Underwater

Atmosphere!! Haunting image of a free-diver swimming across the frame, with light beams spotlighting the main protagonist. A very simple image that transports us to this ethereal under world. The oily surface texture combined with sun rays makes for a winning picture.

A colourful and busy reef scenic with good, even foreground light, with a diver holding a torch, looking into the frame giving depth to the picture. The multitude of various fish gives the picture so much energy and describes the scene perfectly. The abundant life in this beautiful picture highlights the biodiversity on these reefs, it is off the scale and so great to capture it in a single frame.

One of the few aquarium shots I have included in my judging shortlist. In general I prefer naturalistic shots from the wild BUT this is a shot i kept coming back to. The combination of the yellow fish and blue background is a winner. The reflection is perfect and the eye contact from both subject and reflection is lovely. I even like the random scattering of bubbles at the surface, adding another layer. Love it.