Photographer Wins Lionfish Picture Contest
The 2014 Groundswell Lionfish Tournament was held on July 19, with the weigh-in taking place at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences [BIOS] after members of the public were invited to help eradicate the invasive pest by joining in by “Eating ‘Em to Beat ‘Em.”
Added to this year’s lionfish tournament was an amateur photography contest that highlighted the Groundswell Lionfish Tournament and the lionfish culling effort. Besides a haul of 72 lionfish caught by 94 participants, the tournament also saw pictures selected for prizes, with Best Lionfish Photograph and Best Overall Photo of the Day won by Sergey Goncharov.
Mr. Goncharov’s winning lionfish photograph
The full list of photography prizes handed out at the tournament included:
- Best Lionfish Photograph – Sergey Goncharov
- Best Action Shot of the Day – Jorge Sanchez
- Most Artistic Shot of the Day – Jacqui Faries
- Best Kids Photo of the Day – Catarina Russo
- Best Overall Photo of the Day – Sergey Goncharov
Photos were all taken during the event and photographers had only minutes to view photos on one of the laptops provided and slightly crop and edit before submitting. Sponsored by Ubervida and Bermuda Ocean Explorers, the Overall Photo of the Day won a pair of tickets to experience Ubervida’s ‘Whole Day Dreaming’ outing. The photography judges were Chris Burville and Weldon Wade.
Winning photographer Sergey Goncharov said, “The winning picture of the lionfish was taken at the Xing Da ship wreck at 98 feet down. We were diving with Blue Water Divers.
“I only had one chance for the shot; the fish was speared by my friend the very next second. The fish photographed was the smallest one that got speared that day, and the prize for this smallest fish was given to Keith Bernard. I find it quite interesting that the same fish won a prize in both the culling and photo contests.”
Another example of Mr. Goncharov’s Bermuda photography
Mr. Goncharov, who has photographed the island’s waters extensively, added, “I’ve been diving in Bermuda for eight years, always with my camera; I never dive without it. I love Bermuda’s crystal clear water and colorful corals.”
Read More About
Category: All, Environment
Congrats Sergey!