 Feature
Stories: |
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| Capturing The
Magic |
With
its renowned reefs, sparkling water
and spectacular abundant marine life,
Sharm El-Sheikh was the perfect base
(as always) for the Egyptian Underwater
Sports Federation's Underwater Photography
Competition. |
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This
year's event was held on December the 12th
and 13th - 2003 in Sharm El-Sheikh to choose
who would have the honour to represent Egypt
in the International Competition held in
Aqaba, Jordan in the summer of 2004.
Eight Photographers were registered but
only four of them actually participated
in the event including previous prize winners
Mr. Rafel El-Ma'ary, Mr. Hatem Saney El-Din
and Dr. Hossam Nasef.
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Common
to all photography contests, each participant
was allowed to shoot four rolls of positive
slide film during four dives over two
days. At the end of the first day (after
two dives), the films were collected,
processed and given to the divers to
review their images and identify any
problems. |
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After
the final dive the photographers reviewed
all of the films and chose six images
to enter into competition; two slides
for each category of Wide Angle, Close
Up and Marine Life (fish). The maximum
allowable depth was 30 meters and the
maximum allowable bottom time was one
hour. |
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All
four participants were experienced
dive instructors and also no newcomers
to photography, but still had
to live with the stress of having
only four dives and four rolls
of film. Lacking beginners' luck
in finding exceptional life to
shoot added to this, but on the
plus side they were all familiar
with the diving sites of Sharm
and were left by the organizers
of the Egyptian Federation to
choose the competition sites.The
organizers were Colonel Sameh
Mesharrafa and Dr. Hany Khalil.
Both are members of the board
of Directors of the Egyptian Underwater
Sport Federation and very experienced
dive instructors. The former is
the head of the UW Photography
committee and a previous prize
winner and the latter is the head
of the medical committee and a
diving medicine specialist. |
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The
participants chose to dive at Shark
Reef and Ras Ghozlani in the famous
Ras Mohammed Protectorate for the first
day and chose Thomas Reef and Far Garden
for the second day.In the first dive,
everyone with the exception of Hatem,
(who jumped in with his Polish model
Ms Kornilia Radzikowska at the Anemone
City site), started with Shark Reef.
Here though the current was too strong,
and the competitors had to change plans
and drift to the exit point taking any
shots “on the hoof”. Rafel
chose not to follow the herd and found
an area of slack on the reef and concentrated
on the macrolife. He could not compete
seriously in the wide angle category
as his model did not show up so he had
to dive with a non posing buddy. Apart
from that first dive, the following
three went smoothly and the atmosphere
aboard the boat during the event was
anything but competitive, as these best
of friends sat around fiddling with
their equipment, chatting and swaping
jokes.
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After
the photographers made their selections,
(with the exception of Dr. Hossam
who had to return to Hurghada
with the ferry before the shots
were developed), the slides were
arranged by category to be judged.
Colonel Sameh, Dr. Hany and Mr.
Tamer El-Anah, (previous award
winner, filmmaker and photographer)
sat together for a few hours with
a slide projector, carefully reviewing
every image and finally chose
the final prize
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winners
as follows:
Dr. Hossam Nasef together with his wife
and model Dr. Hanaa Nessim, a previous
prize winner who preferred toonly model
on this contest, won first prize in
Wide Angle, first prize in Close Up
(goby on a whip coral), and second and
third prizes in Marine Life category.
Hossam used a Nikonos III with a 12
mm lens for the Wide Angle and a Nikon
F50 in a Hogyfot housing for the Close
Up and Marine Life categories.
Mr.
Rafel El-Ma'ary won first prize in Marine
Life and third prize in Close Up (Blenny).
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Rafel
used a Nikon RS with a collection
of lenses.
Mr. Hatem Saney El-Din won second
prize in Close Up (Nudibranche)
and third prize in Wide Angle
(Turtle).
Hatem used a Nikon 90FX in Aquatica
Housing with different lenses,
domes and ports for different
categories.
Mr. Greg Dominik, the Polish photographer
and technical diving instructor
trainer together with his Polish
model Ms Sylwia Wronska won second
prize in Wide Angle with some
beautiful glass fish.
Greg used a Nikon RS with a collection
of lenses.
The results in these orders do
not necessarily reflect the skill
levels,or the range of talents
these four photographers posess
as prize winners.
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It
has not yet been decided who is
going to participate in the world
competition in Jordan later this
year. The Egyptian Federation
always encourages and supports
holding local, national and international
underwater competitions. For further
information contact Colonel Mesharrafa
on +20 10141 3590. |
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