Photo / Video News & Reviews
NUPG April Meeting Report
This month Alex Tasker gave us an insight into photogrammetry and his journey so far using this technique underwater.
Our usual focus at NUPG is capturing the beautiful scenes we see underwater in 2D, so turning these images into something in 3d so you can move around an object or underwater area on your laptop is a different concept and style of photography. Alex explained some of the history and theory of how this works and explained how he first got interested in this style of photography.
The historical side of things took us back to the thousands of images taken from spitfires in WW2 and the intelligence techniques that spotted the V2 rocket project. Alex’s own journey with photogrammetry first started with East Cheshire Sub Aqua Club’s Highball project and their aim to create a 3d model of one of the highball bombs in Loch Striven to allow non-divers to see what we are able to visit.
The theory started off making things sound relatively easy. The aim is to take lots of overlapping photographs of the subject from different angles. If there’s enough overlap each photograph has common points which the software can identify. The software can use both stills and video (by extracting individual frames from the video) and has the potential to use images from multiple sources to create the final 3d model, so the options on what camera to use are wide. After identifying the points in each image that match those in another image in the set and passing through multiple phases the software (hopefully) pops out a 3d model.
Alex’s first attempt was encouraging, on our ‘NUPG warm-up’ day in Capernwray last year he took hundreds of photos of Thunderbird 4 and produced a good 3d model (he obviously had 2 very patient buddies). Taking the photos that allowed this first attempt to work seemed easy, there was plenty of natural light and good visibility, the lesson learnt on this particular occasion was more about the patience required waiting for a laptop to process the images (or grind to a halt as the case may be). With the aim of the highball in mind though he needed to target objects in bad visibility, leading to trips to other well-known quarries where bad visibility and gloom are more readily found and an attempt to get a model of the hydrobox at Stoney Cove. The visibility on that occasion was so bad that the software thought some of the ‘muck’ in the water was actually part of an object and attempted to make it part of the model! This experiment also highlighted the challenges of getting images aligned, in bad visibility you need more overlap. The resulting model worked well for the top of the hydrobox but not the sides unfortunately. As with any form of photography though, practise is the key, so I’m sure another trip to the hydrobox will be on the cards this year.
At the beginning of March, Alex headed to Vobster Quay for a weekend to take part on the IANTD Photogrammetry course run by Tim Clements. He thoroughly enjoyed the course and got to pick up some tips from the likes of Simon Brown and Marcus Blatchford, who have a wealth of experience on this subject and have produced some amazing models (including entire wrecks and models that combine both underwater and drone photography). The course also got Alex thinking about the use of ‘angel lighting’. He’d been using his regular camera for the stills and attaching a video camera to the rig to collect additional data, having strobes and video lights on the same rig did add complications. By having his buddy carry the video lights it made using the video camera easier as a backup, gave his regular camera a better chance to focus and helped him easily know exactly where to find his buddy (not to mention giving his buddy something to do so she doesn’t get bored!)
Getting the images for photogrammetry is something any of us could do with our existing cameras. The challenges then become the amount of data generated from those images and the amount of processing power needed to turn them into a 3d model. There’s an amazing amount can be achieved by doing this though, from creating models of coral reefs to showing non-diving experts details of underwater wrecks. It will be interesting to see where his journey takes him over the coming months.
Winner by Justin Beevor
The monthly competition theme was Cephalopods. We had an array of fantastic images; the overall winner was Justin Beevor’s coconut octopus. Congratulations also go to Glynn Phillips whose octopus shot came in 2nd, and Maggie Russell who took 3rd place with a nicely isolated squid and also won the Compact category with her octopus entry.
The next NUPG meeting will be on Monday 13th May. This meeting will include talks by Roisin Maddison and Donovan Lewis on Videography and Sharks, as well as the NUPG AGM. The competition theme is “Action”.
For more information about the NUPG please visit their website by clicking 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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