“Aphrodite” – The Cyprus Experience Competition

It is Tuesday morning, the first day in which participants start taking shots that they will be able to submit to the competition. Everybody is very excited as we all meet on the boat, cameras and photographers (in that order). We are all aware that there are only three days in which our winning photographs should be taken, and photographers already start sneaking around, trying to find out if there are any other amazing spots at the Zenobia which were discovered by their colleagues and weren’t (properly) shared.

Although the Zenobia is known for its clear water surroundings, the visibility during the past two days wasn’t at its best. Usually the visibility is approx. 50m, which is more than perfect for wide angle wreck photography. However, these days, we are somehow challenged by a visibility of about 7-10m, which greatly affects our compositions. Whoever planned these shots ahead, imagining a panoramic image that reveals the whole 172m of the wreck, soon found himself thinking that photographing the wheel of the truck is not such a bad idea after all. This way or another, considering the fact that almost all photographers are taking images of the same dive site, the poor visibility serves as a great challenge and certainly spices up things. At the end, judges will be looking at so many Zenobia images, that one would really have to be creative (luck will be very much appreciated as well) in order for his Zenobia images to stick out.

The fact that during the days of the event all competitors spend their time together on one boat, creates a wonderful atmosphere. I guess you can say that some sort of an intimacy is slowly built, and those who thought they would be able to hide their images from all other photographers, soon find themselves publicly consulting with their colleagues regarding their ideas. Of course, the “Happy Hour” on the boat, in which everyone gets free beer and spends some time on the deck under the sun, plays an important role in this respect…

Anyone who spends more than 5 minutes on the boat could not ignore Jaime Burns, a photographer with so many amusing, thrilling and fascinating diving stories (as well as one of the coolest T-shirts I have ever seen). Jaime is a video photographer who intends to submit his video to the Cyprus Video Clip category, as well as taking some good shots and stories for his new program called “Diving Diaries”, covering all aspects of the dive site, including the diving center, the people, facilities and services. This was Jaime’s first time diving at the Mediterranean Sea and he was a bit disappointed with the visibility on the Zenobia, but somehow I am sure that thanks to his positive approach and his endless source of energy, he will overcome this disappointment very soon. When I asked Jaime if he had planned ahead the video he is going to submit to the competition, he said “When you make plans, nothing ever happens. It’s when you don’t make plans that a tiger shark suddenly comes by”. So I’ll take it as a “no” and start waiting for a tiger shark. Jaime says that if he wins, he feels that it’s mostly because he got lucky. I guess that although he sure seems like an underwater photographer that has been through a lot, Jaime gives a lot of credit to his fellow photographers.

Getting ready to another intensive day of diving, in the evening, all photographers retire early for a good and long sleep. After all, spending three days in a wreck that is laid on a bottom of 42 meters surely requires a good rest for well being, if not for safety reasons!

• The 2011 Raja Ampat Entrance Tag Design Competition
• Our World Underwater 2010 Announces the Winners
• Beneath the Sea 2010 Announces the Winners
• Epson Red Sea 2008 Competition Webcast