UPY 2025

UPY  British Waters Macro - Runner Up
'Fluo Spiny Squat Lobster'
James Lynott

This image was taken on a wonderful night dive at Inveraray, Loch Fyne. This site is known for being home to many beautiful fireworks anemones at shallow depths, but it also has an old pipe covered in concrete blocks which is home to lots of life, including the spiny squat lobster. These squat lobsters are usually found clinging upside down on boulders/overhangs and disappear the instant the camera shutter is pressed. However, on this night dive they were wondering about in the open and didn’t seem to mind having a few pictures taken. These squat lobsters show the brightest fluorescence I have seen in crustaceans and I was really pleased on this dive to be able to capture the whole animal in frame. I used excitation filters on my strobes, along with a yellow barrier filter in front of the lens to capture the fluorescence.

Judge's comment: James’s fluorescent exploration of British waters has revealed another stunning subject when photographed with this technique. A little more contrast in processing, a tiny crop and a rotation into vertical and this truly memorable shot could have gone all the way...

Alex Mustard