2005: Underwater Worlds - Specially Commended
Charles Hood (United Kingdom)
Great hammerhead
Charles Hood went to the north Bahamas specifically to photograph sharks, his favourite subject being the fearsome great hammerhead - even other sharks keep out of its way. On this day, he had no luck until, just before sunset, one big individual turned up to investigate a tuna head attached to a rope (pulled up immediately so as not to feed the shark and make it associate food with boats). Noticing that the crashing of the boat's stern into the water was creating a mass of white foam, Charles manoeuvred into position so that the bubbles provided a backdrop as the shark passed between him and the boat. 'After several runs, the boat crashed down just as the shark swam into frame, producing this dramatic silhouette. I only noticed the pilot fish when I downloaded the files.'
Nikon D100 with 28mm Nikkor lens; 1/90 sec at f8; 200 ISO; Sea & Sea housing.
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Adult awards Ocean rider Magnus Lundgren
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Adult awards Reclining emperor shrimp Malcolm Hey
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Adult awards Pike pose Michel Loup
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Adult awards Blue-spotted grouper Tim Laman
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