The winners of the Through Your Lens 2018 photography competition have been announced. The annual competition, now in its 14th year, is run by Scuba Diving magazine, and is open to underwater photographers of all skill levels.
More than 2,000 images were submitted, and the grand prize was picked up by Rodney Bursiel for his breathtaking shot of a whale calf (above).
Bursiel reveals that after spending an entire day searching for whales, a curious and interactive mother and calf appeared. With the mother hovering some 30 feet below, her inquisitive calf would make its way to the surface to breathe. Rodney wanted to create a unique perspective by flipping the image upside down, so the whale appears to be floating just above the surface in full breach.
In Bursiel's words: "Storytelling isn’t always about the reality of what was seen – I hope the image shares with others my take on the mystical world I find myself in each time I dip below the surface".
Rodney used a Nikon D800 full-frame DSLR with a 16mm f/2.8 wide-angle prime lens attached, in an Ikelite housing. Rodney collects a $1,000 cash prize and a liveaboard trip aboard the dive boat Oman Aggressor.
We've picked out some of our favorite images below, but to see all the winners and to find out how to enter next year, head over to the Scuba Diving website.
