UPY 2025

UPY  Compact - Runner Up
'Headspace'
James Rokop

My daughter Madi is a favorite subject. I have been photographing her for years on her artistic swimming team in Davis, California (Aquastarz). I have spent countless hours at the pool with fins, goggles, and a compact camera in a water housing. I shoot aerial, land, and underwater but the magic really happens in the latter. Shooting in natural sunlight in an outdoor pool is simply the best venue for capturing all the unusual light patterns and underwater physical features. In this photo, Madi is performing a "barracuda" maneuver, one of the many compulsory figures that are required in competition and to advance in the sport. The move requires Madi to "scull" with her hands to stay vertical and then to lift herself above the water line as high as she can. In this shot, the angle, the lighting, and shape were compelling and even more so when inverted.

Judge's comment: Straightforward elements combined to create an eye-catching frame. A picture that demonstrates that the most essential piece of gear for compelling imagery is the eye of the photographer. - Alex Mustard