I just found out today that my photo “Diving with Sardines” got awarded as Underwater photo of the Year 2016 by the association of Scuba Diving in Finland. This photo also was participating in Nordic underwater photographer of the year and Finnish national competition where it got selected as the Finland underwater photo of the year 2016.
Diving with Sardines was shot with Magic Island Dive Resort from the tip of my good friend Saila who works in another great resort Atmosphere dive resort where we stayed prior to our trip to Magic Island Dive resort. We knew that on the western coast of Cebu Island at Moalboal there are sardine schools that you can dive with. This is why we wanted to make a one day stop at this location. We only made 2 dives at that day where the first one was at the island of Pescador and the second one on the coast of Cebu.
This shot is made just on the beginning of the second dive where we were dropped near the shoreline where the schools of sardines where gathering. On the top of the photo you also see some jackfish hunting for the sardines. I took many shots when I saw my girlfriend turning and one came out really perfect.
Picture is taken with Canon EOS 6D and 16 – 35 MM 2,8 USM II lens and Sea & Sea housing. No strobes were used. Camera settings: F 5 / ISO 400 / Exposure time, 1/400 .
I am really happy and proud that this photo was chosen as the best in Finland 2016. Thank you for Magic Island for great diving, Sea & Sea for great housings and strobes, Canon for great cameras and lenses, Atomic Aquatics for great dive gear, Bare Sports for great wetsuits and obviously to my girlfriend Aissa for great modelling.
-Jukka
Original news in Finnish:
https://www.sukeltaja.fi/files/upload_pdf/65422/vuoden_sukelluskuva2016.pdf