Derry Ainsworth

For my winning aerial series, Hong Kong From Above, the main idea was to capture the grand scale of this city's incredible urban density from top-down drone perspectives. Given my architectural background, I'm fascinated by the interplay of architecture, topography, and nature.

Seen from directly above, residential buildings and corporate towers shed their visual familiarity and become abstract patterns of geometry, repetition, and colour. Securing the Architecture Photographer of the Year title at the 2026 European Photography Awards is incredibly rewarding.

To have this work recognised on such a massive global stage validates my decision to follow my passion and keeps me motivated to keep exploring.

It's always a tough process, especially when you have over a decade of photos sitting on hard drives! Having done quite a few exhibitions over the years, I've been able to gauge which images get the best public reaction, which is hugely helpful when curating my work.

Ultimately, I choose the shots that resonate with me the most—the ones where I feel I've successfully captured the mood, the contrast, and the geometry of the moment.

Honestly, it was just the sheer, overwhelming visual nature of Hong Kong. Stepping into this never-ending chaos of a hyper-populated city was mind-blowing. I just wanted to document it.

I started carrying a camera to record the incredible contrast between the towering skyscrapers and the vibrant, ground-level street life. The city itself demanded to be photographed, and it’s kept me shooting ever since.

My work tends to fluctuate between two extremes, which I call the "highs and lows". I absolutely love aerial cityscape photography because it allows me to isolate structural brilliance and capture the grand scale of urban environments.

But I equally love intimate, ground-level street photography. I really enjoy the process of just going out for a walk and paying attention to my surroundings; I find it really meditative. I don't have just one favourite - it's the contrast between capturing monumental architecture and intimate human moments that keeps me inspired.

For my ground-level work, my go-to is my Sony A1 camera setup, paired with usually a 20mm F2, 50mm F1.2 or a 50-150 F2. Those focal lengths, combined with the wide aperture, allow me to get incredibly tight framing on architectural details or isolate subjects on a chaotic street with a beautiful depth of field.

I want them to feel a true "sense of place". I hope they can experience the scale, the energy, and the rhythm of the city. Whether it's the dizzying heights of the architecture or a quiet moment on a busy street, I want the viewer to feel like they are fully immersed in the environment, observing it without assumptions.

With aerial photography, the challenge is always about aligning everything perfectly. You're dealing with finding that exact vantage point where the extreme density turns into something beautifully abstract. It requires a lot of patience to wait for the right light and to pay close attention to the geometry so you can strip away the familiar and isolate the structural brilliance of the city.

Without a doubt, Hong Kong. We are blessed with this never-ending chaos of a very populated city with a lot going on. There's always interesting subject matter around if you pay attention. The interplay between the hyper-dense built environment, the mountains, and nature is just incredible.

Interestingly, I actively try not to take inspiration from other photographers. I believe photography should be an entirely personal journey based on what naturally draws your own eye. Instead, my biggest influence is the feeling of exploration, travel, and personal experience. I also get massively inspired by music.

My visual language is heavily dictated by whatever is playing in my headphones while I walk around. I imagine certain scenes and moods that suit the playlist, and that translates directly into how I compose my shots.

On a practical note, don't let your best work just sit on a hard drive! Curate it, print it, or submit it, because seeing people react to your work is one of the best ways to understand your own journey.

To excel, focus on capturing your own unique perspective rather than trying to emulate what you think the judges want to see. Shoot what truly interests you, because that authenticity is what makes an image stand out.

Stay hungry, stay curious, and keep exploring. Enjoy the meditative process of just going out for a walk and reacting to your environment. And a bit of practical advice I'd give my younger self: have a bit more in savings before moving countries and taking those big career risks!

Of course it's important; my tones and colours really help to define my style. Because my work fluctuates between chaotic street scenes and abstract aerial geometries, post-processing is where I can ensure a cohesive cinematic mood. I use editing to emphasise the atmosphere I envisioned when I took the shot - which is often influenced by the music I was listening to.

I think some AI tools are useful for speeding up your workflow when it comes to tedious post-processing tasks. But honestly, I don't think AI has any place in the actual world of photography. Photography is fundamentally about a human experiencing a moment and capturing a true "sense of place".

As long as you remain authentic, generate your own ideas, and rely on your personal experiences, AI is not a threat. It can't replicate your taste, your personal eye and the physical act of exploring and reacting to your environment.

I've always been driven by the interplay of massive urban architecture and everyday life. If I could shoot anything, it would be exploring more of the world's most dense, rapidly changing urban environments, documenting that extreme contrast between ancient cultural traditions and hyper-modern development.