Offered

Photographs must be uploaded between August and the end of October 2017.

All the pictures and the stories behind them will be published on Mexperience’s Award-Winning web site, and promoted through its newsletter and blog.

The winners and their prizes will be announced at Mexico’s pavilion at the World Travel Market 6-8 November 2017.

Image Criteria

The topic of the picture should be in tune with the competition’s theme:

“Tell us about your trip to Mexico — through a single, eloquent photograph that best expresses how you experienced its profound cultural heritage, its rich history, its color and lively traditions, in a way that will inspire others to follow in your footsteps and discover for themselves the exceptional experiences Mexico has to offer”

Each image should be given a title and include a brief explanation describing its relevance to the competition’s theme and why the image makes you wish to go back to Mexico.

A maximum of 5 pictures per participant is allowed.

Pictures can be in color or black & white.  They must not be digitally manipulated, but can be edited using Instagram filters and its creative tools.

All pictures must be uploaded to the participant’s Instagram account and tagged with #MyPicOfMexico to be considered in the competition. @Embamex_gbr should also be mentioned in the caption as well as the Instagram accounts of @visitmexico @grandvelascabos and @aeromexico

How the Winners Will Be Chosen

Photos uploaded to the participant’s Instagram account which meet the criteria (and mentioned with the account @Embamex_gbr in the caption and the appropriate hashtags mentioned above), will be reviewed and considered. After a careful review of the best photographs, the judges will select (with full autonomy) the three best submissions, based on:

• The creativity and originality of the photo;
• The quality of the submission; and
• How the submission reflects passion and inspiration for Mexico

The short-list of finalists’ entries will be notified through Instagram by @Embamex_gbr on November 3rd, 2017.

To see the current images uploaded with the competition’s hash tag #MyPicOfMexico visit this page on Instagram.

The Jury

Images will be judged autonomously by prominent Mexican visual artist Manuel Delaflor; founder and editor of Mexperience Matthew Harrup; and Mexican creative photographer and stylist living in London Maria Marie

The competition closed on October 31, 2017.  Learn about how the winning entries were chosen and meet the winners of the prizes.

Share your favorite photograph of Mexico on Instagram and your entry could win a luxury trip to Los Cabos…

The Mexican Embassy in the United Kingdom has opened a photo competition for British tourists who captured their memories in pictures of Mexico, offering an opportunity to win a return to trip back to Mexico compliments of Aeromexico and Grand Velas Resort, as well as two runners-up prizes.

Participants must be British citizens at least 18 years of age, living in the UK with a valid passport to travel to Mexico between January and July 2018. Photographs must be uploaded between August and the end of October 2017.

To enter images for consideration, participants should upload their favorite pictures (see theme above) to Instagram with their Instagram account set as ‘public.’

All pictures must be uploaded to Instagram and tagged with #MyPicOfMexico to be considered in the competition. @Embamex_gbr should also be mentioned in the caption as well as the Instagram accounts of @visitmexico @grandvelascabos and @aeromexico

A maximum of 5 pictures per participant is allowed.

Learn about the three prizes on offer in this competition.

To see the current images uploaded with the competition’s hash tag #MyPicOfMexico visit this page on Instagram.