News

The British Society of Underwater Photographers has teamed up with the National Marine Aquarium to stage the first British Splash-In Championship. The event is being held on Saturday July 7, 2007 in Plymouth and the overall winner will be jetting off to the Red Sea to enjoy the top prize of a one week liveaboard diving trip.

This year’s event is a development of the Society’s highly successful annual underwater photography Splash-Ins first held in the late 1960’s, which established the format for similar events that now take place around the world.

All underwater photographers, including the winners of all the splash-ins that took place in the UK during 2006, are being invited to participate in this new event to find the UK’s best underwater photographer.

During the evening of the event the audience at the National Marine Aquarium will be invited to vote for their favourite images from those taken on the day. An independent panel of judges will then choose the best of those images to decide who will win the top prize of the live-aboard holiday, which has been generously donated by Tony Backhurst Scuba Travel. Additional prizes will be awarded to the winner of each of four categories and to the Best Beginner in each category.

In addition to the Splash-In, a Print Competition is being held. The entries will be displayed at the National Marine Aquarium where thousands of visitors will be invited to vote for their favourite pictures. To encourage the many new photographers using compact digital cameras to take underwater pictures separate categories have been introduced so that they do not have to compete with established winners of underwater photography competitions.

Said BSoUP chairman Martha Tressler: “Our previous events have been a huge success but we
are building on them as well as aiming to attract more of the new generation of photographers who we know are producing exciting new images. The Splash-In and the Print Competition are for everyone with an underwater camera! And the National Marine Aquarium will be a fantastic setting for our Saturday evening event.”

The Print Competition will run at the National Marine Aquarium from June 16 to July 7, 2007. Photographers who have previously won a major national or international underwater photographic competition or who are professional or semi-professional photographers have their own Advanced category for pictures taken underwater at home or abroad. Others may enter photographs taken in the categories British and Irish, and Overseas. The British and Irish category is being staged in association with The Wildlife Trusts, which is seeking an image for its Marine Bill campaign.

In addition to Tony Backhurst Scuba Travel, those who have so far generously donated attractive prizes for the Splash-In and the Print Competition are Olympus, Ocean Optics, Cameras Underwater, AP Valves, Ocean Visions, Ultimate Sports, Edge Underwater Photography and the National Aquarium charity.

Full details of both events can be found on BSoUP’s web site. Closing date for submitting entries for the print competition is Wednesday, May 23, 2007.

About BSoUP
The British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP) was formed in November 1967 to create a forum for the exchange of ideas and information about underwater photography, and to put the activity on the map. With about 300 members today, it is the largest underwater photographic society in Britain and its members vary from divers who have just started to take underwater photographs to world-renowned professionals.

For further information:
• Martha Tressler (BSoUP chair) 0776 460 3657
• Brian Pitkin (Splash-In organiser) 020 8668 8168
• JP Trenque (BSoUP press officer) 0776 787 4046
• Emma Knapmann (National Marine Aquarium) 01752 275 235
• www.wildlifetrusts.org Or email info@bsoup.org