Winners Gallery
3rd place Conservation (Hope) Photographer of the Year
Matty Smith Sydney, Australia
“Hiding under the boat piers and jetties of Sydney Harbour, you’ll find these small and endangered White’s seahorses if you’re lucky,” says Smith. “Named after Dr White of the First Fleet, their numbers have been in decline due to human activities. However, due to conservation programmes and captive breeding and release, their numbers are happily recovering. I was lucky to find this individual clinging to a bright pink sponge and was able to take a photograph with a splash of colour.”
BEHIND THE LENS
Matty Smith United Kingdom (UK)
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Overcast, cool and clear water
- Site accessed from shore
- Taken while scuba diving at around 5 metres depth
- Morning, around 9am
Matty Smith is an internationally-acclaimed award-winning photographer. He is based in Australia, having emigrated from the UK in 2007. "I have the worlds biggest playground at my feet, the Pacific Ocean," he says. "And I have truly fallen in love with it."
MORE IMAGES BY Matty Smith
Reconnect. Immerse yourself. Be inspired.
Enjoy the vibrancy, beauty and impact of each year's finalist photography, celebrated in our Ocean Photographer of the Year coffee table book collection.
