We are happy to announce that the winner of the RSDS Photo Competition for June 2023 has been chosen. Congratulations to Melanie Kern with her photo "FASCINATION".
Melanie wins a free stay at the RSDS village of her choice. You can view the winning photo, and all the June participants here.
If you would like a chance to win, simply register on our website and upload your photos from our competition page. Each day we choose a 'photo of the day' from the selection of entries. Anyone can register on our website and vote on photos entered into the competition. At the end of the month our Photo Pro and photography workshop leader, Paul ‘Duxy’ Duxfield, looks at the votes and chooses a winner from the highest scoring photos. Full terms and conditions and prize details are available here.
Congratulations again to Melanie, and good luck to all those participating in the coming months!
From Paul Duxfield, our competition judge:
A really beautiful example of a Whip Coral Goby grabbed my attention from the outset, and so it was hard to sway my opinion as Mme Aubey has got about as perfect example of this tricky to capture creature as it’s possible to achieve. Perfectly exposed and composed, just the right level of darker blue background to counter the warm tones of the coral and the goby, and the pin sharp eye with some contact with the viewer. Lovely.
However my attention was quickly turned towards, not one but two really great shots of Long Nosed Hawkfish. Not a critter you see loads of pictures of, but here I had two great images to look at with very different overall effect.
Melanie Kern’s picture of a diver observing a pin sharp Hawkfish between corals, is a great example of taking the picture at just the right time, when the fish is placed with enough blue water and separation around it framed by the corals above and just a touch of bokeh blur on the diver to layer the shot. A very good shot to use in an article or advert as it puts a human in the shot so a great example of diver picture but still keeping the main attention on the fish. Beautiful.
And unusually the last of my choices for front runner is yet another Hawkfish but this an exercise in simplicity rather than illustrative like the previous one. This doesn't make it any the less of a shot though, and again all the important boxes are ticked.I particularly liked the fact that it’s clearly been captured as it swims from perch to perch, and is at quite a jaunty angle. I love it’s simplicity.
It’d be remiss of me not to mention the other close runners up. I loved Ahmed Dakroury’s behavioural shot of a Moray eating a fish, which I thought was nicely framed and lit.
Jean Cruts moodily lit Coral Grouper eyeing up some potential dinner in the form of glass fish inside a wreck, a nice splash of colour amongst the darker tone of the wreck.
And Carlos’ classic reef shot was also noteworthy too.
In the end though after much deliberation I’m opting for Melanie’s Hawkfish with diver watching, not because the others aren't worthy of a win, it’s just this one for me, takes it to another level
with the added impact of the diver in the frame, which doesn't always work but in this instance does. Brilliant.
Duxy has been running escorted photo workshops in Marsa Shagra for the last years. Next Year he will be back with a new one. Why not join him for Fotofest from June 13-20 2023 - full information?
He will be at the Marsa Nakari location alongside Sarah O’Gorman critter spotter extraordinaire, for a fun filled five plus days of easy going diving informal talks and photo clinics daily, with help and advice on composing, shooting and editing your shots to take them to the next level.
For those with GoPro’s, compact cameras, mirrorless and DSLRs there will be something for everyone.
It really doesn't matter if you're a complete beginner or regular underwater shooter, I like to keep things fun and exclusive and non intimidating.
It’d be great to see you there in June 2024.
