UPY 2024

UPY  Award Winners - British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024
'Star Attraction'
Jenny Stock

Loch Leven is a Scottish dive site near Oban that can be can easily be accessed via a lay-by on the A82. Once there a walk down a steep leafy track will lead you into the ‘refreshing’ water. As I descended into the dark green depths of the sea loch, on a dusk dive, I approached an area where my torch picked out the vivid colours of a living carpet of thousands of brittlestars.
Captivated by the variety of hues and patterns each star took, I felt this was an incredible encounter with a species I’d never seen before. I was happily snapping away, when I spotted this purple sea urchin and I got really excited. A dominant star next to this graphic invertebrate created a beautifully balanced pair, perfectly surrounded by an entanglement of the background brittlestars.

Judge's comment: This is a celebratory British image on many levels - a full frame carpet of vibrant, healthy marine life with complimentary colours, well composed and very original. Subtlety is a gamble in competitions but this one paid off and appealed to all the judges alike.
Peter Rowlands