Photo / Video News & Reviews
Ghiannis D, Part 1- Atmospheric Interiors
This is a two-parter I’ve decided to do on the Ghiannis D, a popular Red Sea dive site for all, at Abu Nuhas. She is part of the usual itineraries for Scuba Travel’s Wrecks and Reefs tour and also the more specific Wreck itineraries.
She tends on the regular trips to be dived as the first dive of the day, but photographically I much prefer the way the light falls on her from midday until the afternoon. So we normally dive the Chrisoula K as our first dive, and then dive the Ghiannis D as second and often again as our third dive to shoot the exterior.
The second dive of the day at Abu Nuhas I like to leave a little late around 11.30ish and this way more overhead sunlight is coming through the portholes and entrances making interior shots more interesting. And this also usually means that we will get her to ourselves as the other boats are usually finished their second dives, and we are out of sequence.
Working with regular guides that know me and how I like to plan the day is an absolute Godsend, and this I find is one of the key differences between a normal trip and a photo week, this ability to move the itinerary around with the compliance of the crews.
Speaking of crews, our skipper Amer on Mistral will always try and get us the best spot closest to the wrecks and usually in the channel; this also means we are in prime position for those folk night diving as this is the best part of the reef for this too. With the added bonus that we don’t require an arduous long rib journey, usually only being a few minutes from our drop.
Normally after the dive briefing I will say a few words and give some hints and tips on getting the best shots, and being the second dive I mention about the technicalities of shooting the inside. The Ghiannis D is large enough to easily stagger the groups so as not to all be inside at once.
I will always defer to any of the group who wants to get in the first rib going, in fact I nearly always get in the last rib – this allows me time to offer any last minute advice needed, but I also prefer letting the group get their shots before me.
This is also a little sneaky of me too, as how often do you hear photographers wanting to get inside a wreck or a cave system before everyone else? Lots I bet; their reasoning is usually to get shots before everyone else has stirred all the muck up.
Actually I don’t mind going in after the crowds have caused a sandstorm, as it usually only needs five minutes or so to settle down, and I find that if you are going for impressive shafts of sunlight then a little suspended particulate only adds to the drama.
This shot below was taken with my buddy on that dive Jo, and we’d already had a brief chat about this particular scene inside the Ghiannis, normally entered from within an exit in the engine room; but I’d decided to do it in reverse, another reason to make sure everyone else had left.
The Ghiannis D is lying at an angle of around 30 degrees or so which is quite disorientating the first time you dive her – the trick is to watch your buddy’s bubbles.
I had to shoot at a very high ISO of 1600 which, even though my micro four thirds sensor is very good, will result in quite a lot of grain and noise.
This resulted in me shooting at 1/30 sec and at an aperture of f5.6 for those geeks among you. I don’t actually mind a bit of noise, and in fact for some shots I think, in particular wrecks, it adds to the atmosphere.
I also did an alternative black and white split toned edit, which is something I will look at more closely in a future blog so keep checking back. For now though here is that particular edit.
This was my more moody black and white and split toned version. I think that wreck architecture works well in monochrome, reducing things to their basic compositional elements.
After Jo and I had finished taking our pictures we exited this area through the doorway just hidden in the left hand corner of the shot. This is the engine room and is on a couple of levels; there is shots to be had of the engine itself, but to be honest I am more interested in the view looking up towards a skylight, looking through some gantries.
There is usually some marine life in the form of a school of resident Hatchet fish; I knew that their moving around wouldn’t be suitable for me to be shooting on slow shutter speeds, so I opted to light with a combination of available light and strobes.
This was the best angle I shot, with the Hatchet Fish nicely grouped in the foreground leading upwards in a column towards the skylight, and I was aware that I needed to get a move on as I didn’t want to block the hatch for Jo who was hot on my heels.
Inside the engine room presented a couple of challenges. I still needed a relatively high ISO – in this case 640 – but the Hatchet Fish only needed a little light to illuminate their reflective bodies. I settled on 1/30 at f5.6 just like the previous shot, but only used a little flash power to light up the ones in the foreground, and hopefully letting the skylight and the ISO of 640 be sufficient to light the rest.
Come back to Scubaverse.com for Part 2 on Friday where I look at getting some shots of the exterior with both natural and strobe light.
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Duxy is the in house photo-pro for UK-based dive tour operator Scuba Travel. To find out about availability on Scuba Travel’s underwater photography workshops hosted by Duxy click here.
An emotive photograph showing a freediver examining the aftermath of whaling sees
Alex Dawson from Sweden named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s
photograph ‘Whale Bones’ triumphed over 6500 underwater pictures entered by underwater
photographers from around the world.
“Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions,” explains chair of judging
panel Alex Mustard, “as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear
witness to the carcasses. The composition invites us to consider our impact on the great
creatures of this planet. Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85%. Today,
just 4% of mammals are wildlife, the remaining 96% are humans and our livestock. Our way
needs to change to find a balance with nature.”
Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero
Whales dominated the winning pictures this year with Spanish photographer Rafael
Fernandez Caballero winning two categories with his revealing photos of these ocean giants:
a close up of a grey whale’s eye and an action shot of a Bryde’s whale engulfing an entire bait
ball, both taken in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Fernandez Caballero took ‘Grey
Whale Connection’ while drifting in a small boat, holding his camera over the side in the water
to photograph the curious whale. ‘The End Of A Baitball’ required Fernandez Caballero to dive
down and be in exactly the right place at the moment the whale lunged. “The photo shows
the high speed attack,” he said, “with the whale engulfing hundreds of kilograms of sardines
in one bite — simply unforgettable to see predation on such a scale.”
Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero
Lisa Stengel from the United States was named Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image of a mahi-mahi catching a sardine, in Mexico. Stengel used both a very fast shutter speed and her hearing to catch the moment. “If you listen there’s an enormous amount of sound in the ocean,” she explained. “The action was too fast to see, so I honed in on the sound of the attacks with my camera to capture this special moment.”
“It is such an exciting time in underwater photography because photographers are capturing such amazing new images, by visiting new locations and using the latest cameras,”
commented judge Alex Mustard. “Until this year I’d hardly ever see a photo of a mahi mahi,
now Lisa has photographed one hunting, action that plays out in the blink of an eye.”
The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and Jenny Stock,
was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image “Star
Attraction”, which finds beauty in species of British wildlife that are often overlooked.
Exploring the west coast of Scotland, Stock explained “in the dark green depths my torch
picked out the vivid colours of a living carpet of thousands of brittle stars, each with a
different pattern. I was happily snapping away, when I spotted this purple sea urchin and I
got really excited.”
Photo: Jenny Stock
In the same contest, Portuguese photographer, Nuno Sá, was named ‘Save Our Seas
Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024, with his photo ‘Saving
Goliath’, taken in Portugal. Sá’s photo shows beachgoers trying to save a stranded sperm
whale. The picture gives us hope that people do care and want to help the oceans, but also
warns us that bigger changes are needed. “The whale had been struck by a ship and its fate
was sealed,” explains Sá. “An estimated 20,000 whales are killed every year, and many more
injured, after being struck by ships-and few people even realise that it happens.”
Photo: Nuno Sá
More winning images can be found at www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com.
About Underwater Photographer of the Year
Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools, and attracts entries from all around the world. The contest has 13 categories, testing photographers with themes such as Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour and Wreck photography, as well as four categories for photos taken specifically in British waters. The winners were announced in an award ceremony in Mayfair, London, hosted by The Crown Estate. This year’s UPY judges were experienced underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Dr Alexander Mustard MBE.
Header image: Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 winner Alex Dawson
The winners of the prestigious World Shootout 2023 underwater photography competition were announced at this year’s BOOT Show, captivating audiences at the world’s largest diving and water sports exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany. Hundreds of photographers from 54 countries competed across nine categories, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technical skill.
Grand Prize Winners
- Picture of the Year: Spanish photographer Eduardo Acevedo “secured” the top Honor with the prestigious prize the “boot Dusseldorf Director’s Prize, earning an Andromeda statuette and a €2,000 cash prize.
- Best 5 Images Portfolio: Luc Rooman from Belgium triumphed in this category, winning a dream 4-week diving trip for two to Papua New Guinea, valued at $18,900.
- Amateur Photographer: Alexandra Ceurvorst from the USA impressed the judges with her talent, taking home the 1,000 € cash prize award.
Celebrating Diversity and Innovation
This year’s competition saw 11,680 entries from 964 photographers, showcasing a remarkable spectrum of skills and perspectives. From the intricate wonders of Macro photography to the beauty of “Black Water”, the “Underwater Fashion” category added a touch of artistry and innovation, while the ever-important ” Environmental & Conservation” category served as a powerful reminder of the need to protect these fragile ecosystems.
Looking Ahead: AI and Ocean Conservation
World Shootout founder and producer David Pilosof unveiled an exciting addition for the 2024 competition: this year the Environmental category will be focusing on the impact of plastic on our oceans and future.
This category will embrace the potential of AI or other editing software as a tool to amplify the conservation message.
Entrants will submit campaigns of three original underwater photographs dealing with plastic pollution, along with their final AI assistance processing. This innovative approach encourages artistic expression while raising awareness about a critical environmental issue.
Explore the Stunning Collection
Discover the complete album of competition entries by clicking here.
For Low-resolution photos of finalist entries in eight categories, click here.
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