1st Place Winner, Wide-Angle

Gabriel Barathieu

Age: 36
How long have you been a shooter: I started photography and diving 10 years ago
Day job: Construction-site manager in public works
Favorite camera: I do a lot of deep diving, and I need high-performance and reliable equipment; I am really happy with Canon and Seacam products.

Related Content: See amazing images from Scuba Diving's 2019 Underwater Photo Contest

Behind the Shot: I took this picture in the lagoon of Mayotte—an Indian Ocean archipelago between Madagascar and Mozambique—early in the morning. I left at dawn to meet the humpback whales in the hope of catching them at a peaceful time; we arrived to find a mother and calf. The most important thing for photographing humpbacks is to make a calm, steady approach. If you let the whale accept you, you will make beautiful shots. It's as simple as that. For this photo, I was less than a yard from the whale.
Camera Gear: Canon EOS 5DS R in a Subal housing; Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II lens; natural light
Settings: f/10; 1/80; ISO 200
Prize: Trip aboard Thailand Aggressor

What is your favorite underwater subject?
For macro, I must admit that I have a weakness for shrimp. Their diversity, shapes and colors really inspire me. For wide-angle, all cetaceans are particularly pleasant to photograph.

What's your No. 1 bucket-list dive destination?
The twilight zone, around the world! More seriously, I really want to discover Indonesia.

What's your advice for underwater shooters entering their first photo contest?
What is essential is to have fun. There are so many good photographers now that it becomes really difficult to stand out. But the important thing is to work one's own style, one's own photographic personality, and at some point, the rest will follow.

What is the most rewarding aspect of photography?
Making a beautiful picture is great, but to make a beautiful photo that is useful for science, research and furthering the understanding of the underwater world is much better.

AWARDS:
2017
3rd place, Macro, Underwater Photographer of the Year
2017
3rd place, Macro, Through Your Lens Underwater Photo Contest