Winners – Underwater Photography Contests

August 2021 Photo Contest Winner and Review

Published 5 years agoon September 1, 2021

WINNER CHOSEN AND REVIEW BY SCUBAVERSE.COM’S UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR NICK ROBERTSON-BROWN

WINNER: Striped Marlin by Giacomo Antonio Rossi

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:

River by Miroslav Behúň: What a lovely scene! Perfect focus & exposure both above and below the water.

Beach Party by Elaine Brett: I love these shots of anemonefish eggs and the title is perfect. Lovely bokeh.

Transfixed by the beauty of the cave by Tom St George: Stunning! What an amazing place and the image, with the backlit diver, transports the viewer there. Perfect lighting.

Gigantic Encounter by Claudia Weber-Gebert: There is something about the huge whaleshark tails and the de-saturated image that makes this stand out from the crowd.

The Fisherman and the Mermaid by Claudia Weber-Gebert: Really unusual and eye-catching image. Split shot can be challenging but in this image the focus and lighting both above and below are spot-on. I love the story behind the image too.

Nudibranch by Claude Lespagne: Lovely colours and texture in this nudibranch image.

Orange bubble anemone by Claude Lespagne: Simple yet striking image of this anemone.

Teeth by Giacomo Antonio Rossi: Well done lighting this so well. It is hard with so many silvery fish to get this right and your main subject stands out perfectly without being over-exposed.

Striped Marlin by Giacomo Antonio Rossi: Stunning image. The light is epic and the moment captured simply breath-taking.

Sargassumfish Reflection by MichaelG: Great subject, super reflection, bravo!

Spinecheek by MichaelG: Lovely eye-contact, the lighting on the anemone is just right.

The Muppet by Raffaele: Such a difficult subject to photograph in challenging conditions – so well done. The eyes are perfectly in focus and the detail is incredible.

Cowrie (Diminovula margarita) by Oksana Maksymova: Simple yet stunning. Sometimes it is all about nailing the subject before you and Oksana has done this here with the lighting and depth of field.

Anemone with inhabitant by Jan Leya: The two anemonefish looking out over the reef from the safety of their host anemone, with the surface sparking above them – just stunning!

Crystal! by divejackdive: Beautiful subject, along with a few surprise guests. Black background makes them really stand out.

These eyes …….. by Bill Passmore: Lovely portrait shot. It is always great if you can get down to the same level as your subject, but this can be hard to do on sand dwelling critters. Great eye-contact.

Diver in the Water lilies by Markus Schmidt: Another super split-shot with interest both above and below the water.

Pike in the Water lilies by Markus Schmidt: This is lovely. Super to see the fish in its environment and to get the lighting right here, waiting for this fish to move into the right position shows the skill of the photographer.

After much deliberation by our judge….

The results

Winner: Striped Marlin by Giacomo Antonio Rossi

Runner-up: The Fisherman and the Mermaid by Claudia Weber-Gebert

Third Place: Transfixed by the beauty of the cave by Tom St George

Highly Commended: Sargassumfish Reflection by MichaelG, Teeth by Giacomo Antonio Rossi & Pike in the Water lilies by Markus Schmidt

Congratulations to those who were placed – there were a number of excellent images, and well done to all those that entered.

Scubaverse.com’s September 2021 Underwater Photo Contest is now open! Enter as many as three of your underwater photos here.

Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown

Nick and Caroline (Frogfish Photography) are a married couple of conservation driven underwater photo-journalists and authors. Both have honours degrees from Manchester University, in Environmental Biology and Biology respectively, with Nick being a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, a former high school science teacher with a DipEd in Teaching Studies. Caroline has an MSc in Animal Behaviour specializing in Caribbean Ecology. They are multiple award-winning photographers and along with 4 published books, feature regularly in the diving, wildlife and international press They are the Underwater Photography and Deputy Editors at Scubaverse and Dive Travel Adventures. Winners of the Caribbean Tourism Organization Photo-journalist of the Year for a feature on Shark Diving in The Bahamas, and they have been placed in every year they have entered. Nick and Caroline regularly use their free time to visit schools, both in the UK and on their travels, to discuss the important issues of marine conservation, sharks and plastic pollution. They are ambassadors for Sharks4Kids and founders of SeaStraw. They are Dive Ambassadors for The Islands of The Bahamas and are supported by Mares, Paralenz, Nauticam and Olympus. To find out more visit www.frogfishphotography.com