Photo / Video News & Reviews
Alex Mustard’s long-awaited new book ‘Underwater Photography Masterclass’ to be released in April
Soar Through Underwater Realms. Capture Untold Sights.
Published by Ammonite Press • April 2016 • RRP £19.99 (Pre-Order here)
Take a voyage into the deep blue seas with this astonishing new book by one of the world’s leading underwater photographers, Alex Mustard. There is a fascinating alien world just waiting to be photographed and Underwater Photography Masterclass can teach you how to capture the amazing creatures and landscapes that lie beneath the surface.
From information about diving equipment and cameras, to crucial advice on understanding and controlling light underwater, this book provides all the background you need before you take the plunge. Alex explains with humour and in straightforward language all of the technical aspects of shooting underwater. Topics covered include wide-angle and macro lighting techniques for subjects as diverse as sea slugs, sharks and shipwrecks. But he also advises readers on how to dive for your images – time is always limited underwater and stunning pictures come when you prepare and maintain equipment properly and know what is the perfect photographic technique for different subjects.
This isn’t just a guide either, as it is packed with stunning photographs from around the world; from shoals of fish in the Egyptian sea and gangs of spider-crabs in the UK to sunken wrecks in Grand Cayman and macro shots of pygmy sea-horses in Bali and Bigfin Reef Squid in West Papua.
Alex Mustard aims to expand your horizons of what underwater photography can be and fill you with ideas for the new types of images that you can produce. Underwater Photography Masterclass will help you create the underwater images you’ve dreamed of and make you a better, more knowledgeable photographer at the same time.
• Stunning underwater images from a world renowned underwater photographer
• Information on the equipment and skills you’ll need before you start
• In-depth explanations to help you master lighting underwater
Here is a trailer for ‘Underwater Photography Masterclass’:
And here are some photos from the book with descriptions from Alex:
Stingrays At Dawn: A split level image of two southern stingrays (Dasyatis americana) swimming over a sand bar in the early morning. The female (left) is much larger than the male (right), although the perspective of the photo accentuates the difference. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. British West Indies. Caribbean Sea. Alex Mustard: “You need to get up pretty early to be out in the middle of the sea in time for sunrise. But the rewards are surely worth it. I placed my camera half in and half out of the water, and positioned my flashes down beneath the surface to illuminate this pair of stingrays against the coming dawn.”
Nudibranch Portrait: A high magnification photo of a nudibranch (Nembrotha kubaryana), showing orange mouth parts and sensory rhinophores, and green gills (out of focus). Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea. Alex Mustard: “Photographing nudibranchs or sealsugs is all about colour. But since they have only very rudimentary eyes, they do not get to enjoy these colours themselves. Although they certainly benefit from them because they warn potential predators of their toxicity. This species has fluorescent pigments in their orange, making them glow underwater. I photographed this tiny individual at very high magnification to fill the frame with colour. This photo was awarded in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.”
World War II bike: A backlit photo of a British World War II BSA M20 motorbike inside Hold 2 of the wreck of the Thistlegorm, with Red Sea soldierfish (crimson soldierfish: Myripristis murdjan).. Sha’ab Ali, Red Sea. Sinai, Egypt. Alex Mustard: “The British military transport ship SS Thistlegorm is a remarkable underwater museum, her holds packed with a range of British military vehicles, which have remained underwater for 75 years since she was sunk by German bomber during the Second World War. Here I placed two flashguns behind the motorbike to reveal its outline against the darkness of the ship’s internals.”
Pre-Order Underwater Photography by Alex Mustard here.
About the author
Dr Alex Mustard is one of the world’s leading underwater photographers and has been a pioneering voice in this field for the past 10 years. He has pioneered many techniques within underwater photography, which he shares through magazine articles, talks and workshops. His photographs have won many awards including, on six occasions, the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year. In 2013, Alex was named GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his image Night Moves. His last book, Reefs Revealed, won the International Grand Prize for the best book of underwater photographs. He is the inventor of the Magic Filters, filters designed specifically for available light underwater photography with digital cameras. He also runs highly popular underwater photography workshops at top diving destinations around the world. Previously, he worked as a marine biologist at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.
You can visit Alex’s website 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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