June 2015 Photo Contest Winner and Review

WINNER CHOSEN AND REVIEW BY SCUBAVERSE.COM’S UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR STUART PHILPOTT

WINNER: David George

PHOTOLINK: http://www.scubaverse.com/contestants/frogfish-reflection/

Considering the late start to this month’s contest (due to some much needed website maintenance) there has been a really good turn-out of pictures, so well done and a big thank you to everybody who has entered. Don’t forget as an added bonus Scubaverse are now giving away a worthy prize to the winner, a copy of Vivid Pix’s picture fix photo editing software. So far I’ve only had a quick look at the software but on first impression it looks to be an extremely useful tool. I will be doing a full review sometime next month so watch this space.

Okay, so let’s take a look at this month’s entries. I’ve tried to make a few comments on each submitted image. This is my personal opinion based on 25 years of experience working as an underwater photographer and journalist. My criticism is supposed to be constructive and help improve so please don’t take offence.

The first picture in the gallery ‘night surprise’ is submitted by Helder Viana from Bali Blue Diving. I really like this picture. It’s been taken at night so the black background makes the subject stand out more. The crab is perfectly in focus and is sitting on a coral branch which angles across the image from left to right. If it had been horizontal or vertical I don’t think the composition would have had so much impact. The ‘forest’ of polyp tentacles makes the image even more striking. Good effort, this nearly made first place.

For me Helder’s second image ‘resident batfish’ which is a solitary batfish surrounded by a shoal of glassfish doesn’t have as much of an impact but I like Helder’s explanation about how the picture was taken, this really does set the scene. Individual batfish can be difficult to get close to; I usually find groups easier to photograph. I noticed there are a few blotches on the fish – using the ‘clone and heal’ feature in photo editing software would clean this up nicely.

Helder’s third image ‘following the buddies’ is a colony of garden eels with two divers disappearing in the background. In my mind this tells a story. We all know that garden eels typically hide when divers get too close and then pop back out again when the coast is clear. I’m guessing that it’s the sunlight making the light and dark patches on the seabed. This effect definitely makes the picture more interesting.

Paul S Carson’s ‘black tip reef shark’ is pin sharp and almost looks too good to be true. At first I thought the shark had been super imposed onto the reef back ground or maybe the picture was taken in an aquarium! I like the fact that the background is slightly soft (out of focus) and I like the way the light shines off the shark’s pectoral fin. How big is the shark Paul? And how close are you to the subject? I really like the use of natural light.

I’ve been to Carlisle Bay in Barbados several times. It’s a great shallow wreck diving site. I can’t remember exactly how many wrecks there are to explore but I know there are quite a few. There’s a shack on the beach that sells the best fish sandwiches ever! I like Mel’s composition in her first picture ‘synchronised buddies‘ but it would have been nice to see a more recognizable wreck shape in the background. In my mind this could just be reef, it’s difficult to tell that it’s actually a wreck. Mel’s second picture, ‘stern shelter‘, is much clearer. I can see that it’s the stern of a wreck with the rudder and prop surrounded by a shoal of grunts. Shame there’s no diver in the second image to give it more perspective.

Thanks for your ‘father’s day’ image Mr R C Smith. It’s great to see a father and son learning to dive together although you both look a bit serious! Even with a regulator obscuring your face if you smile it really does make a difference. I run underwater modelling classes if you’re interested to learn more. The ‘lobster and scorpion fish’ image could easily be improved if you get closer to the subject. There is so much reef on show that the main subject gets lost in the surroundings. I’m sorry, I spent 10 minutes scanning the picture but I still couldn’t find the scorpion fish, it has great camouflage!

I think the hawkfish is slightly lost in Lisa’s ‘basking hawkfish’ pic but the fish is in focus and it’s a nice composition. The fish actually does seem to be sun bathing! Maybe it can be cropped slightly? As mentioned before the snow like particles in the water can be cleaned up using editing software.

Lisa’s nudi picture is a little lost in the surroundings and a piece of weed in the foreground is obscuring part of the main subject, but it’s a colourful in focus nudi, well done.

I visited PNG last year. It really is a beautiful place with pristine coral reefs and plenty of big and small marine life sightings. I visited 4 out of the 5 most popular areas. Tufi was the one I missed. Lisa’s picture shows a healthy hard coral reef and the rays of sunlight make the image more atmospheric. It’s a shame there are very few fish in the picture. PNG reefs are usually over flowing with life. Maybe a diver or snorkeler in the picture would complement the composition.

Rickey’s ‘turtle paparazzi’ has all the ingredients of a great composition, including diver/photographer, marine life and some great action. The colours on the copy I am looking at seem to be way too saturated and I’m also worried that the diver with the camera is going to crash into the corals! He doesn’t seem to be looking where he is going. If I was going to be super picky there’s also too much empty blue sea background.

Anemone fish are always a crowd pleaser. Rickey’s ‘stop clowning around’ Dumaguete, Philippines shot has a head on anemone fish surrounded by anemone tentacles. Colours and lighting are well balanced.

The Um El Faroud near Wied iz Zurrieq is one of Malta’s finest shipwrecks. I have taken quite a few photos of this photogenic wreck over the past few years. There are so many great features on the outside and the inside. I’m not sure that Davide ‘the turtle’ Lepore has captured the best the wreck has to offer but his picture is quite atmospheric and does have the wreck and two divers in the frame.

Great ‘Purple Jelly’ shot Daniel. I think this could be slightly improved by using a flashgun to highlight the jellyfish. I can also see some exhaled bubbles in the frame. This can be cleaned up with editing software.

The atmospheric hammerhead silhouette by Tony Reed would make a nice facebook page background. Whereabouts in Egypt were you Tony? Somewhere south I expect.

It’s a joy to see Alex Wright’s tiger shark shots, ‘leader‘ and ‘eye see you‘, back in this month’s competition. Both wide angle shots are very impressive.

And so here is this month’s winner. David George’s ‘Frogfish reflection’. Having lived at Taba Heights in Egypt for 4 years, the resident frogfish were always the best macro subjects. I encountered 3 sargassum’s during this time, two were camouflaged against the weed and difficult to photograph; unfortunately the third froggie I found was caught in a plastic bag and already dead. It’s very rare to see them free swimming like this. The black background really makes the frogfish stand out and the reflection gives the image that extra wow factor. Maybe the subject is slightly lost in the vast background? A slight crop would correct this.

Janice Nigro’s ‘delicate symbiosis‘ anemone fish image is quite unusual, I’ve never seen a white anemone before. Otherwise it’s a classic, well taken anemone fish head poking out shot. This was definitely in my top 5.

It’s nice to see Tam Warner Minton of Travels with Tam.com entering the competition yet again. You really do visit some exotic places. Tam’s first image is a close up of a hawksbill turtle taken in Cozumel, Mexico. It looks as though this turtle is about to fly off. Tam has snapped it looking into the camera lens with flippers raised in surrender! Shame you couldn’t get the whole turtle in the frame. I love the vibrant red feather star. My favourite of your 3 entries has to be your Ecuadorian guitar shark. I usually find guitar sharks half buried in the sand and difficult to get a clear shot. But this one is out in the open and you’ve managed to get a front on view. Well done, this was a top five.

Finally Ted Dixon’s ‘spying on clowns’ taken in Fiji is a great model and fish combination. This has all the ingredients of a possible front cover shot. You just have to tighten everything up a little.

So again, congratulations to June’s winner David, and thanks to all of you who entered. If you didn’t win, don’t be disheartened, the calibre of shots was once again high, and you all entered great photos – July’s Contest is now open, so give it another shot!