(26/10/09) An edition full of emotions and surprises untill the end. It has been a hard competition developed in cordial atmosphere and with submarine pictures of very high quality that we can enjoy here. The chronicle of this event has been written by or team “Fotosub BV”, who tell us their impressions and who has qualified in the top-ten. Congratulations.

    This 13 edition full of emotion and surprises has ended. In my short experience in competition I hadn’t seen so many variations of positions per day. The change in dives, removing the usual ones, has been notice. It is possible that this has balanced out the competition, since the training sessions have been the same for all of us.

    As in the last two editions, this one has consisted of three stages: the first one in the north, near La Estaca village. In this stage there have been two different dives in La Caleta and Bajón del Puerto.

    The other stages have been in an area called La Restina. Dives here has been in Baja Bocarones and Punta Restinga. We decided to go to the left of the dock as heavy currents were expected. In fact, it was, but less strong that in the area Mar de las Calmas.

    In each stage we have to present two pictures of the dive, but in the third stage we have to present two added pictures of any day in the competition. In the end, we have a collection with eight pictures. In each stage pictures are rated and that position you in the table.

    Generally speaking, the “fotosub” has developed in a completely cordial atmosphere. Almost all of us know each other from other previous editions or other photodives. In the awards ceremony we could enjoy a spectacle with music, theatre and dance around water. As a variation form previous competitions, this year all the photographers got on to the stage.

    The organization has been perfect having into account that the first stage was in the north zone. They have made a great effort to make us feel comfortable with the new situation. The have also made that any “fotosub” is like the previous one.

    They have done it nice giving us a pen-drive with the shape of the parrot fish of the “fotosub”.

    The jury has been composed by Kurt Amsler, Manuel Pérez, Vasco Pinhol, Alexander Mustard and Carlos Borbones. They are all very well known in the world of underwater photography.

MAIN PROTAGONISTS AND GRATITUDE

    If there is a main protagonist in the pictures, it is black coral. It is very abundant in all the dives of the competition. Also mackerels are much photographed in the dives in Baja Bocarones and Punta Miradero in La Resinga.

    I have to thank Juan Ramón Marcelino, María José Rodríguez, José Ángel Fernández and Amparo García they have made the moment just before entering the water so funny, as well as guide me in some of the dives.

    Thanks to Iñaki, from the El Hierro Dive Center, for making the logistic of the dives and explanations about them so easy. For more information you can enter the web http://www.centrodebuceoelhierro.com

    And special thanks to Yoli, my model, for dealing with pressure and knowing how to understand me under the water.

    In my opinion, always as a participant, I have to say thanks the organization for their effort to show us and the rest of the world different points to La Restinga. Even though, it is too laborious to have sites in different areas in the island.

    On the other hand, we were used to be three groups for three dives in a same place, and this time there have been only two groups, so the overcrowding has been evident.

    Congratulations to all the winners. The following year we will see there to be very high. If you like to have more information about this “fotosub”, you can send an email to me to: equipofotosub@buceo-virtual.com

 

Text: Carmelo Andrades- Team Fotosub BV
Co-photographer: Daniel Romero

 

At the meeting in La Restinga, the jury of the 13th edition of the “Open Fotosub Isla de El Hierro”, agrees the following final ranking:

ORDER	PHOTOGRAPHER	MODEL	1ST DAY	2ND DAY	3RD DAY	TOTAL
1º	JUAN RAMON MARCELINO	MARÍA JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ	8	20	26	54
2º	ESTEBAN TORÉ	EVA VILLAGRASA	16	9	23	48
3º	ESPEN REKDAL	SHANAY REKDAL	20	14	13	47
4º	CARLOS SUAREZ	MERCEDES CABRERA	14	18	9	41
5º	JOSE ANGEL FERNANDEZ	AMPARO GARCÍA	18	5	17	40
6º	EOK SOO KIM	YOUNG SAM KIM	4	16	19	39
7º	ARTURO TELLE	EVA Mª GUARDIOLA	5	12	21	38
8º	CARMELO ANDRADES	YOLANDA GARCÍA	7	6	15	28
9º	JULIO DIAZ	ESTHER TORRENT	2	11	11	24
10º	DAVID BARRIO	LUISA QUINTANILLA	10	7	4	21
11º	PEDRO CARRILLO	MARTA ROMERO	6	10	5	21
12º	RAFAEL FERNANDEZ	RAQUEL CASTELLÓ	12	1	8	21
13º	NANO CORDOVILLA	MONTSE GRILLO	9	4	7	20
14º	LUIS ALBERTO MARTIN	DANIEL RAMIREZ	3	8	6	17
15º	ORLANDO MIRANDA		11	2	1	14
16º	SETTIMIO CIPRIANI	ANNA Mª MOCCIA	1	3	3	7
17º	FERNANDO MUÑOZ		1	1	2	4
18º	TONY MURRAY		1	1	1	3

Prize for Best Picture Environment. Number of picture, name of the participant and model
DSC_6411 EOK SOO KIM / YOUNG SAM KIM

Prize for Best close-up
MG_9704 ORLANDO MIRANDA / -----

Prize for Best Model
MERCEDES CABRERA / CARLOS SUAREZ

Prize FITO HERZOG for Most Representative of El Hierro Picture
DSC_6326 NANO CORDOVILLA / MONTSE GRILLO

Special Jury Prize Bethos Dive Center
IMG_1680 JUAN RAMON MARCELINO MARÍA JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ

And for being on record, the members of the Jury sign this on October 24th, 2009.

D. Kurt Amsler, D. Manuel Pérez, D. Vasco Pinol, D. Alexander Mustard, D. Carlos Borbones,, D. Iker Vildosola (secretary of the Jury).

 

THE BEST UNDERWATER PHOTO IN EL HIERRO
"FOTOSUB EL HIERRO" FIRST DAY
"FOTOSUB EL HIERRO" SECOND DAY