UPY 2025

UPY  Marine Conservation - Highly Commended
'Cleaning Up'
Rosie Leaney

One of my favourite roles as a divemaster in Manly, was organising underwater clean-up events, and meeting passionate divers who care for our local environment. So I wanted to create an image showing the positive impact of our dive community on the marine debris problem. I decided to do this as a stitched panorama. It was an ambitious idea, and I wasn't sure if it would work. I took position underwater, with the camera on a tripod. A diver would approach me with rubbish they had found, I would take the image, then rotate the camera to the next diver. We repeated this process until I was satisfied with the images. Fortunately, with skilled divers, a plan, and some creative underwater signalling, we pulled it off in one dive!

Judge's comment: It is always heartened to have powerful images with a positive message to award in this category. Just as on land, cleaning litter can make a big different in our local seas, the panoramic image adds a creative twist to this documentary image.
- Alex Mustard