UPY 2025

UPY  Up and Coming - Commended
'Pygmy Seahorse at the Disco'
Patricia Dusman

One of my goals for my 2019 Lembeh trip was getting good pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus bargibanti, photos for my portfolio. The pygmy seahorse is less than 2cm in height and lives well camouflaged on large sea fans They are difficult to photograph and have eluded me in the past. I charged my guide, Opo Kecil at Lembeh Resort, to look for them whenever possible. After getting the classic shots we played around with introducing some fun backgrounds that I had brought to experiment with. I was incredibly pleased with how it came together.

Judge's comment: Capturing a pleasing pygmy portrait is a rite of passage for many aspiring photographers. Very few manage to produce such a precisely frame and focused portrait with the added sparkle of background interest.
- Alex Mustard