Photo / Video News & Reviews
NUPG February 2019 Monthly Meeting Report
February saw the NUPG welcoming Nick & Caroline Robertson-Brown of Frogfish Photography who entertained us with a presentation entitled “Telling Tales” which was all about the type of underwater images required by diving magazines, newspapers, online media and other organisations. Nick is a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and specialises in photo journalism and is currently the Photo Editor of Scubaverse whilst Caroline has a MSc. in animal behaviour and is the Deputy Editor of Scubaverse so they should know what they are talking about.
The differences between single page double page spreads was discussed and how for an article in a magazine a great double page spread image is the photo that has to be thought of first. This image needs to tell the story of the article. As always the talk was illustrated with many examples of their work.
The discussion turned on to the importance of divers in a shot, especially for dive magazine front covers. Lots of front cover shots have been taken in portrait mode, so try to remember this underwater. Some dive magazines will only produce front covers that have photos of divers in them, even if it is only a silhouette. A diver can add scale and make a picture “pop”. When photographing divers for a magazine image it is good to either have the face lit or the diver to be a silhouette. Also try to avoid photos of divers with camera gear or ones that show a diver with loads of dangly bits that can make the image look untidy. It is also interesting to note that black and white images rarely make a great front cover shot.
Images that can tell a story as well as have a good headline are often favoured. They don’t have to be 100% perfect as wording and post photo editing can work wonders, however there is only a certain amount of backscatter allowed! At this point they emphasized the importance of strobe angles in underwater photography.
It is always good to prepare a “To do” list so that all the particular shots that are required are taken. Often above water pictures are needed and these can be very easy to forget. Many more hints and tips were supplied especially if you are hoping to write and illustrate your own article for a dive magazine. Again there were many great examples that they have had published in the diving press along with the tales of where and how they took the images.
The next part of the talk went onto discuss other media that is not dive orientated such as the general press, television and digital social media and how images can be sold to them. They used their iconic shot which launched the BT Paralympic World Cup in 2012 as an example. Following on from this they showed some of their images which have been the most published. Unsurprisingly seals and salt water crocodiles were some of the top billing shots as was the swimming pig!
After the presentation it was time for our monthly competition “Front Cover”. There were an impressive number of entries. We had asked Nick and Caroline to pick the winners. They went through every shot discussing what was good and bad about each one and how some could be improved and how it was difficult to pick a winner out of so many great photographs.
In the end there were 2 highly commended images. Elaine White with her shot of a seal in The Scillies and Maggie Russell and her shot of a diver over a large brain coral taken in The Banda Sea Indonesia. There were two joint runner-ups, Alex Tasker with his image of a diver on the “Mark Graf” and Paul Ansell with a lovely fish portrait shot taken off Bussletown jetty Australia. The overall winner was Elaine White and her great image of a diver in The Cenotes, Mexico.
Following on from this there also was the announcement of the winning compact shot “Best of 2018” The winning image was Jason Melton and a delightful shot of a blennie in its coral home.
Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to everyone who entered, there were some great images.
Our next meeting which is being held on the 2nd Monday of the month as usual, will be on the 11th March and Jason Gregory will be telling us how he planned and took his award winning image of a Sea Pen in a Scottish Loch. Further details of this talk and next month’s competition theme “Monochrome” as well as details of our splash-in and print competition in July 2019 will be found on our website www.nupg.org.uk shortly. Please come along and join us. Everyone welcome.
For more information about the NUPG please 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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