Conceptual 3rd place winner

Not a composite image, this was shot underwater featuring five fearless freediving women as subjects. This piece titled ‘Ghost Nets’ is named after commercial fishing nets that have been lost, abandoned, or discarded at sea. These nets often nearly invisible in the dim light, can be left tangled on a rocky reef or drifting in the open sea. If you google ghost nets and look at images you will see the horrors of beautiful turtles, seals, dolphins and whales entangled in this dangerous ocean waste. An estimated 640,000 tonnes of this fishing gear ends up dumped in the ocean every year.

I wanted to make an image that on first appearance is beautiful, with ethereal figures and nice light. But when you realise what is happening, I want to show the sadness and darkness that I feel when I see ghost nets in the ocean. Seeing women seemingly trapped here is shocking, yet this is what we do to beautiful ocean animals all the time.

Lexi Laine is based in the UK and specialises in creating ethereal underwater photography in some of the most unique locations around the globe. She has spent several years training as a freediver in order to extend the amount of time she can stay underwater. Works responding to the human impact on the marine environment can be seen throughout the artist’s portfolio. Influences of historical painting, fantasy and folklore can also often be found in her images. Laine enjoys explorations of surreal contradictions, blurring boundaries and using photography as a means to create otherworldly, emotive art.

Laine studied BA Fine Art at UCA (University for the Creative Arts) Canterbury in 2001-2004 and since graduating has been building her career as a photographer and artist. In 2020 Laine was awarded the winner of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Photography Award. In 2018 and 2019 she was awarded ‘Image of the Year’ by leading UK training provider, Photography Farm. Also in 2019 Laine was sponsored by Sony UK to create a short behind the scenes documentary of her practise titled 'Under The Surface'. The project was undertaken in the magical cenotes of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.