UPY 2025

UPY  Up & Coming - Winner
'Aurora Underwater'
Ruruka

I first travelled to Cancun, Mexico, for a shoot two years ago, and since then, I’ve been captivated by its charm. These days, I find myself visiting Cancun frequently. From where I live, it’s a very long journey - about 24 hours by plane - but this place perfectly aligns with the direction of my photography and offers a variety of shooting opportunities. To capture this particular photo, I visited during the rainy summer season and worked with a local Korean guide as my model.

Judge's comment: Extraordinary image with a high technical standard and perfect postproduction of it! The diver is well positioned in the golden ratio while not being in front of anything. The balance of the light from outside which falls into the cave is just an excellent repetition and shows what the image is all about. Well done and a very well deserved category winner.

Tobias Friedrich