October 2021 Photo Contest Winner and Review
WINNER CHOSEN AND REVIEW BY SCUBAVERSE.COM’S UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR NICK ROBERTSON-BROWN
WINNER: Pink Clown by MichaelG
Another month filled with incredible images, both macro and wide angle, from all around the world. So many great images to go through!
When judging any underwater photography competition, the first thing I do is ask of each image: Is it in focus? The main subject has to be pin sharp. Is it exposed correctly?
I then look at lighting (photography is all about light) and composition. Backscatter, hot spots of light, messy backgrounds: all might see your image lose out.
Then there are other considerations that might get you knocked out of the first round: Was the image taken underwater? After all it is an underwater photography competition! Were any animals distressed or harassed to get the image? Was any environmental damage done to get the shot?
Once I have whittled out the images that do not pass these criteria, it is time to get down to picking a winner. A shot that makes me go wow – I wish I had taken that!
Alas I cannot discuss each and every image but here are a few that caught my eye and why:
Invisible by Raffaele: This is a stunning portrait shot of a pipefish mimicking the seagrass it lives in. Pin sharp and great lighting on a tricky subject to photograph.
Waterfall by Cedric Peneau: I love the way the underwater vegetation reaches out of the water allowing the viewer a real sense of the environment. Lovely sunbeams underwater and perfect focus, which can be tough on a split shot.
Baby Assasin by Raffaele: Wow – this baby lionfish with its beautiful fins on a black background pops out from the page. The eye is pin sharp too. Would have been nice to have 2 eyes looking at the camera, but that may be asking too much and this is a stunning shot regardless.
Gluttony by Suli: Well done on catching this feeding behaviour. It can happen really quickly so to get it in focus and well lit is to be commended.
B&W Manta under the sun by claude lespagne: This shot works really well in black and white. It shows off the powerful grace of the manta and you can still feel the sun rays dancing above.
Lundy Seal by MichaelG: I love a seal shot where they come in to have a taste of your camera! Well done for getting some light into the mouth!
Pink Clown by MichaelG: Simple yet stunning. The colours on this image are incredible. I love that you have the clownfish looking right at the camera. You can almost feel the texture of the anemone.
Sealion Hunt by Giacomo Antonio Rossi: Just stunning! The blue is perfect and the fact you have captured the sealion with a fish in his mouth makes this even better. I love this.
Leaf Sheep (Costasiella sp.) and Rabbit Costasiella (Costasiella usagi) by Oksana Maksymova: Amazing image with the two species together on a single leaf. They really pop out of the screen and the focus on such tiny subjects is pin sharp.
Coral by Umit Gorcum: Lovely coral texture and colour. An abstract shot showing the intricate detail we sometimes overlook. Good use of depth of field.
Sunny snorkeling in Bora Bora by Stephan Debelle: I love to see image of snorkelers in the water with marine life, especially sharks, to show the beauty that so many do not get to see. This is a lovely shot.
Smiley Blue by Nuno Rodrigues: A lovely portrait of a Blue Shark in clear blue water. Such elegant creatures.
Crab from Germany by Jan Leya: This shot has a moody feel about it. If the visibility was bad then you a good job has been done on the lighting. Great that you got down low to get the shot at eye level with the water as the background.
After much deliberation by our judge….
The results
Winner: Pink Clown by MichaelG
Runner-up: Leaf Sheep (Costasiella sp.) and Rabbit Costasiella (Costasiella usagi) by Oksana Maksymova
Third Place: B&W Manta under the sun by claude lespagne
Highly Commended: Baby Assasin by Raffaele & Sealion Hunt by Giacomo Antonio Rossi
Congratulations to those who were placed – there were a number of excellent images, and well done to all those that entered.
Scubaverse.com’s November 2021 Underwater Photo Contest is now open! Enter as many as three of your underwater photos here.
