The 2015 Traveler Photo Contest for National Geographic Magazine attracted thousands of photographers to submit their best shots from the year. The winning shot, Whale Whisperers, was taken by Anuar Patjane Floriuk of Mexico.
Glenn Kau, an employee for the Sound and Lighting Department at BYU–Hawaii originally from Honolulu, said he likes the photograph because “it has everything in there, the divers, whale, and fish.”
As the advisor for the Focus Film and Photography Club, he works with students who are interested in developing their talents in photography.
“The best thing you can do to get good at photography is to take pictures, pictures, pictures,” Kau suggested.
“One of the best ways to practice is the 365 method. You take pictures every day and you post one of them either on a blog or a social media outlet. This will help you learn how to use a camera by getting familiar with its settings and exposure. It’s a fun way to learn yet it’s tough being dedicated to taking pictures every day.”
When it comes to getting a good picture, Kau said, “it really comes down to the right moment.” He continued, “Some people are really good at capturing it. Some are not.”
In describing how he captured this photo, Floriuk said, “The photo wasn’t planned. I was taking photos near the head of the whale, and all of a sudden she began to swim toward the rest of the diving team. The divers gave the whale and her calf space, and I just clicked at the moment when the flow and composition seemed right.”
The photo was taken near Roca Partida, an island off the western coast of Mexico.
“They found Moby Dick, and I wish I was there,” stated Shemaina Jory Miller, a senior studying peacebuilding from California.
Maggie Zackowitz, editor-in-chief of National Geographic Traveler magazine, said she was blown away by the creativity of the photographers after going through more than 17,000 entries.