Photo / Video News & Reviews
NUPG March 2019 Monthly Meeting Report
A wet windy night did not deter people arriving to be entertained by Jason Gregory this month and his very informative presentation on the planning behind his shot of a Phosphorescent sea pen (Pennatula phosphorea) for the BSoUP Splash-In 2017 competition. He succeeded in getting a well-deserved runner-up spot out of 40 images in the “close-up” and also received the BSoUP trophy for Restricted Category with this super shot.
For those that do not know, this type of “Splash-In” competition differs from many other photography competitions in that the picture has to be taken on the day and often there is only minimal cropping and overall adjustments able to be made on the image (if any at all). This adds extra dimensions and complexity. Everyone is in the same “boat” having to take a photo in British Isles waters on the same day, fingers crossed the weather is kind, or again that can be partly mitigated for, can it not? as Jason informed us?
Like many of us in the past Jason has just gone for a “bimble” type dive on the day with the only planning being where he was going diving but Paul Colley had inspired him with his attention to detail and planning with his images so he decided this time to “Plan the Shot”.
He told us how he decided on his subject, it had to be available on the day, sessile, partly translucent, the right colours and form for what he wanted to achieve with back lighting. He was not the first to try this type of lighting for underwater imaging but he wanted something a bit different and the phosphorescent makeup and translucence of the Phosphorescent Sea-Pen fitted his purpose.
He discussed the reasoning behind the lens he decided to use and then it was time to try it out. He made a model of a sea-pen which was quite ingenious, tent pegs and plastic being re-used in a very clever way! Then it was off to Capernwray for some trials to get his distance and focus points sorted and how and if the lighting arrangement would work. People must have thought him mad as he wandered off to the silty depths of the quarry with his “Sea-pen”.
The talk discussed and showed his camera set-ups and how his initial thoughts of remote strobe positioning and using portrait mode will not work in the soft silky, silty muddy environment where the phosphorescent sea-pen lives. He could not afford to have any silt stirred up or else there would be too much back scatter. He normally dives alone and the talk discussed the pros and cons of this.
A couple of months before the competition he was off for a couple of recces of dive sites, he dives a lot in the Scottish Lochs loving the many unusual and wonderful underwater creatures that can be found there. He needed the sea-pen to be at the correct depth so he could re-dive and spend time there and also the pen had to be the right colour and size. He tweaked his final set-up and discussed his very cheap “snooting” technique which was ideal for the type of shot he wanted.
The result was that on the day of the competition he was able to get the shot he wanted on his second dive of the day. Then it was just down to the judges, something that he had no control of other than knowing what type of shots they may like. He discussed the final output strobe power, positioning and camera settings he finally used.
A great friendly presentation with loads of advice thrown in and questions and answers throughout. I for one now know that insulating tape is not only for tool kits!
Our monthly competition theme was “Monochrome”. There were not so many entries as last month but still a good number. Remember if you are a member of the NUPG you can still put in an entry even if you cannot make the meeting. Also please, please can we have more compact entries? Following the results every image was discussed and why or why not some images were chosen by those present. We had a tie for 3rd place and a vote-off for the winner – John Spencer scored a double with his image of a 2nd place image of a jellyfish being narrowly beaten to 1st place by his image of an octopus! Well done John. Paul Ansell and Maggie Russell were joint third with their images of a raggy toothed shark from Australian waters and a sea fan with diver taken off of Kri Island, Raja Ampat, Indonesia respectively. Alex Tasker got an honorable mention with the only compact shot of the night with a delightful shot of seals.
Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to everyone who entered, once again there were some great images.
Our next NUPG meeting which is being held on the 2nd Monday of the month as usual, will be on the 8th April when Dr. Gavan Cooke a multi-discipline biologist with specialisations in cephalopod biology will be talking to us about Cephalopods (we suspect!). Further details of this talk and next month’s competition theme “Cephalopods” as well as details of our splash-in and print competition in July 2019 will be found on our website http://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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