Irish photographer takes top honours in competition with rare image of courting sharks off the West Coast of Ireland
The British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP) are once again pleased to announce results of The British and Irish Underwater Photography Championship (BIUPC) which was held on 4th September 2021.
For Underwater Photographers, a “splash-in” is a competition that takes place on a single nominated day, when photographers jump into the water to compete against each other. Traditionally, these competitions have been restricted to particular locations, but BIUPC is unique in that it has developed a format to allow pictures to be taken anywhere within the coastal or inland waterways of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. This has hugely increased the richness and variety of pictures submitted for judging, and so truly allows for a snapshot of the underwater environment captured photographically around these shores under time pressure.
Nick Watson is the Chair of BSoUP and organiser of BIUPC each year, and has made this appeal to all Branch members for BIUPC 2022 and all future years: ‘The spirit of this competition is unique, and one where we as a diving and photographic community can capture the heart and spirit of our waters over 24 hours. You don’t have to be the most experienced photographer or have the best equipment to get noticed (photography in general lends itself to being in the right place and at the right time). So, I’d like to encourage as many Branch members in 2022 to take part in BIUPC, thus growing this body of history. From my experience Branch members will be diving in areas where many unique images can be taken’.
There are three main categories for competitors:
- Wide Angle (open)
- Close Up (open)
- Compact Camera (restricted)
Each of these categories will have one winner, and one overall Champion is chosen from these 3 images. The ultimate prize is the coveted Peter Scoones memorial Trophy.
There is also a category for:
- Man’s Impact on UK and Irish Marine and freshwater Environments (but this isn’t included for the Overall Champion)
- ‘Newcomers’ – those who haven’t been taking pictures underwater for more than three 3 years, and are eligible to become Overall Champion (it’s the quality of the image that counts not the equipment or experience)
76 images were submitted in total, with 34 entrants, 3 in the restricted category. Results were announced online at the BSoUP monthly meeting held on 21st September 2021. The judges were Atanas Petrov and John Collins. Results for BIUPC 2021 were as follows:
For more information about BSoUP visit the website by clicking here.
