1st Place Compact Macro

Naomi Springett

"Longnose Hawkfish"

Naomi Springett won a 8 day dive trip to the Galapagos aboard the Aqua Liveaboard from Andean Travel Company

The Story:

For our honeymoon, we joined a liveaboard dive trip to the Great Barrier Reef. This photo was taken on one of the nicest dives of the trip; a thriving coral bommie with abundant macro life. Perched proudly on the Black Sun Coral (Tubastraea micranthus), this Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) was not too concerned with my presence and, much to my delight, sat still long enough for me to get a few photos before it swam away. With so many tropical fish being camera shy, this was a rare treat. Black Sun Coral is among my favourite corals; the rich green colours provided a contrasting background for this striking fish, making this one of my favourite moments from a very special diving trip.

Location:

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Equipment Used:

• TG-4 with PT-056 housing
• dual Sea and Sea strobes

Camera Settings:

• f/8
• 1/40 sec.
• ISO-200
• flash