UPY 2025

UPY  British Waters Wide Angle - Runner Up
'The Great Migration'
Mark Kirkland

It’s the microscopic plankton which draws the massive Basking Shark up the west coast of Britain and into the narrow channel between the Isles of Coll and Tiree. While their migration is predictable, to share the water with them still requires that element of luck and to spend a late summer evening with them (in 2020 of all years) was a dream. I’ve photographed Basking Sharks before and never managed that classic ‘head-on’ shot, so decided to try for something completely different instead. With challenging lighting conditions and plankton rich waters, I wasn’t sure if it could be done but after two years of planning, an experimental 19-inch dome (frame made by my brother - thanks Paul), trial and error with lenses and ND filters, and of course - the arrival of Sharks - I finally had the chance to find out.

Judge's comment: This image raises the bar for Basking Shark shots. There is so much that has to come right to get a shot like this that it might seem impossible but we now have proof. It is possible and it's absolutely awesome!
- Peter Rowlands