Ocean Photographer of the Year - Young Ocean Photographer of the Year Ocean Photographer of the Year - Young Ocean Photographer of the Year  

Winner Young Ocean Photographer of the Year –  

Aaron Sanders

Aaron Sanders is a 25-year-old underwater photographer and filmmaker based in the UK. A strong advocate for UK diving, the habitats and species found in British waters, when he is not documenting marine life in UK, Sanders work internationally as an underwater videographer, spending extended periods in Indonesia, diving all over the country.  

Location: Brixham, England  

Equipment: Nikon Z8, Nikon 60mm f2.8 lens, Nauticam Housing, two Inon Strobes  

Settings: 1/200, f/22, ISO 320  

Image size: 143.5 x 143.5cm

Wall text

Under the cover of night, two tiny bobtail squid engage in an intimate display, their arms intertwined as they mate on the seabed. “Waves of colour rippled across their bodies as chromatophores pulsed in a mesmerising rhythm,” says Sanders. “I felt privileged to have witnessed this rare and tender moment.”  

Description

A profile view of two interconnected, pearlescent squid.  They face to our left, arms in front, bulbous, egg-shaped bodies behind. At the rear of their bodies are translucent flaps, mid-curl in the dark water. Each is covered with gold and black dots on their glossy, white flesh. They are diagonally stacked. One below the other.  

Two eyes peer out, almost in parallel, one countersunk eye belonging to each of the squid. Their eyes are like round metal buttons at the base of their elongated, oval bodies.

The squid below is anchored in place by a long tentacle wrapping around the other’s body behind its eye. The gloom behind them is a dappled brown.  

A touch panel of this image for you to explore is located to your left, on the narrow end of this gallery wall if you are standing facing the image at the tactile floor panel.  

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