Stunning results in Splash In comp
Dozens of underwater photographers battled challenging weather conditions to produce some stunning results in the 23rd St Abbs and Eyemouth Splash-in competition.
Over August Bank Holiday weekend, 35 competitors took to the waters of the Marine Reserve with three photo categories in mind: Marine Life Portrait, Reserve Atmospheric, and Most Humorous Shot. The winning images were then chosen by the audience of a slide show on the Sunday evening.
The Marine Life Portrait category was close, with David Stephen’s image of a velvet swimming crab and a dahlia anemone just pipping Cathy Lewis’ close-up shot of a prawn on a dahlia anemone to the post for first prize.
Third prize went to Jason Gregory for a picture of a scorpionfish and 13-year-old Robert Grieves was awarded the prize for best beginner. David’s image was so well-liked by the audience that it also won the prize for best image in the whole competition.
It was a good day for Cathy Lewis, as she also came first in the Reserve Atmospheric category, with her shot of a diver looking at a sunstar on a reef. Richard Hall took second with an image of an oval window in a reef festooned with sealife, and Shane Wasik was awarded both third and best beginner for his moody shot of a swim-through dive site called the Letterbox.
As usual, the Most Humorous Shot category produced some entertaining entries. Mike Clark won with his image of an underwater gardener, Sam Bean came second with her ‘Fun Down Under’, and Shane Wasik took third (and his third prize) with ‘Starry Eyed’.
Apart from the prestige of taking a winning image, there were nearly £1,500 worth of prizes to fight for; anything from a romantic meal for two to dive equipment. All prizes were generously donated by local, national and international businesses and were presented by Sarah Goldie (the Most Humorous Shot category being in memory of her dad).
Marine Ranger Liza Cole said: “The Splash In not only provides a fantastic opportunity to promote the work that has been going on in the VMR for over two decades, but also highlights the beauty of the underwater world to those who are not able to go and see it for themselves. Participants come to St Abbs from all over the country and the event is an enjoyable weekend for participants and locals alike.
“The unique thing about the St Abbs Splash In, compared to similar competitions, is that young beginners like Robert compete alongside experienced photographers, some of whom have won national competitions. And because the winners are chosen by the audience of the Sunday night slide show rather than expert judges, images that are pleasing to the eye have as much chance of winning as those that are technically excellent.”
Full Splash-in results
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