Photographer Brian Hopper, from Dundalk, writes:

I returned home from Texas after my sister Carol-Anne passed from this life after an epic battle against carcinoid cancer. I was in no mood to look at my emails but decided to check a few to try to tackle the growing number of unopened messages. Among the many messages of sympathy there was a report card from the Photographic Society of America. The competition I entered was an invitation by the PSA of all the prints which were awarded medals in salons in 2011 – the top images from around the world. Twelve prints were selected to be presented at the 2012 PSA Annual Conference in San Francisco (September 16 – 22). To my surprise I was awarded top large colour print [of Dunluce castle, Co Antrim] and second place in large monochrome print [fisherman at Lough Acurry, Cavan]  – I entered but didn’t really expect this level of success. It seems fitting that I should dedicate this special award in memory of my sister Carol-Anne – even more so that it is an Irish seascape.