Wreckshot News

Underwater Images Competition Winner 2010.

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

2010 "Shipwrecks" Category

Second Place

Jim Garland - Merseyside, UK

"Emily"

Honorable Mention

Jim Garland - Merseyside, UK

"Giannis D"

Wreckshot in Metro Magazine

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Wreckshot in Metro Magazine June 1st 2010.

Gold Medal Winner 2009 - Underwaterphotography.com

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Jim Garland achieved a high level of success in UnderwaterPhotography.com photo contest 2009.

This photography contest is the longest running and one of the most prestigious online. If you want to make a name for yourself this is THE place to do it. Many other internationally acclaimed photographers have launched their photo careers here over the years.

Every January a panel of judges select the best images entered in our online photo contest from the previous year. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded for the top three from each category in order of merit.

The judges comprise of industry professionals (and last year’s World Champ). They are unpaid, non-affiliated, and (of course) cannot enter themselves.

One of our medals is the reward for all the hard work Jim Garland put in chasing those great shots in far-flung destinations. It's the most coveted prize because it says you succeeded in the most competive environment there is, against the top talent of the moment. Jim Garland was up against 12872 entries in this category to get placed.

Gold Medal

Winner - DivePhotoGuide.com

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

December 2009 Monthly Contest Winners.

The winner of the contest and a new Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 waterproof camera (value $350) is Jim Garland for his image of a P-47D Thunderbolt "Razorback" in Corsica.

Second place went to Tobias Friedrich, with another plane wreck. Dray H. Van Beeck won third place with his beautiful shipwreck image.

Congratulations to the winners! Entering the monthly photo contests is free, and every month there will be chance to win great prizes, not to mention the glory of placing.

A big thank you to Olympus for sponsoring this months photo contest. Please support our sponsors as without them these contests would not be possible.

The Judges-Matt Weiss, Jeff De Guzman and Jason Heller

1st place - Jim Garland

2nd place - Tobias Friedrich

3rd place - Dray H. Van Beeck

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Daily dozen Jan 2010

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Winner of Annual BSAC Photo Competition - 2009

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

BSAC Diving WINNER 2009 - Steam engine - Thistlegorm

Jim Garland

Front Cover - BSOUP IN FOCUS Nov 09.

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Cover image: Jim Garland

The Society's magazine 'in focus' was first published in December 1983. It was edited by Brian Pitkin until January 1996 (57 issues), by Colin Doeg until September, 1996 (3 issues) The first 60 issues were printed in black & white. Between June 1998 (issue 62) and January 2004 (issue 77), the newsletter appeared up to three times a year in colour with Ken Sullivan as its editor. Issues 78-84 were edited by Pat Morrissey and produced by Anthony Holley. The last seven issues - 85 to 91 - were edited by Gill McDonald and produced by Anthony Holley. Issue 92 was edited byGavin Parsons and Gill McDonald.

The magazine includes reports of meetings, forthcoming events, articles by members on techniques, equipment, photo sites, competitions, exhibitions, festivals and a classified section on items wanted or for sale, as well as a programme for the year and a list of BSoUP officers and committee members. It is sent to all BSoUP members by post. If you would like to receive printed copies of in focus as and when it is published then why not join BSoUP.

If have any copy which may be of interest to other underwater photographers, please contact Gill McDonald at divegem@yahoo.com

Shot of the Month - DIVE Magazine July 2009

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Winner BSOUP Splash-In 2009

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The British Splash-in Championship - 2009

On the Day Competition

Organised by the British Society of Underwater Photographers in association with the National Marine Aquarium

The Mount Batten Centre and the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, Devon, 4 July

This year's event took place on Saturday 4th July at the Mount Batten Centre and the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth. All underwater photographers were invited to participate 'On the Day' to compete for the trophies, some fantastic prizes and personal awards. A total of 52 underwater photographers participated in the 'On the Day' competition.

The presentation of entries, the judging and announcement of the winners took place in the National Marine Aquarium, following a BBQ.

Unfortunately following the awards, one of the announced winning images, contrary to the Rules, was discovered to have been substantially cropped and has been disqualified. As a consequence some of the placings have been changed. We now have the difficult task of recovering some of the prizes and trophies and redistributing them.

Close-up

Image taken of an area A4 size or less

Lobster by Jim Garland
Runner-up

�The Underwater Photographer� by Martin Edge, donated by the publisher Focal Press, or �Dive: The Ultimate Guide� by Monty Halls, donated by the publisher Ultimate Sports.

Animal portraits

Image in which a fish or other marine animal is the main focus

Jellyfish by Jim Garland
Winner

BSoUP Trophy and an Olympus Mju Tough 8000 digital camera donated by Olympus UK AND a year's family membership of the National Marine Aquarium.

Grand Prize for the best image taken On the Day

The best shot taken on the day was judged by an independant panel comprising Mark Webster, Linda Pitkin and Neil Hope.

Jellyfish by Jim Garland

Second overall

Anemones by Jim Garland

Highly Commended

BSoUP extends its thanks to Scuba Travel , the National Marine Aquarium, Olympus UK, A.P Valves, Constable & Robinson, Ocean Visions, Sport Diver, Ultimate Sports and Focal Press.

BSoUP also extend its thanks to Alan James Photography, Sport Diver and A.P Valves, who have each provided trophies for the competition.

BSoUP thanks the judges of the Splash-in Competition Mark Webster, Linda Pitkin and Neil Hope.

BSoUP is grateful to all those members and their guests who helped to make the event such a success.

Shipwreck Photography by Jim Garland - Photographer Magazine May 2009

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Shipwreck Photography by Jim Garland - Photographer Magazine May 2009

Winner of Dive Magazine Hotshot of the Year 2009

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Winner - Beneath the Sea Competition 2009

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Winner of 2nd Place in open category - Beneath the Sea Competition 2009.

See images here

Shot of the Month - DIVE Magazine March 2009

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Winner of DIVE magazines "Shot oif the Month" for March 2009.

Winner of Blue O Two 2008 Onboard Photography Competition

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNER of our BLUE O TWO 2008 onboard photography competition...

Jim Garland

Jims winning image, featured above, was selected from over 40 other photograghs taken by blue o two guests. The judges of the competition were acclaimed underwater photographer Alex Mustard and blue o two's resident dive guide and photograpy expert Dray Van Beeck.

Due to the high standard of the competition the judges also awarded 2nd, 3rd and 4th places to Sasa Ratkovic, Simon Edwards and Alec Shanley respectively.

Well done to everybody who took part in the competition.

See link: Blue O Two

Gold Medal Winner 2008 - Underwaterphotography.com

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Jim Garland achieved a high level of success in UnderwaterPhotography.com photo contest 2008.

The judges comprise of industry professionals (and last year�s World Champ). They are unpaid, non-affiliated, and (of course) cannot enter themselves.

Gold Medal

Winner of 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place - BSAC Travel Club Photo Award - November 2008.

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Clean sweep for November 2008 in the BSAC Travel Club Photo Awards, finishing 1st, 2nd & 3rd.

BSAC link here

Winner (Open) - Grey Reef Shark

Jim Garland

Wreck of the Giannis D

Jim Garland

Wreck of the Aida

Jim Garland

Winner of 1st Place - BSAC Travel Club Photo Award - September 2008.

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

1st Place for September 2008 in the BSAC Travel Club Photo Awards.

See images here

Winner of 2nd Place - BSAC Travel Club Photo Award - August 2008.

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

2nd Place for August 2008 in the BSAC Travel Club Photo Awards.

See images here

Diver Photographer of the Year 2008

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Winner of third place in "DIVER" Magazines Photographer of the Year 2008 competition.

Shot of the Month - SPORT DIVER October 2008

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Jim Garland just won "Shot of the Month" for October with a photograph of the Giannis D in the Red Sea. The image is due to be published in Octobers edition of Sport Diver magazine.

Tropical Hailstrom - OutThere Magazine Winter 2008

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

A train of tight bubbles rises past me and I spot the silhouette of my dive buddy below. My computer reads 25 metres. I continue freefalling into the liquid blue. Thirty metres. The increased water pressure squeezes my body and presses my organs. Deeper still. At 35 metres I pass what looks like a telegraph pole and realise it�s the top of the mast. Then the deck and bridge start to materialise beneath me, and I feel the quickening sensation that always comes when I�m diving a wreck. As I touch the deck, my computer reads 50 metres, the deepest I�ve ever dived. But this is the San Francisco Maru in Truk Lagoon, for which it�s worth breaking your limits.

Joining my buddy, we check gauges and fin towards the stern. Three armoured tanks stand in closed rank, as if out on patrol, their snub-nosed gun barrels pointing up aggressively. Behind the buckled bridge are torn metal plates and struts protruding like broken bones, scars from the bomb blast that sent this vessel down along with the arsenal she carried. Dropping through the open lattice framework into the hold we find stacks of torpedoes, shells, cooking pots and plates. War is, after all, a personal event. I check my air gauge: it�s time to go. Diving on normal air, you don�t get to spend long at these depths, but long enough to get a sense of the trauma...

Read Mathew Holts account of the attack on Truk Lagoon in OutThere Magazine. Photographs supplied by Jim Garland (www.wreckshot.com).

Diving Sardinia by Jim Garland - DIVE Magazine June 2008

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Sardinia is a big, mountainous island, so for divers it makes sense to choose a base and stick to it. I recommend the town of Palau (not to be confused with the Micronesian state of the same name), situated in a strategic position on the northeast coast of the island, in an area known as the Costa Smeralda, or Emerald Coast. The multi-millionaire Prince Karim Aga Khan transformed this region into a holiday paradise in the 1960s. Palau is a gateway to two first-rate offshore locations: the Maddalena archipelago, just 2km off the coast; and Corsica's Lavezzi marine reserve, a 40-minute boat ride away. The surrounding area has about 40 dive sites to pick from, ensuring a range of spectacular diving opportunities irrespective of weather conditions. The dive sites are suitable for all levels of experience, with depths ranging from 5m to 35m.

The sites consist mainly of walls, swim-throughs, granite pinnacles and boulder gullies with a couple of wrecks thrown in for good measure. While exploring the cracks and crevices, you can be sure to find scorpionfish, moray eels, congers and various other shy creatures - but don't forget to have an occasional look out into the blue, where there is always a chance of spotting eagle rays, barracuda and other pelagics passing by. A short boat trip to the Lavezzi reserve will guarantee a close-up encounter with large Mediterranean groupers - a truly memorable experience.

Palau itself is a relatively small town, with friendly people and accommodation that ranges from campsites to five-star hotels. Restaurants are plentiful and cater for all tastes; most are reasonably priced. For those not diving, there is ample opportunity to simply chill out on one of the many sandy beaches in the area.

San Francisco Cave: A great dive on the eastern side of Caprera Island, taking in walls, caves and boulder gullies. During the dive, you can expect to see overhangs colonised by red gorgonian fans; bright orange, red and yellow sponges; and golden sea daisies. Those with a keen eye will be amazed at the vast array of nudibranch species grazing on the algae-encrusted boulders.

Washington Rock: This is the most spectacular dive in this corner of Sardinia. At depths ranging from 5m to 33m, this awesome granite pinnacle is completely festooned with sea fans. It also provides the diver with the opportunity to observe some of the Mediterranean's larger species including moray eels, schools of barracuda and, if you get lucky, eagle rays.

Grouper City: If you want to get up close with grouper, this is the best dive in the Mediterranean, bar none. The resident fish here used to be fed by divers, but the feeds have been banned and the fish have been left with a no-fear attitude to divers. Expect to have them in your face.

Seasonality
The best time to visit Sardinia is during May, June and September, as the island gets very busy during the peak holiday months. May and June are also the best months to see big specimens of the Mediterranean king crab, eagle ray and large tuna. Water temperature varies from 13-22�C in spring to 23-27�C in summer, with temperatures dropping in autumn to 18-24�C. In summer, there is a thermocline present at about 12m, below which the temperature drops to around 13�C, so a two-piece 5mm wetsuit is the best compromise. Visibility can be up to 30m.

Getting there
The most convenient airport is Olbia, a 35-minute drive from Palau. Meridiana (http://www.meridiana.it) and easyJet (http://www.easyjet.com) fly to Olbia from Gatwick and Bristol, while Jet2 (http://www.jet2.com) flies direct from Leeds Bradford to Olbia. Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com) flies to Olbia from Birmingham and to Alghero from Stansted, Dublin, East Midlands and Liverpool. Transfers can be organised by Nautilus Dive Centre (http://www.divesardegna.com) on request; alternatively, independent travellers can make their own way by bus or hiring a car locally.

Printed in Junes edition of DIVE magazine.

Winner - Aquasnap Competition

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Winner of second place in Aquasnap Competition with Emily Flying Boat shot! sponsored by Canon, Cameras Underwater and PADI.

See Image: Aquasnap Contest 2007

Gold Medal Winner 2007 - UnderwaterPhotography.com

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Jim Garland achieved a high level of success in UnderwaterPhotography.com photo contest 2007.

The judges comprise of industry professionals (and last year�s World Champ). They are unpaid, non-affiliated, and (of course) cannot enter themselves.

Gold Medal

Silver Medal Winner 2006 - Underwaterphotography.com

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Jim Garland achieved a high level of success in UnderwaterPhotography.com photo contest 2006.

The judges comprise of industry professionals (and last year�s World Champ). They are unpaid, non-affiliated, and (of course) cannot enter themselves.

SILVER MEDAL

Front Cover - Equilazier Mag

Sun, 02 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700