Latest news with #AlvaroHerrero
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Winners of the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year Contest
The winning entries in this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year contest were recently announced, and Alvaro Herrero (a.k.a. Mekan) was named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 for an image of a mother humpback whale swimming with its calf. Prizes and commendations were handed out in categories including Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behavior, Portrait, Black & White, Compact, Up & Coming, and more. Contest organizers were once again kind enough to share with us a selection of this year's honorees, with captions written by the photographers. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
Winners of the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year Contest
The winning entries in this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year contest were recently announced, and Alvaro Herrero (a.k.a. Mekan) was named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 for an image of a mother humpback whale swimming with its calf. Prizes and commendations were handed out in categories including Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behavior, Portrait, Black & White, Compact, Up & Coming, and more. Contest organizers were once again kind enough to share with us a selection of this year's honorees, with captions written by the photographers. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here.
The National
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 winners
Alvaro Herrero won the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 award for Radiant Bond, which shows a mother humpback whale accompanying her calf to the surface for its first breath early in the morning. Alvaro Herrero Mekan / UPY 2025
CNN
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Breathtaking images from the Underwater Photographer of the Year contest
Fighting fish, thirsty camels and hairy shrimp are all featured among the winning images of the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition. Spanish photographer Alvaro Herrero was named overall winner for his image showing the relationship between a humpback whale and her newborn calf, according to a statement from organizers on Friday. Herrero took the photograph, which is named 'Radiant Bond,' in French Polynesia. 'The mother is accompanying her calf to the surface, because the baby is still so small and clumsy,' said Herrero in the statement. 'The calf is releasing a few bubbles underwater showing it is still learning to hold its breath properly. For me, this photo really shows a mother's love and communicates the beauty and fragility of life in our ocean.' The image triumphed over 6,750 entries in this year's competition. 'This delicate yet powerful study of a mother and calf's bond says all that is great and good about our world,' said contest judge Peter Rowlands in the statement. 'We face our challenges, but the increasing populations of humpback whales worldwide shows what can be achieved,' he added. Other category winning images include a shot of two male Asian sheepshead wrasse jousting by Japanese photographer Shunsuke Nakano, and a photograph of camels drinking in the desert taken from below the water by Kuwaiti photographer Abdulaziz Al Saleh. The competition first ran in 1965 and this year attracted entries across 13 categories. In 2024, Alex Dawson was named overall winner for his image of minke whale bones in shallow waters off eastern Greenland. And in 2023, US photographer Kat Zhou's photo of a river dolphin, or 'boto,' seemingly posing for the camera at dusk, with the tip of its nose above the water and the sun setting behind it, was named the competition's overall winner.
Euronews
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
From sunken ships to humpback whales: The 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year winners
By Published on A camel drinking in the desert - photographed from beneath the water? Dueling wrasse fish in Japan? Just two of the stunning, unexpected images from this year's competition. The Underwater Photographer of the Year is back! The competition spans 13 different categories, pushing photographers from around the world to capture the magic of the underwater world - from intricate macro details to dramatic wide-angle scenes. With a record-breaking 7,000 submissions from over 600 photographers, this year's contest highlights the growing fascination with underwater visual storytelling. This year, Spanish photographer Álvaro Herrero has won the overall Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 title with his mesmerising shot titled "Radiant Bond" - showing a heartwarming glimpse into the world of a mother humpback whale and her newborn calf. A mother humpback whale accompanies her calf to the surface for its first breath early in the morning. The youngster is releasing a few bubbles as it rises, perhaps this is because it is still learning to control its breathing, or it is simply experimenting with its own body. Alvaro Herrero Judges praised Herrero's winning image for its perfect composition, masterful lighting, and ability to capture an extraordinary moment in nature. "The light coming from the left upper corner as well as the perfect movement of the Humpback whale and calf, in addition to the excellent framing and composition make this a truly deserved overall winner for the UPY 2025 contest," says Tobias Friedrich, one of the UPY's judges. Below, take a dive into a selection of the winning images from this year's competition: I first travelled to Cancun, Mexico, for a shoot two years ago, and since then, I've been captivated by its charm. These days, I find myself visiting Cancun frequently. From where I live, it's a very long journey - about 24 hours by plane - but this place perfectly aligns with the direction of my photography and offers a variety of shooting opportunities. To capture this particular photo, I visited during the rainy summer season and worked with a local Korean guide as my model. Ruruka The wreck sits on the reef at around 104m depth. When she sank she got wedged between the reef wall and a small reef so there is a swim through under the wreck. We did 25 min bottom time and about 2 1/2 hours of deco to produce this image. Alex Dawson This is a photo of two male Asian sheepshead wrasse fighting. The unique form of this species is characteristic of males, who form harems and claim territories during the breeding season. The one on the left in the photo is the harem king, who has defended his territory for more than 10 years and is estimated to be over 30 years old, while the one on the right is a young challenger. Shunsuke Nakano This image was captured in the northern Red Sea during a freediving expedition in search of bottlenose dolphins. The moment portrays an intimate mating ritual, where several males - four visible in the picture, though others were nearby - were playfully chasing a female. Enric Gener I captured this image at one of my favourite locations within the Everglades ecosystem. I have revisited this spot many times trying to capture various subjects and the light just right. The water levels vary significantly, sometimes completely drying, during different times of year. Ironically, on this occasion, I hadn't invested too much thought and I was enjoying the scenery when this Florida Gar positioned itself perfectly in the frame of my GoPro. Bryant Turffs Raja Ampat, Indonesia, is a magical destination where the colour, beauty, biodiversity and dense fish life can almost be an overload on the senses- a celebration of healthy reef life. I was lucky to find perfect conditions with clear water and schooling baitfish swirling amongst the canyons of a large coral bommie, adorned with verdant soft corals. Catherine Holmes At the end of this dive, I spotted a couple of underwater photographers focused on shooting and it piqued my curiosity about what they were photographing. I signalled to my guide to check what they were shooting. After realizing that it was one of my favourite subjects, a hairy shrimp, I waited patiently for my turn and used the time to plan and prepare for the shot. I chose to shoot it in profile, backlight with a snoot. My guide and my buddy played a fundamental role in expertly managing the light of the snoot. After a few test shots to find the right setting, I finally got the photo I was looking for. Paolo Bondaschi I was actually practising for a different underwater photography competition when I took this shot. For a couple of days before an on-the-day 'splash in' competition, this crab was consistently in this position, or very close by. Sadly on the day it was no-where to be seen! Happily for me though that meant I was able to use my practice photos for UPY! Dan Bolt Occasionally in my time under the water I have come across this medusa 'Neoturris pileata' in the open water but had not taken a decent photo of one. On this occasion however, my buddy and I were specifically targeting them and other similar creatures to try to explore the idea of UK 'blackwater' photographic opportunities. Of the many, many(!), images I took that day, this one revealed a larval crustacean within the bell of this medusa. Dan Bolt I had the idea of photographing the camels drinking water for about one and half a years. I wanted to photograph them drinking water from the underwater perspective because I did not see any images showing this. The weather was a critical, and it took me several weeks to get the best possible shots. Abdulaziz Al Saleh
