El Hierro Fotosub 2008

Many congratulations to Wetpixel member David Barrio (davichin) for winning the 12th Open El Hierro Fotosub competition in the Canary Islands. The luck git fellow walking off with the top prize of 7000 Euros.

His partner, and secret to his success, Luisa won the award for best underwater model.

Here is the classification. I can't find the pictures online, but I will email David and ask him to post them:

1 David Barrio / Luisa Quintanilla

2 Arturo Telle / Carlos Gonzalez

3 Eduardo Acevedo / Raul Saavedra

4 Jose Angel Fernandez / Amparo García

5 Juanmi Alemany / David Acuna

Best Model: Luisa Quintanilla

Best WA: Juanmi Alemany / David Acuna

Best Macro: Jose Angel Fernandez / Amparo García

Special "Fito Herzog" Prize for the picture that best represents El Hierro´s reefs: Carmelo Andrades / Esther Torrent

I wonder who is the top story in Marca. Rafa or David?

Many congratulations. Don't buy too much new kit with the prize money.

Alex

p.s. David, if you see this can you post your winning portfolio and also say something about the rules (no. of dives, post processing etc) governing the pictures

That's a prize and a half!

Well done David, I'm sure your local camera dealer will be as happy as you are when you spend the money

I wonder who is the top story in Marca. Rafa or David?

David, of course... who´s Rafa?

Many congratulations. Don't buy too much new kit with the prize money.

 

Alex

 

p.s. David, if you see this can you post your winning portfolio and also say something about the rules (no. of dives, post processing etc) governing the pictures

Thank you very much Alex!

The competition took place in three days. Each day we got to dive twice in one of the three chosen divesites (rotating each day) and we had to enter two pics from the ones taken on that day on both of the first two days. The third day we had to enter two pics from that day and two more from the day we wanted.

Every day we were given a classification and points (like in Formula 1) being the first two days equal in value and the third day around 30% more. No PS or in camera postprocessing was allowed and pictures were straight jpegs.

We were told that the jury was going to give more value to entering technically different pictures in the same day (like no two WA or macros...)

All that gives room to a lot of strategy including keeping nice pics from the first two days to enter them in the last and most valuable third day.

The jury was: Leandro Blanco and Tato Otegui from Spain, Stuart Philpott from UK, Alessio Viora from Italy and Francisco Dias from Portugal.

We entered this portfolio (only downsize, unsharp mask and frame):

First day:

Second day:

Third day:

Those are some incredible photos...........

I've gone thru them several times now

Cal

Well done David! Superb images, especially considering the limited time to get them. You guys make a great team.

Steve

Thank you very much Cal and Steve!!.

This kind of competition is really "stressing" (if that can be said about diving and photographing! )