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UPY 2026 Black & White - Third
'Power and Pace'
David Alpert
December in Cape Town and the young fur seals are super active, playing in the waves as they crash onto the jagged rocks of Duiker Island. Joining them in the surf is exhilarating, though photography is incredibly difficult. These animals shoot through the swell like lightning bolts; there is no time for autofocus, only instinct. I have returned to this spot for over five years to capture this exact moment. Sadly, such an experience is currently unattainable as seal colonies along the Cape coast struggle with a rabies outbreak. One wonders if these encounters will ever be safe again.
Judge's comment: Great capture and a perfect conversion to black and white ! This is what black and white images are all about, the sheer contrast and interesting structures which only get really visible with the right image and post production. Kudus to the photographer to select this image and having the creativity to see something more in it.
Tobias Friedrich
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