UPY 2025

UPY 2019 British Waters Wide Angle - Commended
'The silent guns of the SMS Markgraf'
Steve Jones

A casemate gun on the mighty German Battleship SMS Markgraf which was scuttled in Scapa Flow, Orkney a century ago on 21st June 1919, following the end of WW1. The wreck now lies upside down in 45 metres of water. Operating at this depth in challenging poor visibility and low light conditions due to a plankton bloom, this image would not have been possible without the teamwork of my buddy Bob Anderson, who not only set up the lighting but also stars in the shot! Knowing the conditions ahead of the dive, we picked this recognisable feature and agreed to devote the entire dive to it: Better to come back with 1 or 2 good shots than 10 mediocre ones, which would have been the outcome if we had not put all our effort into this. I'd like to deservedly credit and thank Bob for his work on this image.

Judge's comment: The advent of powerful LED lighting is transforming wreck photography in the UK and worldwide but it needs to be used with purpose so if you aspire to this branch of underwater photography then look no further for a masterly tutorial.
Peter Rowlands