1st Place Black & White

Eduardo Labat

"Dancing White Tips"

Eduardo Labat won a 5 days / 4 nights for 2 people, plus 7 dives at All 4 Diving / Akaya Bali

The Story:

It was our last dive of the day, in the afternoon with sunlight fading. At Roca Partida, most white tip sharks congregate in small groups at various ledges throughout the rock formation. On this particular afternoon, a large aggregation of white tips started forming some distance from the rock. Dozens of sharks formed a tight group at an approximate depth of 25 feet. The sharks were not hunting or exhibiting aggressive behavior. After witnessing this rare event from the periphery of the formation, I slowly ascended to hover just above it. That is where I took this picture. From above, the sharks seemed to be swimming in synchrony in a circular motion. It was beautiful to witness. I decided to use black and white for this picture both because of how the geometry of the formation looked in this style and also because of the natural contrast one can appreciate in black and white regarding the shark tips in relation to the rest of their bodies.

Location:

Roca Partida. Revillagigedo, Mexico

Equipment Used:

• Sony A6600 
• Tokina 10-17mm F/3.5-4.5 Fish-eye lens 
• Nauticam Housing 
• Sea & Sea YS-D3 DUO strobes

Camera Settings:

• 1/160 sec
• f4.0
• ISO 640