Australian photographer Simon Theuma has won the highly competitive Underwater category in the fifth annual Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY 5) competition, with his work Dreamtime.

CUPOTY was started in 2018 by UK-based Tracey and Dan Calder, with the aim of revealing hidden wonders of the world through close-up, macro and micro photography, though the Underwater category is a more recent addition. The couple say that the 2023 competition attracted almost 12,000 entries from 67 countries. 

The 11 category winners and Top 100 close-up photographs were selected by a jury of 23 photographers, scientists, naturalists, journalists and picture editors through 20 collective hours of deliberations on Zoom, with underwater photographers Angel Fitor and Scott Portelli among the judges.

“Like an intricate tapestry of the marine ecosystem, this image captures the relationship between a commensal shrimp and a mosaic sea star,” said Theuma, describing his winning shot. “Dreamtime Aboriginal art reminds us of the delicate balance that exists in the grand tapestry of our natural world – this ancient wisdom serves as an important reminder to preserve what we have. 

“To capture this image, I needed to use a snooted strobe, which was set at an acute angle to the subject. This set-up accentuated the depth and beautiful texture of the two organisms. Additionally, I enhanced magnification by using a +15 wet lens dioptre.” 

(Dreamtime was taken using a Nikon D850 + 85mm f2.8G lens, Sea&Sea housing, YS-250 Pro strobes, Inon UCL67 +15 Wet Dioptre and snoot, 1/200th, f/14, ISO 64)

Underwater runners-up

Second place in the Underwater category went to Heart Of The Sea, an image captured on a blackwater night dive in Romblon in the Philippines by Chinese photographer Liang Fu, who explained how it had come about. 

“I saw something shining under my searchlight at 28m deep. As I swam closer to investigate, I found a lava moray eel curled into a heart shape. I was extremely fortunate to capture this moment with my camera.

“The eel remained at that depth for less than 10 seconds before swimming down and disappearing into the darkness.” (Taken with a Canon EOS R5 + Canon RF 35mm F2.8L MACRO IS USM, two strobes, 1/200th, f/13, ISO 400)

Third place was awarded to US diver Chris Gug for Pinkaboo, taken in Misool in Indonesia’s West Papua. “For years, I had been wanting to make a relatively simple image of a golden damselfish set against a background of red sea whip coral,” said Gug. 

“But on multiple trips to various South Pacific diving locations, there was always some problem with the sea whips – one branch would be broken, lack of current caused the polyps to be retracted, the damselfish was too rough… just always something to make me cringe with OCD! 

“So when I found this little gem living in what are clearly not red sea whips, I had to twist my mind out of its rigidity, and realise that the gorgonian coral background I was searching for was indeed a different species, and was right in front of me! 

“As a traditional fisheye-lens shooter, water-contact optics have been a game-changer in underwater wide-angle photography. While not quite as wide as a fisheye lens, they still cover a large field of vision, while maintaining far superior corner sharpness, and don’t introduce the extreme barrel distortion of a fisheye lens. 

“Using Nauticam’s revolutionary WACP-1 lens/port allowed me to use a medium zoom, and create a close-focus wide-angle view from just a few inches away that, unlike a fisheye lens, appears flat and maintains focus on the entire coral environment.” (Taken with a Nikon D850 + AF Nikkor 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5D, Nauticam housing, WACP-1 lens / port, dual Ikelite DS-161 strobes, 1/50th, f/14, ISO 320)

Other Top 100 Underwater images

Other images entered in the Underwater category to make the CUPOTY 5 Top 100 included:

Hungarian Csaba Daróczi’s Pisces Constellation showed freshwater fish gathered in a pond on a moonlit night in Soltvadkert, Hungary. Daróczi was in fact awarded the title Close-up Photographer of the Year 5, but for a topside bird picture, showing a Eurasian nuthatch in flight. (Taken with a Nikon Z6 + Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide Angle Macro lens, self-made stand, two strobes, 30sec, f/4-22, ISO 4000)

UK diver Henley Spiers’ Gimme Shelter showed a juvenile fish sheltering in the open eastern Pacific beneath a blue button hydroid. (Taken with a Nikon D850 + 28-70mm f/2.8 AF-S, Nauticam housing, 1/500th, f/13, ISO 800)

A reef manta ray with an entourage of juvenile golden trevally at Ningaloo Reef was the subject of Australian photographer Jake Wilton’s composition Entourage. (Taken with a Nikon D810 + Nikkor AF-S Fisheye 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED, 1/250th, f/9, ISO 640)

Koji Shinke from Japan captured this Juvenile Anglerfish at Osezaki in Numazu Shizuoka. (Taken with a Nikon D810 + 105mm f/2.8 Sea&Sea housing, two Retra Flash Pro strobes, 1/250th, f/16, ISO 160)

Laura Storm from the UK took Cloud Nine, showing a ghost goby in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia, hiding among the undulating textures and swirls of its pink sponge daybed. (Taken with a Canon EOS 800D + EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM, two INON s2000 strobes with filters, Sea&Sea RDX750 housing with DX Macro Port 52, Light & Motion Sola 1200 focus light, 1/80th, f/14, ISO 200)

Belgian Luc Rooman’s Alpine Water Salamander rests on a water lily prior to surfacing, in a freshwater lake at De Melle, Antwerp. (Taken with a Nikon D500 + 16-35mm f/4, two Subtronic strobes, 1/160th, f/22, ISO 100

Fairy Shrimp Showing Colourful Eggs, taken in Germany, is the self-explanatory title of this photograph by Netherlands biologist René Krekels. (Taken with a Canon R5 + MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens, strobes, 1/250th, f/8, ISO 250)

Finally In the Moonlight, by a third British photographer, Sandra Stalker, shows a stalked jellyfish clinging to seaweed in turbulent waters at Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset. (Taken with a Sony A7R IV + Meyer Optic Trioplan 50 vintage lens, Nauticam housing, two Backscatter miniflashes and two strobes, one with a blue filter, one with a snoot, 1/320th, f/2.8, ISO 50)

‘Best yet’

These and other shortlisted Underwater CUPOTY entries can be seen in an online gallery, along with the Top 100 entries in all the other categories, which are: Animals, Insects, Butterflies & Dragonflies, Invertebrate Portrait, Plants, Fungi & Slime Moulds, Intimate Landscape, Human Made, Micro (images created using a microscope) and Young Close-up Photographer of the Year (17 or under).

“Thanks to these creative and original pictures, I now know that tadpoles can eat birds, ants fire acid like water-pistols and bees sometimes hold each other’s legs while they sleep,” says Tracey Calder.

“Personally, I think this is our best collection of winning images yet, and I’m so grateful to those who entered, as it allows us to see and learn from their work, and to recognise how incredible and surprising the world is.”

The competition is supported by Affinity Photo 2, Nikon, Zerene Stacker, Datacolor, NiSi, Greenwings Wildlife Holidays and Sigma UK. Category winners receive a universal licence for all three Affinity apps (Photo, Designer + Publisher) for macOS, Windows & iPadOS. 

Entries for CUPOTY 6 open in May. Divers wishing to enter can receive details by signing up to the newsletter.

Also on Divernet: 10 underwater close-ups that seduced judges

Xiaomi is expected to launch the Xiaomi 14 Ultra soon as a successor to last year’s Xiaomi 13 Ultra. A few details about the upcoming handset have already leaked on the Web in the past weeks. Most recently, an alleged designated camera kit of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra with the model number 2402CPS69C has purportedly appeared on the China Compulsory Certification (3C) website. Xiaomi 13 Ultra was launched with a camera accessory kit that includes accessories like a camera grip and a protective case. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is expected to come with a quad rear camera unit.

Tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) on Weibo posted screenshots of the alleged 3C listing of Xiaomi wireless professional camera kit. The listing suggests model number 2402CPS69C with a maximum output of 1,500mAh at 5V. The kit could also work as an external battery. The first digits of the model number indicate a February 2024 launch.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra was released with a designated camera kit priced at CNY 999 (roughly Rs. 11,500) to convert the handset into a full-fledged camera. The kit is exclusive to the Chinese market and includes a case, a camera grip, a lens cover, and a 67mm adapter ring.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra is expected to feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with 2K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The phone is tipped to include a quad rear camera setup comprising four 50-megapixel cameras. The camera unit might carry a Sony LYT900 as the primary sensor with an f/1.63 aperture. 

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC is expected to power the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. It is said to have slightly curved screens and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner for authentication. The phone is tipped to get a 5,180mAh battery with 90W wired charging support and 50W wireless charging support.

Samsung has just revealed its newest Galaxy S24 series, and it’s turning heads, particularly with its remarkable photography capabilities. It’s not just about the impressive camera setup on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which now boasts a 50MP 5x telephoto camera; it’s also about the array of new photography AI features that are stealing the spotlight.The photography features get a boost with the introduction of the new ProVisual Engine. It is touted to enhance various aspects, including night photography, noise performance, zoom quality, color reproduction, and HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging.

The ProVisual Engine of the Galaxy S24 series stands out as a comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools. These tools not only elevate image-capturing capabilities but also enhance creative freedom throughout the entire process, from setting up a shot to sharing it on social media.

The upgraded Nightography capabilities of the Galaxy S24 series ensure that photos and videos captured with Space Zoom shine in any lighting condition, even when zoomed in. The Galaxy S24 Ultra, in particular, features a larger pixel size compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, now at 1.4 μm, which is 60% bigger. This improvement allows for capturing more light in dim conditions, enhancing overall low-light performance.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra tackles blur with a broader optical image stabilizer (OIS) range and improved hand-shake compensation. Video recording sees enhancements as both front and rear cameras feature a Dedicated ISP Block for noise reduction.

The Galaxy S24 employs gyro information analysis to differentiate between the filmmaker’s movement and the subject’s, enabling more efficient noise removal. This results in clearer videos even in low-light conditions and from a considerable distance.

The ProVisual Engine not only assists in capturing the perfect shot but also streamlines the photo editing process. With the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy AI automatically suggests editing options for photos in your gallery. For example, you can eliminate reflections from the image with a single button press.

Image Credit–Samsung

Additionally, you have the option to fill out a photo. If the photo is tilted, the AI will automatically fill in the borders. It’s also possible to move a person or object within the frame and have the background seamlessly filled in.

The Edit Suggestion feature leverages Galaxy AI to recommend appropriate adjustments for each photo. To provide transparency, whenever the Galaxy S24 employs generative AI to enhance an image, a watermark will appear on the image and in the metadata. This ensures you’re aware that AI has been used, promoting transparency in the editing process.

Moving on. If you have a fast-paced video that needs to be slowed down, the new Instant Slow-mo feature can generate additional frames based on movements. This results in a smoother slowdown of action-packed moments, providing a more detailed and visually engaging look.

HDR shooting has seen significant improvements, too, and the SuperHDR feature now comes with an HDR preview. This allows you to preview how the photo will look before you actually capture it. Additionally, there is support for HDR shooting in third-party apps like Instagram and Snapchat, as well as enhancements to the HDR gallery for a better viewing experience.

Clearly, AI takes center stage in the new photography features of the Galaxy S24 series. Whether it is through on-device capabilities or cloud-based features, these smartphones are heavily infused with AI in multiple aspects.

Raymond “Ray” Weaver returned to Kalispell from World War I in 1919 with permanent lung damage from a mustard gas attack in the trenches of France.

On returning home, he picked up a camera and seemingly never put it down. Capturing photos of everyday life in a midcentury American town —  swimmers at Woodland Park, shoppers bustling along Main Street, a downtown auto accident — Weaver’s sharp eye and strong sense of composition come through each image.

Weaver was born in 1892 and died in 1964. 

A dozen of Weaver’s images will be on display through the winter months at the Northwest Montana History Museum, 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell, thanks to Rand and Linda Robbin and museum volunteer Jane Renfrow. 

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. 

For more information visit nwmthistory.org or call 756-8381.

Acclaimed Whitefish photographer Chuck Haney will present his annual benefit show on Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in downtown Whitefish. 

The multimedia show will feature still photography and time-lapse cinematography in several presentations. Subjects include ocean coasts, Iceland, Portugal and the past year of travel across Montana and the U.S. 

Haney is well known for his spectacular landscape work, but also captures interesting people, the local music scene, wildlife, birds, cityscapes and outdoor sports images. 

Haneys’ work has been published in 16 coffee-table books (many solo) and numerous calendars and magazines including over 300 cover images in a 30-year career as a professional photographer.

The price of admission will be a cash donation. All proceeds go to benefit the local North Valley Food Bank and Whitefish Theater Company.

Zhang Yu, a physical education (PE) teacher at an elementary school in Kecheng district, Quzhou city, east China’s Zhejiang Province, doubles as an unofficial photographer, capturing and preserving his students’ childhood memories.

(Photo/Voice of China)

His journey as a photographer began in October 2014, shortly after he started working at the school. He captured a spontaneous moment of six children playing with sycamore leaves in front of a mottled wall on a sunny day. He has been photographing his students for nearly a decade, creating a vast archive.

The first picture of the six children, some using sycamore leaves to shield themselves from the sun while others peer through the leaves at the sky, received widespread praise. This encouraged Zhang to continue capturing everyday moments of his students’ school life, using his mobile phone.

(Photo/Voice of China)

So far, Zhang has amassed a collection of over 100,000 photos, documenting the unguarded moments of his students — their joy, messiness during meals, moments of shyness or upset, and concentration on schoolwork.

Zhang’s images have become a cherished part of the students’ experiences, often referenced in their diaries and writing assignments.

“We were all lying in the grass with dappled sunlight across our faces,” recalled Mei Zijie, a student, about his favorite photo.

“I was crouching under a maple tree when my teacher took the picture. The light was bright, and the maple leaves were beautifully yellow and green. The picture is so lovely. It makes me feel like someone was recording my childhood,” said Zheng Jiale, now an eighth-grader.

(Photo/Voice of China)

According to Zhang, photography has helped him connect with the children. Initially, students found him a bit intimidating due to his serious demeanor. However, as the students saw themselves captured in cute and humorous moments, they warmed up to Zhang and became more enthusiastic in PE classes, the teacher noted.

Zhang’s photos have also caught his colleagues’ attention, motivating them to capture memorable moments of children during festivals, sports, and other major events.

“What left the deepest impression on me was a group photo of children with their arms around each other’s shoulders. In Zhang’s pictures, I saw a different side of the kids,” said Chen Meiling, a colleague of Zhang.

(Photo/Voice of China)

Zhang often shares photography tips and discusses the concept of “happy education” with his colleagues. He believes that childhood should be fun, happy, and innocent.

“I hope to publish a photo album someday or hold a photography exhibition. I want the photos to remind students who have graduated from our school of the happy moments from their childhoods and to help more people recall their own golden years as children,” Zhang said.

(Photo/Voice of China)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)

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