Marine Life

The movement in this image is so beautiful, the current of the ocean sweeping the delicate tendrils of the frogfish in what I can only imagine is very effective camouflage. I think what sold me on this image and elevated it above others is the gentle light on the animal's eyes set apart between the great open maw, a sure sign that this ambush predator is on the hunt. A dark background helps to isolate such a difficult subject to make a portrait of and is really effective in this scene.

I absolutely love this viewpoint of something so alien and tiny I'd wager most people had no idea it even existed. To think this larvae will grow into a nautilus is nothing short of amazing. The skill it takes to photograph a 1cm animal underwater should not be understated, this is as skillful an image as it is intriguing. I chose this image as I believe it is an excellent piece of art in addition to reminding us how truly amazing and ethereal the underwater world is.

This image is so elegant and serene; I absolutely love the framing and the balance of light and dark. I think this is a phenomenal example of portraiture of a subject, I can't think of a better way to show off the unique beauty of a whale shark. The flow of the animal up to the surface where light gently breaks through is just stunning! Excellent usage of light by the photographer.

Of the many images of whales breaching I've seen, this one stands apart from the rest as it shows such a grace that is antithetical to what you'd assume of such a massive creature. The whale's body leads the viewer's eye along the image and I especially like the one flipper poised out above the rest of the animal.

This photograph is a grim reminder of the reality of our worldwide Anthropocene ecological crisis, showing the entanglement of our native wildlife and the insidious and everlasting microplastic waste that plagues the oceanic environment. Land or sea, there is nowhere on earth that has escaped the presence of microplastics. I commend the photographer's mindset here in creating a thought provoking and stark image of what almost appears to be seaweed at first, but grabs the viewer with a dark message. To me, this is a necessary and important addition to this contest.

This is a gorgeous image of a difficult capture, compelling and sharp shots of birds in flight are never easy. I enjoy how this image shows off motifs of marine life from far above, the expanse of sea in the background and a mouthful of seaweed, a thought provoking take on the contest topic that shows how important the ocean is to a massive host of diverse wildlife.

This is such an interesting take on the prompt, a reminder of how expansive the history of marine life is since the dawn of time. Life originated in the ocean and to this day the incredible diversity of marine life we have now descended from ancestors such as these trilobites.. I think this image is well composed, thought provoking, and I enjoy the inclusion of the caliper to contextualize the subjects.

What I love especially about this image is how effectively it captures the diversity and chaos of marine life, perfectly encapsulating the "riot of life" that exists in this realm so different from our own. The camouflage of the wobbegong, such a fascinating animal, provides a neat subject amongst so much business, and I love how his whiskers blend neatly with the corals around. This image perfectly meets the criteria of the contest and beyond for me. I also love the little window into the deeper ocean in the background, adding so much depth to the image.

This image is exceptional. I love the contrast of dark cormorant snaking through the rays of light piercing the depths of the ocean, and the third of the image dedicated to the swarming prey of your subject on the hunt. Nailing focus on an underwater bird cannot be easy, especially in such a perfect composition. This is really nice work and shows a great level of skill and dedication to the craft, as well as showcasing marine life in a way that is rare to see.

This photograph is so fascinating on such an ethereal level. This pygmy seahorse is a beautiful and alien looking creature that can be appreciated in all its unique glory through macro photography. I think the dark background is essential to show off the intricacies of the animal and I love the focus on its eye and round little mouth. This is a great image all around and well deserving of placing highly in this contest as it showcases a great example of the fascinating diversity of marine life.

I love the flow of the subject in this image, slightly off center which draws the eye of the viewer along the mantis shrimp's brilliantly colored body. The colors really make this image exceptional to me, the shrimp camouflages a bit with the scenery yet stands out at the same time, bold and unique. These incredible creatures are one of my favorites and this is a stunning portrait of such a unique animal.

This image is strikingly disturbing to me at first glance, to see that many octopuses dead demonstrates the impact of what humans are capable of doing to such an intelligent and dynamic species. That being said, this image also clearly illustrates how the ocean nourishes us and provides livelihoods for countless individuals all over the world. To my understanding, octopus fishing can be sustainable small scale like this considering their short life spans and high reproductive success. Despite my personal dislike of the consumption of octopuses due to their high intelligence, this image is beautifully shot. Not only that: it does what a great journalistic image should do, it made me uncomfortable and made me think, empathize, and learn.

The behavior in this image is absolutely magical. Something that almost no one will ever get the chance to witness. These two nudibranchs are gorgeous creatures to boot, brilliant and so delightfully diverse and alien. I think this image does a great job of sharing how weird and wonderful marine life is, and their colors are stunning. This bold image also contains unique animal behavior as well, always a plus to me as a wildlife photographer.

This is one of my very favorite shots from the entire contest, it is absolutely beautiful. The angle and shadows in this really pull it together for me. I enjoy the single (remora?) fish as well, I believe it adds quite a bit of intrigue to the image. The gentle light is quite calming. An image evoking a sense of serenity overall.

For such a low-energy subject, usually something that I consider distracting in wildlife photography, I absolutely love this shot! The red sand covering the seal makes for such an intriguing shot, and what fabulous texture and shadows. I think this is a wonderful work of portraiture. The red sand is so delightful.