Name: Wayne Lai
Picture title: Schooling Jacks
Category: Black and white
Nationality: China
Occupation: I am a professional investor, the CEO of Wayne Lai Investment Limited.
Technical information
Camera: Canon 5DSR
Lens: EF 8-15mm fisheye lens
EXIF: 1/125, F11, ISO 320
Accessories: Sea & Sea underwater housing, 2 x Ikelite 160 strobes
HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY BLACK AND WHITE
Wayne Lai | Schooling Jacks
Name: Wayne Lai
Picture title: Schooling Jacks
Category: Black and withe
Nationality: China
Occupation: I am a professional investor, the CEO of Wayne Lai Investment Limited.
Technical information
Camera: Canon 5DSR
Lens: EF 8-15mm fisheye lens
EXIF: 1/125, F11, ISO 320
Accessories: Sea & Sea underwater housing, 2 x Ikelite 160 strobes
Wayne Lai says:
This image was taken in Ras Mohammed National Park during my first visit to the Red Sea. It happened to be the summer spawning season of the reef fish of that no-fishing national park. On the penultimate day of my liveaboard trip, I suddenly saw a shoal of jack fish (bigeye trevally) appearing from the bottom, just a few meters away from me. I immediately responded to this big event by shooting downward. The jacks gather to prepare the spawning as well to protect them from being attacked by predators. The shoal is moving slowly and changes its shape – circular, elliptical and then Möbius strip etcetera – with a rhythm of ‘slow waltz’. For me, they are truly the beauty of shape and rhythm of the underwater world.
About Wayne Lai
China
I am Wayne Lai (Bailiang Li) from China. Born in a village of the south-eastern coast of China. I love nature and the sea. I started learning watercolor painting when I was a primary school student. I started my underwater photography on a macro photography trip to Anilao in 2016. Since then Anilao, Romblon and Lembeh are the dive destinations I have visited frequently for macrophotography. I started to shoot wide-angle shots in 2018. I have visited the Red Sea (Egypt), Port St. John’s and Port Elizabeth (South Africa), Channel Islands (USA), Raja Ampat (Indonesia), Maldives, Tromso (Norway), Sri Lanka, French Polynesia, Garden of Queen (Cuba) in the period 2018-2019.
I am deeply impressed by the wonderful underwater world during my underwater photography, making me totally escape from the anxiety of our busy urban life. I would like to share my experiences and show people how mysterious, beautiful and wonderful the underwater world is.
Since 2018, I have been one of the winners of some top underwater photography competitions such as Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year Awards and Underwater Photographer of the Year. In particular, I have been awarded the Run-up of the Black and White category and the Winner of the OG Master Portfolio in Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year Awards 2021.