UPY 2025

UPY  Black and white - Commended
'Freedom'
Nicolas Hahn

For most of the past year I was fortunate enough to live in a small sea-side town in Baja California Sur. During this time Orcas had often been sighted in the bay but predicting which route they took after receiving the report was not easy and they eluded me through most of the year. One morning, a friend called me to go in search of them and with some indication from a yacht captain who had a sighting that same morning, we learned of their general direction. After spotting a blow in the distance, the excitement was very real. Sharing the space with this clever, powerful and sophisticated species was humbling and awe inspiring. During one of the encounters I found myself shooting against the light but with a capable camera I was able to preserve detail and the sun rays pierced through the water in a beautiful way.

Judge's comment: I was slightly alone in my liking of this image but the other judges respected my choice and I think the top ten would have been poorer without it. - Peter Rowlands