Underwater Images that Will Take Your Breath Away (UPY19)
Rebecca Daniel
Following the release of this years UPY winners, I've hand picked a few of my favourites...
Wide Angle
Gentle Giants ©Francois Baelen/UPY2019
The symmetry of this shot, with the humpback perfectly centrered, and diver and calf mirrored on either side, immediately caught my attention. It has a tranquil air about it, conveying the vastness and beauty of the open ocean. You can see why this image won this category.
Words from the photographer:
At the very end of the day, this humpback whale was resting 15 meters down and allowed me to free dive centimetres away from her tail. I told my friend I wanted him to be part of the shot, but didn't need to ask the playful calf: he was very curious. From down there, the scene looked unreal and I'm glad that this photograph has captured this moment. Humpback whales are amazing and peaceful animals and I still can't believe they are still being hunted by mankind today.
Macro
Bubbles ©Marcello Di Francesco/UPY2019
This shot literally sparkles. I love the abundance of dotted patterns in this shot. Although I would have liked the nudibranch to be more in focus, the softness somewhat adds to the delicacy of the image. As someone who strongly dislikes blackwater images, I love how the photographer has gotten creative to produce something a little different.
Words from the photographer:
This shot was born with the intent to try something different for the Anilao shootout that took place in November 2018 in the Philippines. My intention was to submit in the nudibranch category a shot that could have great impact. Often the nudibranchs are placed in places that do not allow beautiful / colored backgrounds, so to avoid the classic black ones I decided to use a special background that combined with the blur given by the open lens aperture could exaggerate the colors of the subject and recall bubbles underwater.
Wrecks
Ghost Ferry ©Becky Schott/UPY2019
The composition of this photo is spot on. The light from above and illumination of the wreck from the torch light below invites the viewer in, hinting at hidden secrets. The tow lines really add depth and detail to the image.
Words from the photographer:
The James W. Curran and John McPhail were car ferries that sank into 210ft / 64 meters while being towed to Kingston Ontario. They couldn't handle the strain of the storm and even today they are still attached by the long tow line. The Curran is turtled and the McPhail is upright on the bottom. Two interesting wrecks, in one dive!
Portrait
Oh no Godzilla ©Bruce Sudweeks/UPY2019 The Mysterious ©Liang Fu/UPY2019
For me a portrait is all about the eyes, and both of these photos have conveyed the individual’s character. The level of detail captured by Sudweeks is remarkable, from the scales to the teeth and even the slacks of colour in the eye. Moray eels always remind me of The Little Mermaid, and Fu has enabled her subject to emanate that dark menace perfectly.
Words from the photographers:
The Galapagos Islands are the only place on the planet that you can see marine Iguanas in their natural habitant. This photo looks like the fictional character Godzilla that is smiling before starting some mischief - Bruce Sudweeks.
The moray eel is often an ignored subject in underwater photography as it is a common critter. However it amazes me by its mysterious characters when I take photos of it. This is the image I shot with two snoots on both side of the moray eel to create strong shadow on the face. This is how I want to show the beauty of it coming out of the darkness - Liang Lu
Black & White
Between Two Worlds ©Henley Spiers/UPY2019
There is no doubt that this is a winning image, it’s absolutely breathtaking. For me the concept behind the image demands a great level of respect for Spiers.
Words from the photographer:
10 metres down, I found myself hovering between two worlds. Below, an enormous school of fish covered the bottom as far as I could see. Above, a single Cormorant patrolled the surface, catching its breath and peering down at a potential underwater feast. The cormorant, better designed for swimming than flying, would dive down at speed, aggressively pursuing the fish. The school would move in unison to escape the bird’s sharp beak, making it difficult to isolate a single target. More often than not, the bird returned to the surface empty handed and peace would momentarily be restored. I would squint up at the sunny surface, trying to keep track of the predator and anticipate the next underwater raid. This image captures the hostile, black silhouette of the cormorant as it dives down onto its prey, who for a brief moment, remain unaware of the danger above.
Compact
Reflection of a juvenile platax tera on a leaf ©Jack Berthomier/UPY2019
I’m a sucker for reflective shots; the simplicity of this along with the complimentary colours really makes this image stand out to me.
Words from the photographer:
Many times a year in Noumea (New Caledonia) where I live, the strong winds, heavy rains and high tides reflect in the bays numerous green wastes (flowers, leaves, pieces of wood) as well as other non-green waste (plastics, bottles, ropes). Numerous juveniles use them to hide from predators. Four times a week I swim with my palms, mask and snorkel looking for those juveniles. Most common ones are the Sargassum fishes who, when algae get on the beach, swim seaward and stop on everything floating around them. That day, I had the chance to photograph this very rare juvenile Platax Tera (4 cm).
British Waters - Wide Angle
Marine Compass ©Malcom Nimmo/UPY2019
I love the way that the reflection of the sky seems almost to be ejected from the jellyfish or as if the world is ensnared in its tentacles.
Words from the photographer:
Being a passionate diver and snorkeler, I spend much of my spare time in UK waters particularly around Plymouth Sound, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly. All are beautiful and diverse marine environments. Towards the end of July, you may be lucky enough to encounter a compass jellyfish, pulsating gently through the surface waters. Not only are they fascinating creatures but they make potentially beautiful photographic subjects. This photograph was taken whilst snorkelling in the Isles of Scilly in only a few metres of water, shooting directly upwards to capture the surface features and a partial Snell’s windows. Maintaining both the surface features and subject illumination requires high strobe power settings and hence careful strobe positioning. Hopefully this image highlights the beautiful marine environments we are lucky to have around the UK.
British Waters - Living Together
Pier Buddies ©Kirsty Andrews/UPY2019
I love the contrast between the look of shock on the wrasses face and the indifference by the blenny. The murky waters of the harbour give a beautiful soft colour.
Words from the photographer:
Swanage pier in good visibility is a great UK shore dive and hosts a varied cast of critter characters in about 3m of water, allowing a long, pleasant, shallow experience. A tompot blenny was guarding a clutch of eggs inside the empty clam shell, and he appeared to have a close relationship with the corkwing wrasse, who darted towards me several times in an attempt to warn me away from his buddy’s brood. He probably had his own nest close-by. It was important to me to get the impression of the pier structure behind these two, to show the full scene.
And I've saved the best till last..... A picture says a thousand words, and these two say an awful lot.
Conservation
Killing Angels ©Joao Rodrigues/UPY2019 Prawns & Bycatch ©Aaron Gekoski/UPY2019
Both these images show the perils of overfishing. The gill racker trade is such a destructive industry, but we must also realise the effects of our own diets on the marine environment. By-catch is a serious issue, which is highly unregulated. This plundering of our oceans needs to stop.
Words from the photographers:
Mobula rays are caught and brought by villagers to the Munca fishing port (located in eastern Java), the second largest port in Indonesia. A typical victim of bycatch, mobula ray gills are extracted and exported to China to support the rising demand for traditional medicines. This image depicts a local villager processing a mobula with a traditional katana. I chose this dramatic moment, which invokes the exploitation of these charismatic animals, to raise awareness about their cruel reality. This photo was captured during an assignment for National Geographic Portugal. A marine biologist from the University of the Azores, studying the sensory biology of mobulids, led this expedition to develop new methods to reduce bycatch. Without conservation efforts, these winged fish, which swim through the water like angels, may soon be endangered due to overfishing - Joao Rodrigues
For every 1kg of prawns we eat, up to 9kg of fish, other crustaceans, coral, cephalopods, and more may have been killed. Bycatch is one of the greatest threats facing our oceans. In fact, it's thought that 40% of all global catch is bycatch. The prawn trawling industry is traditionally one of the worst offenders, with some fleets producing as much as 90% bycatch to 10% target catch. Something to consider next time you tuck into a tasty plate of prawns… I took this image whilst on assignment for Discovery Channel, shooting a film for Shark Week on bycatch. It was an image I'd envisaged before getting on the boat, as a strong visual way of illustrating a complex issue that doesn't receive nearly enough exposure - Aaron Gekoski
About Underwater Photographer of the Year
Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that seeks to celebrate photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes and even swimming pools. British photographer Phil Smith was the first underwater Photographer of the Year, named in 1965. Today’s competition 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. This year’s judges were experienced underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Martin Edge and Alex Mustard.