UPY 2026 Compact - Runner Up

UPY 2026 Compact - Runner Up
'Veins of the Earth'
Manuel Wüthrich

Cenotes have always fascinated me - these ancient windows into the underworld where light, water and geology meet. In the Cenote Dos Pisos, I discovered a chamber whose ceiling was pierced by powerful roots. They reached deep into the water like veins, connecting the subterranean world with the life above. To capture this image, we planned a special cave dive to reach the exact spot under safe and optimal conditions. For a brief moment, everything seemed to merge: stone, water, light and time. In that silence, nature felt like a single, breathing organism. My goal was to reveal this fragile connection, the vulnerability of the cenotes, their spiritual atmosphere, and the power of life that finds its way even in the most unlikely places.

Judge's comment: Wow, what a good shot from the Cenotes, especially because it's taken with a compact camera. All judges were very impressed by the sheer quality of the image. We are super happy to award to as a runner up too as the composition and handling of the light inside the cave is just perfect. Well done!

Tobias Friedrich