The 3-dimensional gelid world of the Antipodean Fur Seal is one of mystery and playfulness and a constant display of elegant pirouettes where the observer is never really sure what is up and what is down.
With these images, I wanted to transmit that sense of spatial dislocation suffered when land mammals like us dare to dive in and observe that magical yet incredibly harsh underwater environment of the edges of the southern hemisphere’s temperate waters and the subantarctic ones.
The work was produced from December 2019 to February 2020 in Australia and New Zealand.
Editorial, Fine Art, Scientific and Stock Cinematography & photography. Specialised in Aerial, Motion and Underwater.
Awards 2021
PX3, Prix de la Photographie Paris.
Silver Medal in the Nature/Underwater category for the series "Antipodean Fur Seals of Australia and New Zealand".
International Photography Awards.
Honourable Mention Nature/Underwater category for the series "Antipodean Fur Seals of Australia and New Zealand".
2016
PX3, Prix de la Photographie Paris.
First Prize Gold Medal in category: Press/Environmental for the series “Like Fish out of water”.
Third Prize Bronze Medal in category: Nature/Other for the series “Like Fish out of water”.
Black & White Spider Awards in 2016 in Beverly Hills, California, USA
“Hide and Seek” and “Eye to eye contact” received 2 Honourable mentions.
2015
Fine Art Photography Awards, London.
Winner First Prize Gold Medal in category: Wildlife / Animals for the series “Whale Nation: Humpback Whales of the South Pacific”.
Nominee in Nature category for “Strandings”.
PX3, Prix de la Photographie Paris.
Winner First Price Gold Medal in category: Nature/Underwater for Whale Nation: “Humpback Whales of the South Pacific”.
People’s Choice in category: Nature/Underwater for Whale Nation: “Humpback Whales of the South Pacific”.
Winner Third Prize Bronze Medal in category: Nature for Whale Nation: “Humpback Whales of the South Pacific”.
International Photographer of the Year Award.
Third Place Winner in category: Nature/Wildlife for Whale Nation: “Humpback Whales of the South Pacific”.
Honourable Mention in the category: Photojournalism/Story for “Like fish out of water”.
Monochrome Awards, USA.
5 Honourable Mentions in Wildlife, Fine Art, Nature and Portraits categories.
Outdoor Photographer of the Year.
Finalist ‘Outdoor Photographer of the Year” 2015.
2014
Fine Art Photography Awards
Photographer José Javier Delgado Esteban was awarded 1 prize in Wildlife / Animals for the entry entitled Whale Nation: Humpback Whales of the South Pacific at the 1st Fine Art Photography Awards competition.
