A poignant image capturing a freediver surveying the aftermath of whaling has earned Alex Dawson from Sweden the prestigious title of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s captivating photograph, entitled Whale Bones, emerged victorious from a pool of 6,500 submissions by underwater photographers hailing from diverse corners of the globe.

Macro underwater photography comes with some challenges, particularly when positioning a subject in the frame. Cristian Umili offers some advice and tips to improve your macro images.

In the second of a two-part series, Simon Pridmore describes a few more equipment-related problems that divers commonly encounter and offers some ideas on how to avoid or deal with them.