UPY 2025

UPY  Black and white - Third
'Water Dimension'
James Rokop

Moments like these are simple but magical. An artistic swimmer on a break playing on the bottom of the pool. Me, the father of two swimmers, spending countless hours photographing my daughter's team learning and experimenting with how to capture every angle of the sport during moments of action and seeming inaction. Using only a compact camera in natural light, in this photo it is my hope to show that a simple pool can offer countless surprises underwater, both in its properties of light and in its physical attributes, i.e., the leading lines on the bottom and the crosses on the sides. I have only learned this through experience and patience but yet I am not so naive to think that any of this would be possible without the wonderfully athletic and playful swimmers like young Issie depicted in this photo.

Judge's comment: A simple scene, but the precision of the composition makes this photo one that captivates you with details. The contrast between the lines of the pool and the scribbles on the light, and the position of the swimmer, show it is not what you shoot, but how you shoot it. - Alex Mustard