UPY 2025

UPY  Black & White - Highly Commended
'Shimmer'
Toh Xing Jie

The Sardine Run is notorious for its chaos, but many don’t realize it’s also a waiting game. It is the quiet moments that stay with you. This inspired me to capture the magic in its calm moments, in parallel to the dolphins who, like me, were chilling and waiting for the rest of the pod to catch up. Composing the shot, I dived and held my breath, and waited for the perfect moment. Then, as if on cue, a pod of three dolphins swam close to the surface, their curiosity mirroring my own. To enhance the scene, I lowered the aperture to create the dreamy bubbles effect, transforming the shimmering light into an ethereal backdrop. Using a wide-angle lens, I framed the dolphins as they glided gracefully, their energy bringing the image to life. Surreal is the only word to describe the Sardine Run—a dream I’m lucky to have lived.

Judge's comment: I love these images with some bubbles that make it at the same time fuzzy but also creatively appreciated! The key element is that the photographer managed to keep the focus on the dolphins so everything else is a bit blurred which even gives more attention to the subject.

Tobias Friedrich