The Shot Chat | Special Edition | UPY 2021 Congrats & Commiserations

As covered in our UPY 2021 Primer, we are big fans of the Underwater Photographer of Year contest, and with the results now published, we felt it was a good time to get together for a chat to share our experience in this year’s competition. With 6 awarded images amongst The Shot Chat panel, there is plenty to celebrate, but we also wanted to go deeper behind the scenes and share images we felt strongly about when entering…even if those contenders didn’t live up to our own aspirations.

Grant Thomas: In this year’s UPY I was awarded a runner-up as well as a commended image in the wrecks category. Both of these came as a nice surprise as they were last minute entries, which I chose to include after a quick chat with Henley. I don’t consider myself as much of a wreck photographer and felt that my other images were actually far stronger, but to my surprise these images never even made it to the semi finals. I also enjoyed a commended image of two grey seals in the British waters wide angle category.

Here are a few that I thought may have performed better: If i remember correctly image 1: Manta Ray under the boat (entered to wide angle category) 2: B&W manta ray (entered to black and white category), 3: Nurse sharks beneath boat (entered to behaviour category).

Henley Spiers: Firstly, congratulations on getting a hat-trick of awarded images, it speaks to the consistent quality of your work, and in some senses is more impressive than having a single winning image, even if it had won a category.

I can empathise with your comment about wrecks, and I think it's fair to say we are all more inspired by aquatic wildlife and nature than wrecks. I am often left with very mixed emotions about the wreck category in UPY, I think perhaps I just don't really get it when it comes to that lust for rust and what works as a shot. For what it's worth, I enjoy both your winning images, they are the kind of wreck shot which does appeal to me, and I'm not just saying that to be nice. The tank one is undeniably impressive and eye-catching, I'd be interested to hear the details on its creation, perhaps it's a future How Chat. The helicopter one feels like a promotion for a video game, it's fun, and the off camera lighting gives it that extra competitive edge. It seems clear that in 90% of cases, successful wreck photography should include a diver in the frame...

As for your grey seals, they have irresistible mainstream appeal, but I have to admit, there's a temptation with seal shots, as an underwater photographer, to go "yeah, and then? They get close and are super friendly, of course you got that shot." And yet, it is much harder than it looks in the water! They are not always friendly...and then giving it that balanced artificial and natural light is a touch of class.

Ok, over to your 'Coulda been a contender' shots...

The b&w manta ray appeals to me immensely...it's right up my street, although I admit to having a preference for graphically simple, fine art style imagery. Is it original? Well, I'm sure someone has that shot somewhere...but I haven't seen it lately. Looking at the awarded b&w images, I personally would have placed your manta ahead of some of them.

I really enjoy the story of a manta dancing in the light beneath a deserted liveaboard deck...a what happens whilst we sleep kind of message. But, the wide angle category is probably the toughest in UPY...so whilst I think this image should live a rich and healthy life in publication and stock...perhaps it's not a classic competition shot.

As for the similar scene but with nurse sharks, I think you might have made an error placing it in behaviour. That's a very competitive category for one...for two, what is the behaviour here? Although you and I have discussed it offline and there is no feeding occurring, my first impression, with the outstretched hand of the person on deck, is that there is human feeding going on...which of course is not a behaviour a competition will want to endorse...even if it’s a false impression. It might have worked better in marine conservation, as a kind of 'benefits of tourism' thing, but there again, the suggestion of feeding could have held it back. If this was shot in Alimatha, then even if you weren't personally feeding the nurse sharks, their congregation started with the nearby resort throwing scraps off their jetty...and many groups still feed them when visiting...all grey areas which competitions will be very wary of. I think it's a fantastic shot and achievement though, and it will be a killer shot as part of a feature.

Shane Gross: Grant, your winning shots are winners for a reason. It's obvious with the wreck shots that you had a clear vision and were able to beautifully execute those visions. I like that you included the light source in the tank shot, it breaks a rule that should be broken and gives the image a frame. It's like this is a statue in a city at night with lights pointing to it. The seal shot is better than most we've seen because of the golden light and we have two, both with great eye contact!

For the ones that didn't place, it may just be a case of "they are great, but these are better". I dont see flaws in any of them. The manta shot, I liked better in color even though I was outnumbered when we originally talked about it offline. And it is a sought-after manta composition and has been done before... I can't remember a better one, but for a competition we probably need one more element to break the symmetry. A remora or something in just the right spot. I think it would also be difficult for non ocean people to read what it is without the wings. That is not a criticism, just thinking out loud.

In terms of the splits, I much prefer these to many of the double exposures awarded. I guess I just feel they somehow lie to the viewer. I'm not talking about Mok's amazing winner from last year, no one is fooled by that and it’s stunningly beautiful, but some from this year surely will. Anyway, that's off topic. Henley may have a point about entering the one image in the wrong category. They also may have competed against each other and these situations are becoming more common, all the way back Peschak’s whale shark in the spotlight. I disagree with Henley about the feeding aspect being controversial to the judges. They awarded a bird eating a fish where everyone knows the fish, which takes up a significant portion of the frame, is dead and is being used as bait for photographers. To then turn around and say these shouldn't be awarded because there might be confusion about feeding even though they weren't being fed...I think it’s just a case of the judges liking other images better. I'll stop rambling now.

Anita Kainrath: I agree with Henley there - I think the category you've entered the nurse shark split shot was not the right one. It would have fit more into the marine conservation - shark tourism is one good way to protect them. But if Henley wouldn't have mentioned that there wasn't any feeding going on, I would have just assumed so. Anyways, I think they are great images- so bravo!

I like your Manta shot - it's very impressive. Crazy how symmetrical they are. Maybe Shane is right.. maybe it needed something that breaks the symmetry to make it even more special? Ohhh and your winning shots. So awesome. They really stand out. I love the runner up wreck shot - the triangle - shape you have created with your lights. I like the fact, that the diver is swimming to the left - looking at the past. I think - just like Shane - it's nice to see the light source for a change. Why not, if it's not distracting?

The commended wreck of the helicopter shot is beautiful. The lighting is perfect and the element of the free diver fits perfect into the frame and makes it more dynamic. the stage light adds a warm colour - complementing the blue background. Well done.

The seal pups. How can you not love it. The lighting is beautiful and both of them are checking you out. Perfect.

Jade Hoksbergen: Hey Grant, congratulations on your haul - so happy for you and very impressed! So, your wreck shots...(1) the tank image: I can see that a lot of fore-planning had to take place in order to achieve this image and therefore it reflects a very particular vision that you had. I can also appreciate that a lot of elements had to be lined up in order for it to be successfully executed. The triangular frame created by the lights on the seabed, make the diver, with backlight, a perfect tip of that triangle, and it really works visually...reminds me a bit of a U.F.O., the whole image has a mysterious undertone. If I had to give a criticism it would be that I am bothered by seeing the light sources themselves.

First reaction, the helicopter shot makes me feel a bit seasick! However, I enjoy the surreal feel of the image, the free divers pose is peaceful, as are the hues within the shot.

The seals are very cute, and having two in the frame makes for a refreshing change to the more typical, single seal close-up. I feel the connection between the two seals, as well as with the us, the viewer, through their eye contact. It's a shot I really like!

Out of the three other contenders you shared, I think the b&w manta is the most deserving of an award. It's such a beautifully symmetrical image, very artistic, so many lines to enjoy - it can be enjoyed as both an abstract, and as an artistic documentary shot. On the manta-beneath-the-boat shot, knowing that wide angle is a very competitive category, I think it's possible to both appreciate how impressive this image is, whilst also understanding that they can only pick out 10 winners. As a flaw, it bugs me that the only visible person on the boat is not engaged with the manta beneath. What I find jarring is also that the "below" portion of the image is so peacefully spectacular, whilst the "above" portion of the image is quite the opposite!

I actually really like the manta-ray-beneath-boat and nurse-sharks-beneath-boat images together, side-by-side, and think it would make a great series if somehow you could get more images of iconic species in that spotlight! Now, on the nurse-sharks-beneath-boat image: images awarded in the behaviour category, for me, should ideally display animal behaviour in a beautiful way. I don't find this image as a whole beautiful, but I do find it very interesting. It fulfils the classic 'rule' of splits in terms of having something of interest above and below, and it's actually kind of like seeing two behaviours - that of the sharks, and that of the humans. It feels more like a slightly humorous, documentary shot, rather than a competition shot to me.

Grant Thomas: Thanks for you're feedback team! I definitely agree with your comments. Choosing a category for the nurse shark shot was difficult and I now agree that marine conservation may have been a better shout. The sharks are attracted to the plankton and small creatures which congregate around the lights not actually due to any artificial feeding however, I admit it's still not natural. Same thing that’s happening in the manta image Also very much agree that the B&W Manta image could have done with the addition of something to offset the symmetry as it feels almost too polished.

Henley Spiers: I didn't have any awarded images this year. For sure it wasn't the year in which I spent the most time in the water, and I had the birth of a child and moving country as major personal developments, before we even begin to talk about covid, but nevertheless, I entered with a set of images I felt good about. It's not a humble thing to say, but in the spirit of Shot Chat honesty, I did feel optimistic about getting something awarded. In the end that wasn't the case, and on reflection, I think the lessons are two-fold. 1. Don't take competition results too seriously, the important thing is to be satisfied with the work and images you are producing 2. Spend more time in the water, and work harder! If I had to choose, two images I felt strongest about were these, 'Shark Patrol' in the b&w category, and 'Blue Rayed Limpets' in British Macro. I'll be interested to hear your reactions, don't hold back (as usual).

Shane Gross: So, for the blue rayed limpets shot, I like it. I like the crossing action of the foreground blades behind a curtain of kelp. The main subject is something I've seen little of. My surprise at this year’s results reveal how much I'm just not in the judge’s heads, so guessing might be a dumb thing to do, but I think it might be lacking in wow factor. I think it’s pretty cool otherwise. A really nice detail.

I really like shark patrol as well. Obviously its graphically incredible and I love, LOVE the negative space. It's used perfectly here. It seemed to me the judges went for a more natural look in this year’s black and white category, whereas this one depends so heavily on the post. I think it's a work of art, though, and will likely find itself on many people's walls.

Grant Thomas: With regards to your images Henley. As you've said, don't take competition results too seriously, because of course, as we all know, photography is a subjective art form and judging results could be different every time. In my honest opinion,Ii actually really like the B&W sharks and think it should have been a top contender. I do agree with Shane in that it looks as though the judges went for a more natural look with the images that were awarded this year. I think you're image is stand out piece and would be very well suited for printing.

As for the limpets, I love the delicate lighting which highlights your subjects perfectly however, i feel the image lacks a bit of overall depth and impact. Possibly due to not having a main foreground subject and also the top down shooting. I think if you had the blade of kelp cutting diagonally across the image with one large limpet in the foreground and the others tapering off behind, this may have been a more powerful composition. But I have never tried shooting them so no idea if this is even realistically possible?

Anita Kainrath: I love the shark-image! So beautiful. I wish I had taken it!! I love the dynamic of it. For some reason I can totally picture this printed on hoodies haha. I would totally buy one!

Henley Spiers: Thanks guys, I'm heartened to hear your reaction to the shark shot, as I did and do feel very strongly about it. That one got to the final round, which I believe equates to about top 20, with 10 images awarded, so it was close. The blue-rayed limpets...they are such a cool mollusc and, like you, I had seen so little imagery of them before, that I was feeling good about that image, but it can certainly be improved and your feedback is fair. It's actually taken at the 70mm end of 28-70mm, behind a W.A.C.P.-1, which equates to about 50mm on a full frame camera, so one point against it could also be whether it is more of a close-up, rather than macro image. Oh the limpets got to the semi-finals btw.

Anita Kainrath: My croc picture was commended in the portrait category. I love this shot. It brings back so many memories. Shane and I were in Cuba and we were extremely lucky to find this wild critically endangered cuban crocodile. The first croc I have ever taken pictures of underwater.

This dugong shot made it into the semi finals, I entered it to behaviour. Lastly, I entered this Galapagos sea lion shot in black and white although I much prefer the colour version of it since it shows a beautiful turquoise water. To be honest I wasn't too convinced of it in the first place but I was in a rush and thought I had to at least enter 3 images. It made it to the quarter finals at least.

And what I mean by "I wasn't too convinced of the sea lion shot" is that I don't see it in a photo competition for some reason. I love the image and it brings back so many emotions and memories (you, Shane , know how special that moment was for us) but I've never tried black & white and maybe there's a missing wow factor for someone who wasn't there in person. But I still had to try. That was it for my images this year..

Shane Gross: I am a big fan of the croc image, Anita, hence why I encouraged you to enter it! Haha ... to me, it shows off a fun, playful side of a predator that is most famous for being thought of as one of the most aggressive of the crocodile species. It's a great portrait of an animal that few have ever seen or photographed underwater. It also holds wonderful memories as I was right there as you took this. Incidentally, I had a cuban croc image make it to the final round in the black and white category and I wonder if yours knocked mine out? I'm sure the judges didn't want two Cuban croc images in the final collection. I agree with the judges that yours is the better shot. Oh and the colors! The colors are beautiful! Congrats again!

For the dugong, we had a whole shot chat about that already! Haha. For interest, here is the Cuban croc image I referenced above.

Anita Kainrath: I love your shot Shane!!

Henley Spiers: Congratulations Anita - it's hard to find a more photogenic and charismatic animal than crocs, and there has been a landslide of croc shots lately, but yours does feel like it brings something fresh and different to the table. In the first place, it does look different to most of the images I have seen before, reading your caption it looks like that's because this is a different species to that usually photographed in Cuba? And in a very different environment too if I've understood correctly. This animal feels prettier and finer, and the colours, from both the crocodile and the cenote water make for a really attractive frame. In most crocodile shots I've previously seen, the animal has been lying at the surface and so you either get the mouth, or the eye, but rarely both. Here we have teeth, eye contact, and a wide open 'smiling' pose. I'm curious to hear more about what is going here as I'm so unfamiliar, how come it’s in this pose? Is it curiosity? Territoriality?

Sorry to hear Anita knocked you out Shane! I hope you'll be offering that image as a print - beautiful and fine art in style.

Anita Kainrath: Thank you! The cenote was very murky and you couldn't see far - the bottom was so easy to stir up - we tried to not move much once we found a spot to wait for the croc. We took turns since the crocodile was both shy and territorial/curious (some might call it aggressive). Its pose is a typical behavior move. That's how they hunt. Ducking down, moving from side to side trying to find some food. I guess he was also curious about me being in his territory. He was in this small cenote all by himself- no wonder he wanted to check me and my camera out.

Grant Thomas: With regards to your croc shot Anita, I really like the fact that is a bit different to the usual over-under style competition-winning croc shots. The fact you've used the dark water column to create an almost black background which encompasses the croc’s entire head, is exactly what a portrait shot is all about in my mind, as it feels as though i'm looking it right in the face. The colour tones are very natural and pleasing to look at and also help emphasise the texture and roughness of the crocs skin. Composition wise - as I've said before I'm a sucker for diagonals and feel like the slight diagonal positioning of the croc’s head helps create depth, almost as if that mouth full of teeth is extending out of the image.

I also really like your croc shot Shane! Love the dramatic impact you get at first when looking at a big mouth-full of sharp teeth emerging from the murky water

Henley Spiers: Anita - 1 award and 1 semi-finalist from 3 entries is a very strong and disciplined showing (I usually can't help but put in more entries if available, even if I think chances are slim). The sea lion works better for me in colour too, and whilst it is a very pleasing image, I do think it is the weakest of your 3 from a competition standpoint. Not because it is bad, but because there are so many great sea lion shots out there. It's hard to think of a more enjoyable animal to share the water with, and coupled with how photogenic they are and it makes for a very intoxicating tonic...perhaps one where the emotional connection to the moment is difficult to separate from the decision to enter it or not.

Jade Hoksbergen: Having not taken a single underwater image for a lot of 2019 and all of 2020, due to pregnancy and childcare, I didn't set myself any expectations in terms of getting any images awarded in UPY, but I did enter because I thought it was a good opportunity to put out there images I hadn't entered before but which I liked a lot... images I wasn’t sure stood a chance in competitions... I also entered because Henley was relentlessly bugging me to enter! I’m not going to lie, I miss diving a lot and enjoyed looking through my portfolio of images a bit too much. That said, there weren't any images of mine entered which I had a strong feeling could be awarded. Here is one shot entered, and it's a photograph of one of my favourite creatures ever -- The Gaudy Clown Crab. It has a special significance for me as it was shot whilst Henley and I were living and working in Saint Lucia. It was the first time we moved in together after a couple years of long-distance, and also the first time I started shooting underwater... I also have a feeling I might (just maybe) have been the first person there to ever spot and photograph these glorious crabs! I'm way to emotionally attached to think about it rationally, so will be interested to hear your thoughts...

Shane Gross: I love gaudy clown crabs too! I remember dedicating a whole dive to one while in Cuba's Gardens of the Queen. Which means I was passing up opportunities to shoot silky sharks and american crocodiles etc. to shoot this tiny crab. I also was not able to get a shot this compelling. I love the colors on the black background. I wish we had the coral polyps in the foreground out like we do at the top, and I keep trying to turn my phone to see how this looks as a landscape and...I think I like it better as a landscape. In terms of competition, the judges really want to see creativity and innovation in the macro category. This, while beautiful, doesn't have a snoot or backlight or, what was really popular this year, in camera double exposure. I'm not a fan of the latter technique except for certain situations (Mok's winner from last year or Stephen Wilks crazy day to night images)...although it demonstrates creativity and pushes boundaries. But this is a wonderful image I wish I had!

Grant Thomas: I love this image!! For me the main attraction is the vibrant contrasting forground colours against the dark black background, as well as the adorably cute subject matter of course. I agree with Shane in that I actually prefer the landscape orientation and would have liked to see some out of focus polyps in the foreground. In terms of competition use I think it lacks a bit of the additional components of creative lighting, slow shutter or double exposure etc.... which seem to be necessary in award-winning macro images now. It’s an absolutely cracking image none the less.

Anita Kainrath: I couldn't agree more with Shane & Grant - the landscape perspective would be better I think.. I kept on turning my phone as well to see how it would look. I love the colours & the lighting. What if you cropped it a bit? Ideally, it would be nice if you would had something on the bottom right too.. a bright little creature or something. Maybe it's a bit too static for a competition? I still love the image.

Jade Hoksbergen: Thank you everyone for your insight and kind words, whilst I agree that this image lacks the technical innovation and fresh perspective needed for a competition, it’s a simple shot showing a beautiful critter I love.

I was playing around rotating the image and was debating whether I liked it better as a landscape or portrait prior to entering it into UPY, but went with portrait as it was how I shot it, and more importantly because I didn’t have strong feelings either way. Now, I can definitely say I too, do prefer it as a landscape, and with the tighter crop too!

Shane, you said “I wish we had the coral polyps in the foreground out like we do at the top”. In response to that, aesthetically, I have to agree. The the sponge does look better ‘in blossom’. However, in Saint Lucia, everytime I have found a gaudy clown crab, they would be in or on either a blue/grey or pink rope sponge. It was rare to see them out about during the day, as they’d usually be hiding in quite literally, their ‘dug-out’ — a hollow crevice inside the rope sponge. The polyps you see are actually Umimayanthus parasiticus, commonly known as the sponge zoanthid — it grows symbiotically on several species of sponge and can be found in the shallow waters over there. Gaudy clown crabs live on a diet of zoanthids, which is why in the image, you’ll even spot some which have been eaten out. It’s not actualy that the polyps aren’t on display, it’s that they’ve been eaten! Interestingly, by eating the palythoas on the zoanthid, these gaudies gather lethal poison, which serves them as a defense mechanism and is also reason for their highly ornate appearance. Gaudy clown crabs, and blennies… I have a weakness for them!

Shane Gross: Those are the two that placed. The lionfish was highly commended in conservation and the pink salmon was commended in wide angle and also third place in "my backyard".

Here is one that I didn't think had a chance at winning the overall title, but I was surprised it got the boot in the first round. The first round? I thought only images that didn't follow the rules got kicked out in the first round. And I really like the texture of the water and thought it would be worth a second look. A baby shark heads off into a big ocean. Good luck, little girl.

Grant Thomas: With regards to your winning images Shane – They are well deserving of their accolades! I’m a sucker for motion blur images and I think you’ve used it very well in both shots. I love the way the blur gives a sense of action and rush in amongst the salmon but then at the same time, the way you’ve captured the crisp eye, colour and outline of the fish, it’s as if there is a stillness amongst the carnage and this is a perfect snap shot of it. Image 2 of the Lion fish: Again I love the motion blur – it gives me the feeling of being in a busy food market and I can almost hear the hot oil sizzling as that Lion fish is dropped in. Also really like that your use of blur has removed most of the distracting background, along with a touch of flash (I think) to capture the sharp detail of your main subject(s).

I’m also very surprised that your shark silhouette image didn’t do better!!! I really like many things about it. I think the fact that it looks so simple could both play to it’s strength and weakness in a competition, but this image is definitely not as simple as it looks. You have balanced the exposure perfectly to create a rich blue sky and crispy black silhouette. The outline of the shark is perfect so that the viewer knows instantly what they’re looking at. I like how you’ve framed the image by using a bit of Snell’s reflection to create a darker lower section which curves around the subject. I think it’s a classic example of less is better but is it possibly just too little to make it a competition winner… I definitely think it deserved to go futher than the first round of judging!

Henley Spiers: Your salmon shot is a cracker Shane, not surprised to see it awarded. It really moves that style of shot forward in a new direction, and I love that you had the bravery, vision, and execution to take it there.

The lion fish shot is also well executed, for me the motion blur does emphasise the action of the chef, but actually I find it most effective as a more creative way to draw out the central subjects than simple shallow DOF. It's interesting to see how the conservation categories have changed in underwater competitions over the last few years. I think at first they were kind of an afterthought, and less competitive categories to enter, usually populated by scenes divers had come across by chance, whilst conducting their usual dive activities. Now, this kind of image is far more prized and showcased, the conservation image is actually the key theme of today, seen as overall winner in WPY and GDT. In turn, the UPY conservation category gets stronger by the year, and you now have not only underwater shots, but some such as this, which take the story from sea to land, and are specifically shot with a conservation message in mind.

The baby shark silhouette...I find it an enjoyable image personally, but it's not an obvious contest shot, as it lacks that wow factor. As with your barracuda shot from a Shot Chat we did, these understated images can work in some competitions, but they tend to be overlooked. Not getting past the first round seems a touch harsh! But the more I go through this process with you guys, I realise how hard it is for the judges! It's a lot of pressure to pick 10 winners from maybe 100 shots you really like...and to whittle the whole selection from 5000 entries...UPY has been admirably open with the feedback on how far images got, which gives us more opportunity to understand but also to wonder about things. First round is not a fair reflection of this shot's quality, and I think brushing that off as an anomaly is the best move. It reminds me of a similar style of shot, turtle silhouette close to the surface, with the turtle small in the frame, that I entered to a British Society of Underwater Photographers monthly contest. I was really into silhouettes and natural light at the time, and for me, the shot was beautiful...the judge almost completely overlooked it, commenting on 'a simple turtle silhouette'. I was miffed...but I think with this kind of image, you have to be in the right mind-frame to appreciate it...if you're in the mood for BANG SLAPS YOU IN THE FACE kind of wow factor, it just passes you by.