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UPY 2026 Portrait - Highly Commended
'Silent Hunter'
Lars von Ritter Zahony
An experience that will remain with me for a lifetime: he appeared out of nowhere. Silent, like a shadow breaking free from the background. Large, muscular, with a body built for speed and power. His eyes locked on mine. No hesitation, no fear. Only curiosity. And presence. He circled me slowly, almost like a dancer. I could see every movement, the subtle play of his fins, the rhythmic glide through the water. It was no attack, no game. It was communication. A meeting of equals. As suddenly as he had appeared, he vanished again. I stayed in the water for a while longer, not hoping to see him again, but to preserve the moment.
Judge's comment: Eyes and teeth, eyes and teeth. Add well chosen movement blur, a kiss of light and a dramatic diagonal and you have a perfect combination. This image is initially simple. Eyes and teeth but as you look at it more and more through the rounds, there is so much more to it.
Peter Rowlands
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