UPY 2025

UPY  Up and Coming - Highly Commended
'Sweetlips of Sawandarek'
Nicolas Hahn

The schooling sweetlips of Sawandarek, in Raja Ampat, are some of the most tolerant and curious fish I've seen. They lie on top of a patch of cabbage coral alongside humpback and bluestripe snappers and don't seem too bothered by divers. I had photographed them before, but after doing some reading on slow shutter techniques, I wanted to make the most out of their curious behaviour. Approaching carefully and getting up close with a slow shutter speed, I started rotating my camera and pushed the trigger as I had practiced on sponges and other subjects before. I took a handful of images, but the one I liked the most was this one where the turning trails where where satisfying and a lone diagonal banded sweetlips turned to give the camera a look.

Judge's comment: The textures created by the intentional camera movement, add an additional visual treat to this ‘wall of content’ composition, where the frame is filled with perfectly stacked eyes and stripes. A winner pack with energy and excellent execution
- Alex Mustard