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UPY 2026 Macro - Winner
'Calm at the Heart of Turmoil'
SeongCheol Cho
While diving in Tulamben with my guide, Jaye, I encountered a commensal shrimp living within a naturally spiralling whip coral. Something I had long hoped to see. The coral’s deep, rich green formed a striking nest for the brightly coloured shrimp resting inside. By introducing red and blue light against the green coral, I wanted to create a sense of intense beauty combined with visual turbulence, while expressing the shrimp’s stillness at the centre.
Everything about this dive was a first for me, the location, the guide, and working with continuous light, but meeting a subject I had dreamed of photographing and capturing it in a satisfying way made the experience especially memorable.
Judge's comment: Creative macro is hugely popular in underwater photography. This is the very best of the genre, first finding an amazing creature and then elevating it to an artistic vision using only the kiss of innovative lighting.
Alex Mustard
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