An otherworldly underwater selfie

Congratulations to Neal Holmes, the winner of BBC Travel’s June photo competition! This month’s theme was epic travel selfies.

Every month, a new winner will be inducted into our Photo Nomad Hall of Fame. We recently caught up with Holmes, 31 and an avid vlogger, to get the story behind his stunning shot.

Not too long ago, my partner and I were working on a big show that was touring North America. Our schedules were pretty hectic and we were really looking forward to a break.

It might seem a bit romantic, but Meka and I have always wanted to drop a pin on the map and go wherever it lands. So we did. We ended up on North America’s western seaboard, and after a little searching on Google Maps, we came across Vancouver Island in Canada. We wanted to spend our week deep in nature, and this looked like the perfect spot.

Vancouver Island was truly spectacular. We rented a campervan and spent our days hiking anywhere we could. One day, as we were trekking to a lookout point above a forest, we came across an incredible little waterfall with a swimming spot beneath. We couldn’t wait to dive in.

Meka and I made our way down to the water and prepared ourselves for a refreshing plunge. I put my camera in a waterproof case on the end of my selfie stick and then – without much thought – we jumped in. It was an amazing feeling. The water was cold and clear, and all around us sunlight was breaking through the surface. It was almost otherworldly.

We didn’t get to see the photo until later that day, and I was pretty amazed at what I had captured. Here I was suspended in the water with Meka not far behind me. It is an epic shot that still helps us remember an epic trip.

As told to Richard Conway, BBC Travel contributing editor

Judges remarks

Richard Conway, BBC Travel contributing editor:

The key to an epic selfie is being able to convey a sense of place in an otherwise portrait-oriented style. As the entries flooded in, it wasn't long before we identified a frontrunner. Holmes' shot of the moment he and his partner dove underwater on Vancouver Island is striking, instantly transporting viewers into the moment with him. When we see it, we are there. It's certainly epic, and is a well-deserved winner.

Jared Kohler, New York Times contributing photographer:

Selfies are a great opportunity to record a story with ourselves as the central character, though it can be very easy to get so focused on ourselves that we forget to tell the story we are experiencing. Holmes' picture stood out because it balances the two perfectly. We are totally immersed in this underwater environment with its shafts of light and deep colours, but we also get a strong sense of the photographer and the experience he is having. There’s so much going on that we only later notice that Neal’s partner Meka swimming in the distance – a great addition to an already interesting and beautiful photograph.

Erica Fahr Campbell, former Time photo editor:

This photo works very well in two ways. Firstly, it makes the underwater environment look as though it’s on an alien planet. Secondly, it works as a piece of dynamic self-portraiture in which we get a definite sense of the photographer and his world. Neal seems like a lensman who likes to take risks. For a photo that was undoubtedly taken very quickly, there also seems to have been a lot of thought put into composition. What emerges is an exciting window into a world we want to visit. It is a very worthy winner!