UPY 2024

UPY  Marelux Macro - Highly Commended
'Hard at Work – Behind the Scenes'
David Alpert

The strong currents of the Maldives momentarily raised the giant carpet anemone away from the reef, to which it was attached, it exposed the most beautiful and delicate spotted porcelain crab on its underside. As new ocean water flowed into the space, the crab would raise its feathery arm like structures (long seta - bristles) located right below the head, to filter planktonic algae and crustaceans, out of the water. Fascinating to watch, difficult to capture. I positioned one of my strobes on the outside of the anemone to illuminate the crab through its host. This cast an interesting orange glow over the subject allowing me to capture it undisturbed, hard at work “behind the scenes”.
I positioned one of my strobes on the outside of the anemone to illuminate the crab through its host. This cast an interesting orange glow over the subject allowing me to capture it undisturbed, hard at work “behind the scenes”.

Judge's comment: The combination of colors and sharpness of the subject is absolutely amazing. I like the linear look of the image, but if there would be something in the negative, black space the image could have placed even higher.
Tobias Friedrich