UPY 2025

UPY  Behaviour - Commended
'The Hunt'
Nadya Kulagina

I was hoping to see silversides last summer in Grand Cayman. Some were spotted around Eden Rock and when I went there, there were a lot of silversides but they were outnumbered by photographers willing to take pictures of them. So I went back to Eden Rock early the next day. As the day before, this time the silversides were still in abundance forming clouds so thick I could barely see any light not to mention tarpons hunting them. When tarpons attack silversides, they move through the school at an extremely fast speed. I was very fortunate with the timing of this shot because the tarpon that I first couldn?t see swam toward me cutting through the school of silversides, opening up some space behind and letting the light come through. A yellow sponge in the bottom left corner added more color to this shot making it more eye catching.

Judge's comment: There is so much energy going on in this image. The silversides are thick and fast, from the the very near foreground, right through to the blue water in the far distance. The tarpon close to the lens is key to this entire composition. The eye contact is excellent, sizing up the the silversides balled around the yellow sponge. The lighting is ideal from both front and back and perfectly controlled by the use of two strobes. Great use of depth perspective through out. I liked this shot very much indeed.
- Martin Edge