The Winners Of The 2018 Underwater Photographer Of The Year Contest Will Take Your Breath Away

I was 18 at the time I took this picture in July 2017. My Dad was teaching everybody in the world how to take good pictures underwater, but not me. So I asked him to give me theoretical lessons and input. He offered me to lend me one of his housings (he sells them) and got to go to Comodo with him to take pictures. It was my second holiday for underwater photography. A good friend of his (and now of me too) let me use her backgrounds and help me getting better, because she is an excellent underwater photographer as welI. So, I was able to take this picture.

Each summer, I make a pilgrimage to Cornwall for a chance to interact and photograph Blue Sharks, as they seasonally visit UK waters. Ten miles out into the Atlantic, from Penzance, the sharks are attracted to the boat using 'chum'. Once around the boat they are bold and love to interact with snorkelers. On this particular day we had overcast conditions which allowed for slow-shutter speed 'panning' shots to capture the beauty, grace and speed of these charismatic predators, resulting in a dynamic portrait of these stunning animals in their open ocean environment.

I came across this beautiful Plaice whilst diving in the seagrass beds off Beacon Cove in Torquay. We had been looking for cuttlefish which had been scarce on this site compared to previous years so were happy to come across this beautiful specimen lying peacefully amongst the grass . I took a few shots trying not to disturb it too much and luckily enough was able to get a good front-on shot and leave without it even moving. Beacon Cove is a fairly shallow dive so more natural light is available making it ideal for underwater photography. It's great to see more and more life starting to appear in these seagrass beds , including quite a few reported sightings of Seahorses.

We dive Eyemouth every year because there is such a great range of life. Many subjects suit a compact user there, like the wolf fish and lobster but I was looking for something else on this trip, On this particular dive there were squat lobsters everywhere and this one was a little bit braver and a little more accessible than many of them . I love their bright colours and beady eyes!

To achieve this image I had to use a couple of props for effects. Two items were used to create this shot. A Cokin Filter and a plain old CD. Being a compact user I love experimenting on new techniques. One of them was using a CD as the background to create a prismatic effect. I discovered that the colours changed every time I moved the CD, hence the background behind the goby giving it an illusion of a frogfish ! As the goby is the most common critter and the most well behaved I'm glad I managed to give a wow factor to this little fella.

This image was taken at my local dive site Dosthill Quarry.The pike are a regular sighting , but a very unpredictable fish, Often found hovering amongst the weeds motionless , stalking their prey or hanging around inside the wreck attractions such as an aircraft cockpit, or decaying vehicles. On many occasions you can spot them in the distance cruising along effortlessly but as you try to approach they waft their fins and dart away. On this occasion I remained still and observed this fish from a distance and luckily enough the pike slowly swam right towards me enabling me to capture a great close up shot of this freshwater predator.

Image of a Humber car in Vobster Quay. Vobster Quay is an inland dive site in an old quarry. The photo was taken at around 23m.

Living in the East Midlands in England is a long way from the sea and as a result, a lot of my diving takes place in the quarry at Stoney Cove, the UK’s National Diving Centre. I love photographing pike and on this particular dive during the Easter holidays, a ‘group’ of males were looking for a mate. Once they found one they pursued her relentlessly and were completely transfixed on gaining her attention. This allowed me to get close in front of the fish, fill the frame and aim to get lots of good eye contact. I was delighted by the results. I hope that I have demonstrated that UK inland diving can throw up some amazing sights that are a pleasure to witness and photograph.

In my style I put great emphasis on the model and on the background. Everything together must build a perfect picture. A picture must be able to tell a story and have a special effect. Another special feature is the effect lighting with underwater flashes which distinguish my photos from others. I love challenges and especially difficult shots. Most photographers are afraid of these challenges but I'm pretty good here, and this is exactly where I want to be. "Only your own Imagination sets the limit to possibilities"! I am working according to this motto. A photo shoot in 7 meters deep, in a diving pool Dive4Life Siegburg, Germany.