UPY 2017 Winners

Staff · Issue 95, Mar/Apr 2017 · pp. 27–36

Products mentioned: Canon 5ds, Subal housing, Canon 14 mm f2.8 II, Nikon D810, Sea & Sea MDX housing, Sigma 15mm Fisheye, Nikon 14-24mm, Nauticam housing, S&S YSD1, Nikon D750, Ikelite housing, Sigma 15mm 2.8 Fisheye, Canon 5D mark III, Aquatica housing, Canon EF 16-35 mm f/4 L IS USM, Canon 5D MkIII, Sea & Sea housing, Inon Z240

UPY 2017 - 8 Winner ‘Dancing Octopus’ Gabriel Barathieu (France) In the lagoon of Mayotte, during spring low tides, there is very little water on the flats. Only 30 cm in fact. That’s when I took this picture. I had to get as close as possible to the dome to create this effect. The 14 mm is an ultra wide angle lens with very good close focus which gives this effect of great size. The octopus appears larger, and the height of water also. Also, I didn’t need flash because I had lots of natural light. Lagoon of Mayotte, Mayotte Island, Indian Ocean Canon 5ds, Subal housing, Canon 14 mm f2.8 II, iso 100, f/16, 1/125, Natural light Underwater Photographer of the Year 2017 Judges notes: Both balletic and malevolent, this image shows that the octopus means business as it hunts in a shallow lagoon. The way it moves is so different from any predator on land, this truly could be an alien from anot…