UPY 2025

UPY  Black and white - Commended
'Savage Jaw'
Jenny Stock

Crocodile! I was terrified of them for years, then, like the flick of a switch, I longed to snorkel with one. This particular croc was poised in the cover of a mangrove bank in Cuba. I slipped into the water and approached it cautiously. Suddenly it took off into the open water, advancing towards me with such power and speed that we almost collided. The croc looked directly into my lens, then began to descend rapidly under my body. Photographically this was awesome as its passage between me and the sun allowed sunbeams to backlight the crocodile's savage jaw. As it launched itself from the mangrove roots, it dislodged a large amount of sediment. These blurred waterborne particles add momentum to the image. For once - no need for backscatter removal!

Judge's comment: I really like this unusual portrait of a crocodile reduced to the most stunning part of it: the teeth. Along with the slow shutter speed and backscatter it creates a very artistic shot. In my opinion this image could also have placed higher. :-) - Tobias Friedrich