Photosub International, Cuba 1990

by Brian Pitkin

Reproduced from in focus 37 (July 1990)

An international photosub, organised by the German underwater photographic magazine - UWF, Nautilus and the Cuban tourist authority, took place on the Isla de la Juventud (isle of Youth) off mainland Cuba in the Caribbean in April. About thirty participants from West Germany, Switzerland, Austria, East Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Great Britain and Brazil took part. The West German team comprised ten photographers selected by competition to take part, but the British and Irish teams, numbering five in each, comprised any underwater photographers from their respective countries interested in competing. Britain's team included Les Kemp, Brian Pitkin, Linda Pitkin, Mike Valentine and Mark Webster. Ireland's team comprised John Costelloe, Declan Heffernan, Pat McCoole, Bart McMullin and Billy Nott.

On Friday 20 April the British team arrived from London to join Pat Mccoole and three of his team, Bart, Declan and John, for the early Saturday morning Aeroflot direct flight from Shannon to Havana. After transfer to the domestic airport at Havana we joined Billy & Geraldine Nott and a scheduled mid-day flight to Nueva Gerona on the Isle of Youth. After a forty minute bus ride from Nueva Gerona we arrived at our destination, the El Colony Hotel. Some-what tired and jet-lagged we were totally unprepared for the reception which greeted us. A lively Cuban band filled the foyer with music and the local tourist television channel, Sun, filmed us as we stood dumbfounded at check-in.

We had two days to kill before the competition started so Pat McCoole organised dives for the British and Irish teams. All diving takes place a hour and a half's boat ride from the Marina. Because of the distance, the boats leave in the morning for a dive and instead of returning pull up at a purpose built jetty complete with a restaurant, bar and toilet facilities. After lunch, a second dive is carried out before returning to the Marina.

We were assigned to the "Triton", the fastest of the dive boats, and lost no time in getting to our first dive site "The Tunnel of Love". This is a shallow site without much fish life but with plenty of flexible gorgonians and other corals. In contrast, our afternoon dive on "Low wall" proved to be action packed. Again a shallow dive but very diverse with a large gully skirted by a low wall abounding with small colonies of feather duster worms, sea fans and other corals and plenty of fish life including French and Grey Angel Fish, Nassau groupers, tarpon, grunts, snappers, damsel fish and gobbles.

On Monday most of us dived the "Blue Cave" and "Sahara Kingdom", Les Kemp preferring to wind surf and take things easy before the competition. Each evening throughout the week our hosts provided an after dinner floor show featuring local bands and dance groups.

The competition was held over two days, each competitor having four rolls of Agfachrome 100 ASA film or their own film provided it was previously shown to the organisers and four dives of unlimited duration in which to take pictures in two categories, Macro or Panorama. The four dives were selected from a daily list of about 10 of the 56 sites between Punta Frances and Punta Pedernales. The photographers travelled to the dive sites in groups. The ten members of the British and Irish teams shared the boat "Triton" and dived in two groups, each under the eye of a Cuban dive master.

On Day 1 of the competition we chose to dive on "Low Wall" and "Black Coral Wall", although these sites are practically adjacent so the British team carried out both morning and afternoon dives on "Low Wall", as this site was by then known to us and offered tremendous photographic potential.

On Day 2 of the competition we dived "Corsair's Anchor" and "Black Rock". A vast shoal of tarpon hung beneath the boat at "Corsair's Anchor" and I used up a complete roll of film on this unusual sight.

Exposed films were returned daily to the organisers for processing and the first days efforts were returned to the photographers for appraisal before the start of the second day. Following the second day, each participant then had to select five macro and five panorama shots for judging. Our final choice made we headed off for two more dives, again visiting the "Blue Cave" and "Corsair's Anchor".

The jury comprised Heinz Ritter, editor of UWF, Maggot Wolff, Michael Tafelmeier, Antonio Martico Rena and Rafael Ruiz Fon.

The best fifty macro and best fifty panorama shots were projected at the awards ceremony prior to the announcement of the winners. All of Britain's competitors were amonst the finalists. All participants, including photographers, models, and the hardworking film processor, were invited up on stage to receive diplomas. The winners were presented with magnificent locally hand-crafted ceramic vases decorated with marine life. Britain's LINDA PITKIN came second in the Macro category with a close-up of a flexible gorgonian. MARK WEBSTER received an award for Best Overall Technical Quality. Unfortunately Les Kemp's and Mike Valentine's fine double composition shots were apparently not considered for an award by the jury, although several were among the top 100 slides, which also included some by Brian Pitkin, projected prior to the prize giving.

RESULTS

Best Photograph:

Norbert Probst (West Germany)

Best Overall Technical Ouallty:

Mark Webster (Great Britain)

Macro:

1st Pipe Fish Udo Kefrig (West Germany) & Christmas Tree Worms Franco Banfi (Switzerland)
2nd Gorgonian Linda Pltkin (Great Britain)
3rd Sea Fan/Girls Eyes Norbert Probst (West Germany)
4th Ghost Fish Dombouarl Tibor (Hungary)

Open:

Ist Snapper Shoal Norbert Probst (West Germany)
2nd Lobster & Diver Helmut Cornell (West Germany)
3rd Urchin & Reflection Franco Banfi (Switzerland)
4th Sponge & Diver Andreas Kofka (West Germany