We are happy to announce that the winner of the RSDS Photo Competition for May 2023 has been chosen. Congratulations to Francis Glassup with his photo "Dugong in Black and White".
Francis wins a free stay at the RSDS village of his choice. You can view the winning photo, and all the May 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 Francis, and good luck to all those participating in the coming months!
From Paul Duxfield, our competition judge:
Texture vs colour?
Well it doesn't have to be an either or, but this was the quandary I was in after reducing this months entry to my usual binary decision.
However before recounting why I chose the one I eventually settled upon, it’s worth looking at the others that made my first run through.
I felt the sun on my back with the shot of the diver illuminated in the caves, a great cover shot for a magazine and puts the viewer right there by Muenggu Drachetotter, very dramatic and the sort of picture that entices others into our wonderful hobby.
And I loved the portrait of the translucent squid by Annette Witvliet, lovely.
Part of my process is that I have a quick whizz through the choices and usually the ones that immediately catch my eye are the ones that rise to the top, but the two chosen shots appealed equally at first glance, but for totally different reasons, and honestly the one of the two that didn't seem initially to have the edge, instead grew on me after repeat and lengthier viewings.
Ok the most eye catching for me was the macro shot of the Goby against that glorious pink background, and a very close second was the black and white shot of the Dugong feeding, but this was my snap decision, which isn't always correct and I always go back for another look to see if I can set them apart somehow.
Unfortunately I felt that the framing of the Goby could have been slightly lower so more of it was against the pink, so this marked it down a little after
my initial reaction, and then upon a closer study of the Dugong, I felt it was dripping with texture, and that the decision to make it monochrome was perfect as you can see every hair on it’s body in stark relief, which also proved that this photographer has carefully lit it to show off this textural tour de force.
I really loved this picture and it’s one I think that deserves to be printed really big and hung above the photographers sofa in their living room.
Well done Francis Glassup, excellent shot.
Duxy has been running escorted photo workshops in Marsa Shagra for the last three years. These workshops are designed for camera users of all experience levels, with any type of underwater camera. Duxy is on hand to share tips and information, troubleshoot individual photography issues, escort early morning and late afternoon dives, and give talks on specific subjects. The Red Sea Photo Camp with Duxy and Alphamarine Photography will be held in Shagra from June 13-20 2023 - full information.
