UPY 2025

UPY  British Waters Macro - Highly Commended
'Sea hare stare'
Kirsty Andrews

Sea hares can look brown, unappealing and sluggish until you look closely and notice the delicate patterns and touches of colour. They feed on seaweed which makes a distracting background, so I used a snoot for an isolated portrait effect. There was a little swell so this sea hare was wafting to and fro on its piece of weed. I set up my lighting from above and waited for the swell to move the sea hare into my pool of light. I like the way the snoot really highlights the head tentacles, which resemble a hare's ears, giving this animal its common name.

Judge's comment: This is a gorgeous shot in every way. It takes a potentially bland subject, isolates it with light and highlights it’s prominent features (eyes and ‘ears’) with shallow focus. A class act.
- Peter Rowlands