1st Place Mirrorless Macro

Scipione Mannacio Soderini

"My First Blue Ring Octopus"

Scipione won a 4-night dive package with Maluku Divers Resort

The story:  It was at the end of the third dive of the day that i was able to see – for the first time in my life – this blue ring octopus.

At the beginning i cannot believe to be so lucky, to see it and to be alone , without other photographers around me, except the local guide that was near to me.

He told me to stay there and to make my pictures while he would try to find some other photographer to show this rare subject, without success, probably for the air consumption, because we were underwater from more than one hour ...

The dive spot was a very wide sandy lagoon not very deep (14-18 meters) and with scarse visibility, but full of macro subjects.

So i had all the time to make my pictures without disturbing too much the octopus and without worry about disturbing other photographer that want to make pictures to the octopus too.

It was great because at the beginning the octopus was scared and try to dive away from me, but then it become quite curious, coming near to my camera, making me very very happy....

Location:  Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines

Camera:  Panasonic GX8 and Olympus 60mm Macro (F16, 1/250, ISO 100) with Nauticam Housing and Dual Inon Z240 Strobe

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