UPY 2026 Macro - Highly Commended

UPY 2026 Macro - Highly Commended
'Featherhome'
Luis Arpa

Camouflaged among the arms of a feather star, a crinoid shrimp blends seamlessly with its host through precise colour and pattern matching. Sheltered within the moving arms, the shrimp feeds on passing particles carried by the current, an elegant example of host-specific specialization on coral reefs.
This image is especially meaningful to me, as I had planned it for a long time. I used a Nauticam EMWL 160º wet lens to create a shrimp's perspective on the scene that cannot be achieved with a conventional macro lens alone. The image was taken in Tulamben without the assistance of a dive guide and without disturbing either the shrimp or its host. Achieving this image required many dives over several weeks, waiting for the right feather star, shrimp, and precise positioning.

Judge's comment: Excellent usage and example of how technology can transform into a stunning image. But even with a lot of accessories it's still important to have great composition and quality of light, which both of them were mastered very well by the photographer.

Tobias Friedrich