UPY 2025

UPY 2019 Up & Coming - Commended
'Jump!'
Pavlos Evangelidis

Some of Milos’ most beautiful beaches are only accessible by boat, which can be rather photogenic subjects themselves. When we stopped on the beautiful white sculpted rock formations of Gerontas I took my camera fitted with my widest lens, applied some dishwashing detergent on the dome (it helps avoid the formation of droplets when out of the water and I had not packed baby shampoo -my tool of choice). Most people headed for some jumps from the rocks, but I went on a hunt for some over/under shots of caves and rock formations. I saw a good photo-op of the divers with the sailboat in frame, while the position of the sun made for a nice silhouette shot. The sea surface was also cooperative on this one. I’m not an experienced over/under shooter but I was happy how this captured well our time in Milos: pure joy at sea.

Judge's comment: Although the underwater elements of this image are relatively minor, we loved the moment and narrative of the image. It makes you feel just like you are on summer holiday enjoying a warm, clear ocean. There is a fabulous feeling to this photo.
Alex Mustard