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UPY 2026 Black & White - Winner
'Coral Window'
Shunsuke Nakano
Light enters the wreck through a window, a square cut into history and now taken over by life. Choosing to shoot in black and white, I am inviting the viewer to contrast the thick, straight manmade lines with the delicate and intricate patterns of nature. Gorgonians fan outward like frozen breath, turning rust into art. Between them, a lone wrasse punctuates the frame, providing movement in an otherwise still composition. Off Sado Island, the past is not lost, it is inhabited. The window no longer looks out; it invites us to look in, framing the story of nature reclaiming metal.
Judge's comment: The ocean framed. Simply a perfectly observed scene for an underwater monochrome image. But the image also captures the decisive moment. I suspect there was also a lot of patience waiting for the wrasse to so perfectly complete the composition.
Alex Mustard
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