Cloud Nine.

Highly Commended - Travel Photographer of the Year 2023
MPB One Shot Category: Above, Eye Level, Below

Shortlisted - People's Choice award - Travel Photographer of the Year 2023

Finalist and Top 100 - Close-up Photographer of the Year 2023.
Underwater Category

Exhibited at the Photography Show, NEC, Birmingham (TPOTY '24)

Showing its ability to hide in plain sight, a Ghost goby uses the lace-like textures of a pink sponge to camouflage its presence. Melding seamlessly with its host, the tiny fish improves its chances of survival.

Underwater, the colours, shapes and patterns of invertebrate life are extraordinary. Ocean critters often live symbiotically in, on and among other marine animals. One of my longterm projects is to produce of body of work which celebrates these beguiling relationships. I love showing a close-up aspect of the host animal in an Abstract way, to create a stunning backdrop.

I captured this in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. It’s a renowned muck diving hotspot. Above the black, volcanic sand seabed is a busy shipping industry - completely at odds with the marine ecosystem below.

Blue and green iridescent eye reflections are produced by my flashgun lights. Illuminating the scene in this way, framing directly from above, was a critical element in creating this ethereal, dreamy picture.

Location: Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea, Indonesia

Photographer: Laura Storm