By the time you are all reading this January should be well on its way, and a start of a new decade. So Happy New Year, and decade to you all!
My methodology for picking winners is to open the picture links that I receive from the marketing team of the most popular photos from the public vote, and then to narrow things down by going with my gut instincts initially.
And I try and avoid any conflicts of interest by disregarding the photographers names as I’ve met quite a few people along the way of my career, and on various workshops over the years, many of whom have become firm friends, so I want to avoid any bias and favouritism, but equally I don't want to exclude folk just because I know them.
I also try and avoid looking at the vote counts of the selection, as for many reasons these can sometimes be quite misleading, and the final decision has to be my decision and not the decision of the public voters involved.
So this month was quite hard, as my three first choices included two names that came on a workshop I co-hosted last summer at Marsa Shagra.
And so Gennady and Adrian you made the final three, but it wasn't a straightforward choice, as the other one I chose was Sibylle Malinke's excellent Guitarfish, an unusual creature with a prehistoric background, and I loved this shot.
However Gennady’s Xmas Tree Worm which was surely chosen because of the time of year ;) was also excellent, but in the end my overall favourite and this months winner and the final winner of 2019 was Adrian’s excellent and atmospheric study of a diver, caught in the sunbeams under a moored boat, coincidentally I also know the model. This in now way swayed my decision, any more than me becoming friends with Adrian on our inaugural Red Sea Photo Camp in June 2019. It’s simply a great shot which sells the idea of our great hobby of diving, clear water, blowing bubbles in calm serenity set against a dramatic backdrop.
Well done Adrian, and well done to Sibylle and Gennady as worthy runners up.
And I’d like to use this opportunity to welcome people to join myself and Alphamarine Photography for our next Red Sea Photo Camp in early June 2020. Click
here for more information and to find out how to book.
Speak soon
Duxy
