In Photos: The Underwater Photographer of the Year

Macro category runner-up

Inside the eggs by Flavio Vailati (Italy) in Anilao, Philippines

I went to the Philippines to photograph these critters. I had already seen this nudibranch on these eggs but to make this shot I had to wait for it to position itself in the point that I had imagined. While I was waiting I prepared the snoot on my flash and my additional lens. I had only one shot because although slow, it moved quickly enough!

Photograph: Flavio Vailati/Underwater Photographer of the Year 2019

 

Macro category third

Tiger Wave by Henley Spiers (Philippines) in Anilao, Philippines

The face of a tiger cardinal fish, open-mouthed, with sharp teeth protruding, and eggs within, is captured within a wave of blue. Cardinal fish are famous mouth-brooders, with the male responsible for guarding the eggs until they are ready to hatch. I have long been fascinated by this behavior and spent three dives with this particular individual, slowly earning sufficient trust to allow me the intimacy to capture this image in close confines

Photograph: Henley Spiers/Underwater Photographer of the Year 2019

 

Wrecks category winner

Big Guns by René B. Andersen (Denmark) off Malin Head, Ireland

HMS Audacious, which lies at 64 meters off Malin Head, was a dreadnought battleship which struck a mine in 1914. After she capsized, the shell magazine exploded and she sank. I used a tripod and 3 Big Blue video lights to illuminate the turret with the majestic 13.5-inch guns and myself as the model … It took some time before achieving this shot and at 64 meters, the clock ticks fast. That is the challenge with deep-wreck photography

Photograph: Rene’ B Andersen/Underwater Photographer of the Year 2019