From a record number of submissions, the 16th annual Through Your Lens photo contest delivers a world-class selection of the best underwater photography, from an incredible look inside a whale shark’s mouth to an amusing portrait of a smiling porcupine fish.
Run by Scuba Diving Magazine, the Through Your Lens contest this year attracted more than 2,600 submissions spanning four simple categories: Behavior, Macro, Wide Angle and Compact. The final category, Compact, was established in 2015 in response to the growing influx of small, non-SLR digital cameras.
The overall grand prize this year went to Evans Baudin for a spectacular shot featuring dozens of remoras residing peacefully in the mouth of a friendly whale shark. Baudin snapped the shot off the coast of Baja, California, during a special project chronicling the effects of the pandemic on marine life.
“In June 2020, with a special permit, I went on an expedition to document marine life and the effects of reduced marine traffic due to COVID-19,” explains Baudin. “After two hours in the water with a school of silky sharks near the surface, our boat captain yelled, 'Whale shark, right behind you!' – a 12-plus-meter female. The surprise was twofold when I discovered about 50 remoras peacefully enjoying a free ride in her mouth!”
Another highlight came from Enrico Somogyi’s amusing snap of a surprised goby and lionfish. Somogyi was diving off the coast of Anilao in the Philippines when he noticed a lemon goby living inside an old beer bottle sitting in the sand.
“After a while, I noticed a shadow in the background, and a few seconds later, I saw the juvenile lionfish coming out,” says Somogyi. “I pushed the shutter right when the goby started to yawn and the lionfish looked in the camera.”
Entries for the 2021 contest open in November. Take a look through our gallery at more highlights from this exceptional underwater photography competition.
Source: Scuba Diving
