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Red handfish: Once again, Fred has illustrated his mastery of underwater wildlife photography. A hallmark of his work is the manner in which he sets out to achieve a goal, rather than trusting to luck for opportunities. This fabulous portrait of an underwater wide-boy, is the result of painstaking planning and preparation. Tasmania is one of the few places in the world where handfish are regularly found at divable depths, and so it was here that the photographer headed with this image in mind. Despite the clarity of this portrait, this bizarre fish is in fact well camouflaged. Only by waiting for the suitable pose and making sure that the background was sufficiently dark to reveal the animal in all its glory was this first-class picture created. Photographer: Fred Bavendam (USA). Specially Commended at the BBC Photo Contest 1998