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Sarah Peacock's Say

Perspectives on the Shootout (from a non-photographer)

The first difference you notice, between a normal, casual diving weekend and the Shootout, is the build-up. Endless discussions about equipment and believe me, I don’t know my f-stops from my pixels, so I soon lose track of these debates – deciding on possible subjects, interpreting the rules and doing trial runs, trying to remember what was said about what the judges would be looking for.

Well attended Registration

Packing is also an interesting experience. Forget chucking your dive kit, a toothbrush and a case of beer into the 4x4 and hitting the road. You need sophisticated and expensive equipment – in vast quantities – computers, full-size monitors, battery chargers, housings, lights, strobes and a pile of extensions and cables.

The diving was great. Conditions were superb, and what a pleasure to have the skippers and the DM’s focused (if you’ll pardon the pun!) on keeping the photographers happy. It was the most freedom my buddy and I have ever experienced in terms of dictating the pace of our own dives.

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Blue Skies - Tense Competitors?

The atmosphere on the beach, though, was quite different from the normal relaxed, chatty feel of other weekends. People were definitely in competition mode and somewhat reticent to talk about what they’d seen and the shots they’d managed to get.

Choosing which photos to enter is, in my opinion, an extremely difficult and challenging process. The pressure is on because of the deadline and it’s not easy detaching yourself emotionally from the photos and being completely impartial, cold-hearted and objective. But the fun comes in seeing all the results at the prize-giving evening. I was amazed at the creativity and high standard of the entries.

I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a photographer, but I love to look at underwater photos. For me, it is an extension of what I enjoy most – diving. It means I can take with me topside some of the feeling I experience diving. Being part of the Shootout was great. It was a learning experience for me and I came away with a sense of achievement – and I didn’t take a single photo!

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And the Winners Are

35mm Slide

Overall winner:Tienie van Rooyen
Advanced 1st:Sean Sequiera
Advanced 2nd: Eugene Viljoen
Intermediate 1st: Paul Hunter
Intermediate 2nd: Gord Patterson
Novice 1st: Mark Davies
Novice 2nd: Ettienne Raal

Vernon Harvey, Sean Sequiera, Gordon Patterson, Mark Davies, Jeremy Johnston-FitchAll belong to the Scubaversity Dive Club. The club had 9 entries and took 5 of the prizes. Vernon Harvey - Digital Overall , Dutchy Geldenhuys - Video Novice I , Chris Nursey - Digital Intermediate II, Jacque Meyer - Intermediate- II.
-All used Ikelite products

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by
Rover Media Productions

Winners Continued

Digital

Overall: Vernon Harvey
Intermediate 1st: Anthony Grote
Intermediate 2nd: Evert Nel
Novice 1st: Jacqui Cloete
Novice 2nd: Jacqui Cloete
Creative: Eugene Viljoen

Video

Overall Winner: Greg Raymond
Advanced First: Gordon Hiles
Novice First: Dutchy Geldenhuys

The Sodwana Shootout is hosted by Coral Divers and Sodwana Bay Lodge & Scuba Center.
The competition and sponsorship is organised by the Gauteng Underwater Photographic Society and Rover Media Productions

SPONSOR LINKS

Hartley's Oceans and Islands
Kodak
SA Photo Digital and Video
Sony
Pinnacle Systems
Hartley's Safaris
Vale Systems
SBLSC
National College of Photography
Scuba Pro
Fishwise
Reefteach
Canon
Guijata Bay
Crane Distributers /Explorer
Coral Divers

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