UPY 2025

UPY  Black & White - Highly Commended
'Sea turtle serenity'
Renee Capozzola

This split shot of a green sea turtle resting calmly at the surface juxtaposed against a dramatic sky was taken at Apo Island in the Philippines. Established as a community-organized marine sanctuary in 1982, Apo Island provides strong legal protections for the many sea turtles that inhabit the azure waters above its vibrant corals, and has inspired the creation of many similar marine sanctuaries throughout the world. During this visit, I wanted to capture a half and half image of one of the turtles and was blessed with a relatively calm day to achieve this shot. I converted this image to monochrome to emphasize the dramatic sky and natural contrast.

Judge's comment: Excellent image and very nice, creative editing of the black and whites. For me, this also could have placed higher as it was one of my favourites in this category. Well done!
Tobias Friedrich