June 2016 Photo Contest Winner and Review

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

WINNER: Hunting at Dusk by Marcus Blatchford

PHOTOLINK: http://www.scubaverse.com/contestants/hunting-at-dusk/

When judging any underwater photography competition, the first thing we do is ask of each image: Is it in focus? The main subject has to be pin sharp. Is it exposed correctly?

We 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 we 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 us both go wow – I wish I had taken that!

June 2016

Nick

There were 54 entries this month, and the overall quality was amazing. I am on my own this month as Caroline is enjoying herself diving in South Africa, but I have tried to critique all the images that worked for me. Please do not feel put-off if your image has not been selected for critique – it is all subjective and these are my choices without any input from Caroline. Thank you to everyone who entered.

Playful Sealion by Ashton East – This is a lovely shot, especially with the “bubble vortices” leaving a trail in the water. I would have zoomed/cropped in a bit to accentuate the sealion, but still, a good effort.

Manta & Jack Dancing by Hayley Eaude – super shot of an amazing creature, and not always easy with a compact. I know the jack makes a story but it sort of creates a distraction and would be interested to see the jack removed.

Spiny starfish by Matthew Boa – This is a really nice example of a close up that is not quite an abstract. The lighting works really well to show the colours.

Hawkeye by Christian Llewellyn  – Close-up fish-head shots work really well when they are done well – and this one by Christian is done well. A portrait in profile.

Lone Diver by Christian Llewellyn  – Monochrome is so often over-used, especially for wrecks, but this one works. I particularly like the dive light coming out of the gloom.

Crab with anemone by Guy Mitchell  – This is a really interesting subject – these guys will put any hat on if it helps make them invisible. It could do with more lighting on its face and the backscatter is somewhat distracting.

Lionfish in the sha llows, again by Guy – This shot really shows the subject in its environment (or one of them) and creates a pleasing look. It is just a bit far away and too central (bullseyed) for me, though.

Juvenile Sweetlips by Huub van der Ligt – these little fellas are very tricky to get the right angle on but you have nailed it and I love the bocah that is the background.

Green Turtle by Dawn Clerkson – Really good angle on this turtle but I suspect you only used one strobe. I would have liked the dominant light from the right but it is still a lovely shot.

Blue Ringed Octopus by Angelo Strazzi – A difficult subject to spot and to get a decent angle on. It has all worked in this image and the black background almost brings the subject to life.

Home by Mathew Watts – This shot has been really well done with the light focused on the subject yet its environment has been included without being intrusive. Indeed, its surroundings are paramount to the whole effect.

Dondice banyulensis by Leonidas Stavrou – I love the colour co-ordination in this image. Personally I would have liked to see it taken more on a level with the subject but the colour and lighting are lovely.

Sunset Lemon by Sean Chinn – “When life gives you lemons” and one strobe isn’t working, you use failing sunlight and create contrast that pops the Lemon right out of the page. I am a fan of these sharks too.

White Dragon by Cinzia Bismark – Colour, great use of depth of field and negative space. I would have brought the highlights down on the moray’s body but the side lighting does give depth.

Ray of Lights by Cinzia Bismark – This is one of those shots where some of the rules have been ignored yet the result is just super. I don’t know what shutter speed you used but if you had been able to ramp it up some, then the shards of light would have been sharper and the image even better. I would have liked a diver, set back in the blue with a light, but it still works.

Outrageous Pink by Ben Rodriguez – Great use of depth of field with the blurry background and its left rhinophore clearly the focal point.

Chomodoris Wilani by David Niddam – The small depth of field in this nudi portrait works really well and the rhinophores are pin-sharp. Lots of subtle colours in the negative space work too. It is just a shame that the light has missed the very front of the critter.

Amazing little Gobi by Christopher Chong Hon Hin – This is another lovely shot using depth of field to bring the subject out of the frame. I love the way the sponge gets sharper as your eye moves towards the gobi.

Leap of Faith by Marcus Blatchford – This is another monochrome that works. The diver looks as if he/she has just made that leap and the composition is really pleasing. I love the way that the boat looks as though it is sailing out of fog.

Electric ray and sea turtle by Arshal Shoshani – I love the composition and subjects in this image but the “solarisation” of the Sun around the turtle is just too pronounced. Still a super shot though.

Hunting at Dusk by Marcus Blatchford – Super image; I love the composition and lighting with the silhouette of the boat behind.

The Flatworm is Dancing by Laura Giavardi – Beautifully presented and the black background works really well. The front of the worm is pin sharp and it bocahs gently along its length.

Christmas Tree Worm by Sukhdev Singh – This is a really nice example of a subject nearly all of us have taken. The angle is perfect and it brings the blue right out of the screen.

Nicola Sturgeon by Paul Ansell – Another monochrome image that works. The silver scales of the fish contrast superbly with the dark background.

And the winner is…

Hunting at Dusk by Marcus Blatchford.

I would place Sunset Lemon by Sean Chinn in second place and Chromodoris Willani by David Niddam 3rd. Congratulations to all three of you.