UPY 2025

UPY  Award Winners - Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024
'Window of Opportunity'
Lisa Stengel

The moment of ambush amidst a blur of evasion! This photo captures the instant of the attack.
We spent an exciting week looking for bait balls, which provided many opportunities. The season’s unique water temperatures kept the marlin farther from reach, but brought an interesting phenomenon: an unprecedented amount of mahi mahi. I chose not to wear a hood and noticed a distinct noise from the bait ball every time the mahi would attempt to hit a target. If you listen closely, there’s an enormous amount of sound in the ocean, especially surrounding bait balls. I honed in on the sound of mahi attacks and followed this unmistakeable sound with my camera. This technique, coupled with serendipitous conditions gave me the window of opportunity to capture this special moment.

Judge's comment: WHAT A MOMENT. This is a phenomenal action photo, capturing high speed hunting at the decisive moment. Definitely one of the most remarkable images in the contest and we love how Lisa used all her senses to capture this amazing photo.
Alex Mustard