TO GALLERY

Shades of Colour is an underwater photo competition which we've been running for years in Dive Pacific magazine. The New Zealand Underwater Association (NZUA) now own and run Dive New Zealand / Dive Pacific magazine as a website.

All images are copyright the photographer and used by permission. Please contact us if you wish to use any of these images and we can put you in touch with them.

Our competition schedule can be found here. We are always taking entries for the next comp.

An amazing diversity of marine life captured by our photographers! What is difference between them?

By Dave Moran

The majority of images we are sent to judge are mainly macro or close up. Many are excellent, and looking for an image that stands above the rest is challenging!

Some just POP out like Tony Burt’s image of Larval Wunderpus. Others have a Natural History element to the image, which also separates them from the pack. We hope you like our selection!

As many of you will know, taking good wide-angle images can be quite technical. We were delighted to receive Judy Ormandy’s fisheye image of a shipwreck.

This was the only wide-angle picture we received – which helps demonstrate the fact that achieving a good wide-angle image is very difficult.

We throw out the challenge: have a go at wide angle!There are many helpful tips available online.

As always, thanks for taking the time to enter this fun competition.

Entering can help you to view your images with a more critical eye, helping you to improve results on your photographic journey.

As always we look forward to receiving your personal masterpieces for the next competition. If you've never entered before, we encourage you to send in your pics! If you've entered but not placed - keep trying! :)

Send your entries for Shades of Colour #191 Summer 24/25: March 3rd 2025*

*Sophie reserves the right to extend this out a week or two at the last minute

Notes

A note on prizes:

The prize vouchers are now split evenly between categories:

Interchangeable Lens Camera category winner	NZ$100 Sea Tech voucher
Interchangeable Lens Camera category highly commended	NZ$50 Sea Tech voucher
Point & Shoot Camera category winner	NZ$100 Sea Tech voucher
Point & Shoot Camera category highly commended	NZ$50 Sea Tech voucher

A note on watermarks:

We know that some of your would be more comfortable with us displaying watermarked version of your pics on our site. That's completely understandable. We're happy to comply with this - but please, send us two versions: one without a watermark for judging (we like it to be anonymous). Please keep watermarks subtle.

This Issue's Winners:

Interchangeable Lens (IL) Camera Category Winner:

'The Anilao icon' by Tony Burt, New Zealand. Taken at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, Philippines. Sony A1, 90mm Macro Lens, Sea&Sea YS-D3 strobes - ISO 400, F18, 1/200.

Congratulations, Tony.

Tony was diving out of the Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, Philippines.

He was on a blackwater dive at 30 metres when he took this image of a Larval Wunderpus (about 30mm in size).

Judges' Comments

Firstly, finding a Larval Wunderpus is very difficult. Then, to take this winning image is a testament to Tony’s macro photographic skills! Tony’s combination of using his 90mm macro lens, camera setting and strobe lighting is spot on!

Result:

The Larval Wunderpus detail is amazing.
Focus is very sharp
Lighting displaying the larval colouring against the background blackness

If you Google Larval Wunderpus you will see images that are lacking (in my opinion) the clarity of this image.

Well done, Tony! Tony receives a Sea Tech Gift Voucher for NZ$100.00

IL Camera Highly Commended:

'Redlip Morwong' by JJ Blackmore, Auckland, New Zealand. Taken at Henrietta Rocks (wreck of the Shark), Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Canon R6 II, with Canon 24-105 F4 lens in Aquatech Housing; Natural light - ISO 640, F6.3, 1/800.

Congratulations, JJ.

JJ was visiting Rottnest Island, Western Australia. A popular off the beach dive site for exploring the wreckage of the barge Shark.

In 1939 the barge hit difficult sea conditions as it was being towed to be sunk off the island. The barge was cut loose and eventually ran aground in Porpoise Bay near Henrietta Rocks.

The fish life around the wreck is abundant. Due to its shallow depth, photography using natural light is the choice of most photographers. Redlip morwong are common on the site.

Judges' Comments

This image is a lovely natural history record of the fish feeding, puffing sediment from its gills.

Camera setting of, f 6.3, a high ISO of 640, and shutter speed of 1/800 of a second all contributed to capturing this behaviour frozen in time.

Post processing was done using Lightroom by JJ’s wife Andrea.

Focus is sharp, showing the camouflage pattern of this fish in fine detail.

Using natural light has avoided any over-exposure, especially with such a light-coloured foreground. It also provided the right conditions for showing the sediment from the fish’s gills. Not easy!

Well done JJ. JJ receives a Sea Tech Gift Voucher for NZ$50.

Point & Shoot Camera Category Winner:

'Shapeshifter' by Brett Sutton, Northland, New Zealand. Taken at Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Olympus Tough TG-6 - ISO 100, F2.8, 1/1250.

Congratulations, Brett.

Brett was diving above exotic pest seaweed Caulerpa in the Bay of Islands. This invasive and smothering seaweed was first found in New Zealand in July 2021 at Great Barrier Island.

Brett commented,"We have observed a range of weird and wonderful fish and invertebrate species on exotic Caulerpa beds, like this cunningly camouflaged octopus blending into the alien green background."

Judges' Comments

When we first saw this image when judging was, “What’s going on here?” So, we had a GOOD look at the image which is unusual as it just looks a bit messy!

But no, it shows an octopus which has the AMAZING ability to change its appearance to melt into its surroundings! A top ambusher camouflaged and in position waiting for its next dinner to pass overhead! If you look closely, you can spot one searching eye.

The more we looked at this image the more detail we discovered. You could hang it on a wall as abstract art. The artist? The very clever illusionist, the octopus.

Camera aperture of F2.8 allowed the magic of natural light to create this well-exposed image.

Well spotted, Brett! Brett receives a Sea Tech Gift Voucher for NZ$100.00

Point & Shoot Camera Highly Commended:

'Diver over Stern of the Zenobia' by Judy Ormandy, Wellington, New Zealand. Taken at Larnaca, Cyprus. Olympus Tough TG-7, Olympus FCON-T02 Fisheye Converter, Ikelite housing with Dome Port for FCON-T02 - ISO 100, F2.8, 1/125.

Congratulations, Judy!

Judy was checking out the 72-metre hull of the wreck of the MS Zenobia, a passenger ferry that sank on her maiden voyage in 1980, just off the coast of Larnaca, on the mediterranean island of Cyprus. Zenobia now lies on her port side. Depth ranges from 18 to 42 metres.

Judy commented, “The visibility was awesome!”

Diving with her trusted Olympus (now OM System) Tough TG-7 camera fitted with Olympus FCON-T02 Circular Fisheye Conversion lens in an Ikelite housing fitted with a specialty 5.75" dome port.

Tech info of interest: This lens allows full circular wide-angle, close-focus wide-angle and panorama – and a 130º angle of view! Once you pair it with Ikelite’s dedicated dome, you can even do over-unders – with a point n shoot! Cool stuff. Check here if you’re looking to add one to your set-up.

Judges' Comments

Obtaining good wide-angle images is always a challenge! As mentioned above Judy had set up her camera to take very wide-angle images of this wreck.

Having a diver in the image gives the viewer a perspective of the ferry’s size.

As she was photographing using natural light her f-stop selection was 2.8 to maximise the amount of light delivered to the camera’s sensor. The clear water has allowed for a great depth of field (even at F2.8) to approximately midship.

Congratulations Judy on achieving your goal of a stunning image of this wreck.

Judy receives a Sea Tech Gift Voucher for NZ$50.00