UPY 2025

UPY  British Waters Wide Angle - Commended
'E49 submarine'
Kirsty Andrews

The E49 is a truly atmospheric wreck. This WWI British submarine hit a mine in Balta Sound in Shetland on 12 March 1917; she sank quickly and there were no survivors of the 31 crew. More than a century later she now sits in white sand 29m deep, slowly disappearing into the seabed and providing a home to ling, crabs and octopuses.

I shot in natural light and stitched 7 images together in post-processing to create a panorama that captures the whole wreck, with divers exploring her.

Judge's comment: Wrecks in British waters shouldn’t look this good :-) and, often times, they certainly don’t but the right use of technique and black and white has created a groundbreaking image.
Peter Rowlands