UPY 2025

UPY  Portrait - Highly Commended
'Zombie'
Matthew Perez

I initially went to this site to photograph fall-run Chinook salmon spawning behaviour. I had to abandon that plan because the spawning fish were in deep, fast-moving water, and my weight belt wasn’t heavy enough for me to safely photograph them. Instead, I turned my attention to the fish on the outskirts in calmer water. I slowly approached this male and first tried to make images conveying his movements. However, as I spent more time looking at him through my viewfinder, I became enthralled by his appearance. Beyond his morbid exterior, there was something captivating about him. His eyes had so much life in them; they defied his physical condition. I wanted to capture his confidence in the face of death.

Judge's comment: This zombie salmon looks so menacing crammed into the framing. The unbalanced composition works so well with this unsettling subject. Salmon die after spawning and the fish are often literally falling apart by the end, as all their energy goes into the next generation. Although this fish will die, its body will seed the streams with nutrients ensuring an excellent start to life for its offspring.
Alex Mustard