2nd Place Wide Angle

Julian Gunther

"Blue Sun Rising"

Julian Gunther won a 7 night dive package for one person to Anthony's Key Resort in Roatan.

The Story:

This photo was taken under a professional photography permit issued by the Argentine government and under direct supervision of Argentine authorities. This was shot using ambient light as strobes can disturb the animals and often will blow-up suspended particulate anyway. For this particular shot, I was free-diving in about 30ft (9m) of water looking for whales to photograph when this adult took a keen interest in me. It spent well over 30 minutes with me, doing a few close passes, but mostly swimming around me and doing underwater acrobatics such as going inverted or swimming around me while at a 90-degree angle to the seafloor. I wasn't sure if it was doing it for fun or to amuse/impress me (I'm probably anthropomorphizing, but I like to think thats what I might have been doing).

Location:

Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina

Equipment Used:

• Sony A1 camera
• Sony 16-35 f2.8 lens
• Nauticam A1 housing
• Nauticam WACP-2
• Ultralight Control Systems Camera Sled

Camera Settings:

• f8
• 1/250
• ISO 1000