UPY 2025

UPY  Wide Angle - Highly Commended
'Spinner dolphins of the Sataya Reef'
Mehmet A. Gungen

This image was shot during a morning snorkeling session in Sataya reef, in the southern Egyptian Red Sea, during a liveaboard scuba diving trip with fellow underwater photographers. Our aim was to photograph the resident spinner dolphin pod and I visualized the image I would like to achieve - a photograph of a tight pod of dolphins swimming towards the camera to give plenty of eye contact. Sataya is a popular place and I want to create an image free of other snorkellers. This meant lots of swimming to be in the best spot, and freediving down ahead of the dolphins to be at their as they swam past. I used the Nikonos 13mm fisheye that kept my camera small and easy to swim with. And I avoided blur by shooting above 1/250 and using higher than usual ISO to compensate when shooting in the early morning.

Judge's comment: A very well timed image to capture the ‘swim past’ in lovely soft light. Well chosen camera settings freeze the action in detail and entertain the eye more and more with each viewing.

Peter Rowlands