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BSoUP's
Theme Portfolio Competition 1997
Winner
- Anne Owen
by
Brian Pitkin
At
our June meeting there was a theme portfolio competition to
celebrate the International Year of the Reef.
All
underwater photographers, whether members of the Society or
not, were invited to submit a portfolio of six slides taken
on reefs anywhere in the world.
The
only constraints were that the photographs submitted should
not have won first, second or third place in a national or
international competition and that the photographs has to
have been taken underwater by the photographer.
This
year's winner was ANNE OWEN. Anne joined the BSAC in 1969
and has been diving ever since! For many years she was involved
in Branch diving and in the Instructor circuit, qualifying
as a First Class diver in 1979 and a National Instructor in
1986. Nowadays, however Anne really dives purely for pleasure,
especially since she became really interested in photography.
Since
1990 Anne has made a lot of overseas trips, firstly to the
Caribbean and Red Sea and more recently to the Pacific, including
Palau, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Cocos and
of course, Galapagos. Her husband, David dives with Anne,
though not to take photographs (he's brilliant at finding
critters!) and for several years they have travelled with
the american underwater photographer, Stephen Frink. Anne
learned a lot from Steve, including how to hanker after ever
more exotic kit, unfortunately. Anne said "he's a great guy
to dive with"
Anne
uses a Nikonos V, usually with either the 20mm or 15 mm lenses
for wide-angle stuff, and an RS with the 50mm lens for close
up and macro work. She uses two SB103 strobes with the RS,
and almost invariably all the electronic wizardry that Nikon
pack in. After all, Anne thinks that once you've done all
the work of hiking round the world, getting under water, finding
your critter and getting it framed - you deserve to get a
picture! She greatly respects those who can get great images
with manually controlled kit. As to film Anne always uses
Velvia for macro and close up work, and Sensia 100 for wide-angle.
Anne
called her portfolio 'Home, Home on the Reef' and used the
theme of animals in their hideaways. Most of the pictures
were taken in Fiji's Bega Lagoon, which has some of the best
macro subjects she has ever seen. In fact, the long-nosed
hawkfish and the shrimp on bubble coral were actually taken
within a few frames of each other on the same dive!
Anne's
personal overall favourite is the tiny goby peeping out from
his coral fortress. This was taken in Kimbe Bay, PNG. Anne
only had once chance - as soon as the strobes fired he was
gone.
Anne
very much enjoys the BSoUP meetings and was very excited to
win the Theme Portfolio trophy on her first attempt.
BSoUP
THEME PORTFOLIO COMPETITION |
