We are happy to announce that the winner of the RSDS Photo Competition for February 2025 has been chosen. Congratulations to Giulia Mereu with her photo "Big round eyes".
Giulia wins a free stay at the RSDS village of her choice. You can view the winning photo, and all the February 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 Giulia, and good luck to all those participating in the coming months!
From Paul Duxfield, our competition judge:
Going against the grain a bit, my favourite this month is a classic macro shot. I know I have a personal tendency to prefer and to shoot wideangle but I guess fresh from being one of the workshop leaders at the prestigious Capturing Critters in Lembeh in January where I spent nearly three weeks both shooting and critiquing predominantly macro pictures I feel I’m acutely tuned to a finely honed close up underwater photo shot.
This doesn't mean that there wasn’t some great wideangle pictures so I really must mention Luisa Weinert’s shot of a turtle in the process of eating some soft coral, a great behaviour shot.
And my second favourite shot this month was another wideangle shot that breaks all the rules but somehow because of the content raised things up another level. A mention must go to a past winner though, Gennady Elfimov, with a rare topside picture of a low angle view of some Hermit Crabs disposing of a cucumber, great shot and I love to see your topside pics so keep them coming.
However I kept coming back to this great shot by Giulia Mereu, worth mentioning though Krista Dronkert's tricky capture of a Whip Coral Goby as in other months it may have won.
But a very close second just because it’s super cute and despite being a shot from behind which is usually a no no, is the beautifully framed shot by Simone Reich of the Dugong pair with one cradling the other with it’s flipper, brilliant.
Giulia’s picture of a cute Blenny looking out of its home perfectly framed and with great eye contact is what did it for me this February. Cracking shot, well done.
This year’s s Fotofest I’m pleased to say is now at full capacity so we’ve now added an extra date in December this year. So please get your names down on the list for what promises to bring some pre Xmas cheer to our underwater photography calendars. The June trip filled up really quickly so it’s looking like we’ll have two Fotofest’s yearly now going forward.
It’ll be a great opportunity to spend time with other keen underwater photographers looking to increase their skills in a great environment.
