UPY 2025

UPY 2019 Up & Coming - Commended
'Swimming in harmony'
Emily Irving-Swift

The biggest challenge of taking this picture was keeping up with the fish! They were quick swimmers and I was mesmerised by their movement. I wanted to photograph them with the coral underneath to bring those beautiful colours into the shot and create a contrast between the two elements. I held my arms out as far as possible to get a birds-eye view. With my wide-angle lens, I knew I had a chance of filling my frame with the bommie of coral if I could line it up! Holding my breath, I duck-dived down three metres to try to approach the fish without disturbing the direction or flow of the school. With the sunsetting, I used a low flash power to bring some light to the shot.

Judge's comment: There is so much energy in this image. If you look at it long enough you can begin to see just a hint of movement of all the fish around the coral. The colours are realistic and this top down shot works well.
Martin Edge