The winners of the 2025 British Photography Awards (BPA) have been announced – and one image captures a fleeting moment of connection that few photographers will, in truth, ever experience.
The image shows a humpback whale calf approaching the camera in the crystal waters off Niue, an island nation in the South Pacific, and turning to make direct eye contact. It won People's Choice in the Water Life category.
Playtime, by underwater photographer Richard Condlyffe, reveals the trust and curiosity possible when photographing marine mammals respectfully. The calf's massive form fills the frame as it twists gracefully through the water, its distinctive long pectoral fin extended, every detail of its textured skin rendered in stunning clarity against the deep blue backdrop.
"Our small group slid quietly into the water some distance from a mother and calf humpback," Condlyffe recalls.
"They were relaxed near the surface. I floated on the water, observing the pair. Baby stayed obediently by mom's side. And then something happened… It was as if mom gave baby permission to leave her side to go play and explore."
How he shot it
To capture the moment, Condlyffe worked with a Sony A1 in a Nauticam underwater housing, paired with a Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens at 28mm behind a Nauticam WACP-C (Wide Angle Correction Port).
It's a great combination for underwater wide-angle work; the WACP-C corrects for the distortion and corner sharpness issues that plague standard dome ports, delivering the edge-to-edge clarity that's evident throughout this image.
The Sony A1 proved essential, too. "In a moment I will never forget," explains Condlyffe, "the curious calf swam towards me, turning as it approached to make eye contact. I pressed the shutter."
The A1's 759 phase-detection AF points covering 92% of the frame locked onto the approaching calf instantly, while the camera's 50MP stacked CMOS sensor captured extraordinary detail in the whale's skin texture and eye.
The settings were perfectly judged: 1/250 sec to freeze the calf's movement through the water, f/7.1 to maintain sharpness across the whale's body despite the close proximity, and ISO200 for clean files in the bright Pacific waters. Shooting with ambient light only preserved the natural blue tones and avoided spooking the mother and calf.
The A1's blackout-free electronic viewfinder with its 9.44-million-dot resolution and 240fps refresh rate would have been crucial for tracking the calf's approach, even through the housing's viewfinder attachment. Its 30fps burst capability meant Condlyffe could capture multiple frames as the calf turned, ensuring he didn't miss the precise moment of eye contact.
Ethical approach
The shot required not just technical skill but an ethical approach. The photographer maintained distance, floated passively at the surface, and let the calf approach him rather than pursuing it. "After a few more curious passes, playtime was over and the calf swam back to mom's side," he says.
None of this happened by accident. Condlyffe travelled to Niue specifically for the opportunity to photograph humpback whales, invested in professional underwater housing and optics, and waited for the whales to feel comfortable enough to approach; a privilege that can't be forced.
When the moment arrived, the Sony A1 proved itself a formidable tool. Combined with the WACP-C's optical correction and carefully chosen settings, the setup delivered an image that's both technically superb and emotionally powerful; a genuine connection between species, preserved forever.
You can view Playtime and the other winning images through the British Photography Awards website; a showcase of British photography across categories from wildlife and landscape to street and portraiture.
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