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British
underwater photographer and BSoUP member LES KEMP from East
Grinstead won the Egyptian Underwater Sports Federation (EUSF)
award for the best macro shot at the recent first World Cup
of Underwater Photography organised by the World Underwater
Federation (CMAS) and EUSF at Sharm El Sheikh in the Gulf
of Aqaba.
The
event was the largest underwater photographic competition
ever staged. Competing against 52 other underwater photographers
from 29 countries, Les' winning photograph of a sea slug and
a second macro shot of the eye of a puffer fish also earned
him third place overall in the macro category
and a CMAS award.
The
competition took place during the week beginning I I June
and involved one day of practice followed by three days of
competition. Each of the 53 competitors was allowed six films
of his or her choice to be exposed during six dives at six
different sites - Ras Mohammed, Ras Nasrani, Ras Um Sid, Amphoras,
Near Garden and The Tower. Competitors and their models (if
any) were split into groups of up to eight and each group
assigned a boat for the duration of the event.
Conditions
were hot and windy, with record temperatures of 450C in the
shade in Cairo! Les Kemp and fellow British team members LINDA
PITKIN (second photographer) and AMANDA LEVICK (model), shared
a boat with Ireland's NIGEL MOTYER and PAT McCOOLE and Autralia's
LANCE and LYN ADRIAN and their model KATHY. The competition
dive sites were closed to all other boats during the morning
and afternoon sessions, so that no more than 32 divers on
four boats were in the water at one time. Although this may
seem a large number it has to be remembered that about 200
hundred boats now operate out of Sharm!
Four
boats departed from Naama Bay for each of the six dive sites
at 15 minute intervals, those having farthest to go leaving
earliest. This worked reasonably well, although the 6.30 departure
to Ras Mohammed meant that competitors had to forego breakfast!
There were also a few last minute substitutes for boats with
engine failure. Competitors and their models were accommodated
at the New Tiran, Cataract and Kahramana hotels with the jury
and organisers staying at the Novotel Hilton.
Early
on Friday morning each photographer had to submit six slides
- two macro, two fish and two wide-angle - for judging by
an international panel comprising WALTER TICHY, President
of the CMAS Technical Committee, ADEL EL ABBOUDY (Egypt),
HELMUT DEBELIUS (Germany), BYUNGDOO LEE (Korea), BRIAN PITKIN
(Great Britain) and ROGER STEENE (Australia). During the six
hour session each member of the jury allocated between I and
10 points to each of the submitted slides. All points awarded
by any jury member to a fellow countryman or woman were replaced
by an average of the points of the other five jury members.
The
top ten slides in each category were projected and the results
were announced prior to a late gala buffet dinner at the Tower
Hotel on Friday evening. Awards were presented to the top
ten photographers in each category, to all the members of
the jury and the organisers.
The
macro category was won by Carlos MINGUELL (Spain), with Milan
CZAPAY (Germany) second, beating Britain's Les KEMP, in third
place, by just 1.2 points!
The
fish category was won by Milan CZAPAY (Germany), with Nigel
MOTYER (Ireland) in second place and Lyn ADRIAN (Australia)
in third place. Lyn ADRIAN also won the award for the best
fish photograph. Britain's Linda PITKIN came tenth in the
fish category.
The
wide-angle category was won by Claudio BERTASINI, with Xavier
SAFONT (SPAIN) in second place and Massimo SANFELICE (Italy)
in third place. Claudio BERTASINI also won the award for the
best wide-angle photograph.
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