• What inspired you to take your winning picture?

These animals are always interesting and do not seem to be disturbed by divers. The turtle started to go up for air, and I went up with it, from about 17m to 10m depth. Just watching it swim up was, not matter how many times I've seen it, really magical.

• Did you enhance/change the picture, or is it presented as an original?

It is straight out of the camera

• Was this a one-off shot, or did you take copious versions?

Unusually, I took just one other shot of this turtle.  But the other is just a shot of a turtle;nothing magical

http://f16.eu/2013/Barbados.JanFeb/scuba/tn/dscf2203.jpg.index.html

• What do you think about your prize?

I am really looking forward to receiving this camera.

• Overall, which are the best bits of MFP for you?

I like the competitions because of the focused nature of the photos to the themes.

• Are there any members pictures that have encouraged or influenced you?

When looking at the competition photos, I often think, "hmmm, that's a good idea".

• Do you show your pictures anywhere else other than MFP

I put my photos on a website hosted on my computer in the spare room at home 

http://100th.at.f16.eu/ and at Fine Art America http://alan-clifford.fineartamerica.com/ .

I occasionally put a photo onto Facebook and I have entered a few competitions at Amateur Photographer 

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=23812&username=alanclifford

I'm not sure where the inspiration came from for this photo. If I get stuck for ideas I usually just go out and take a photo of whatever I see. If I find something I like just take loads of photos until I get something I'm happy with.  My garden was covered in these leaves and it had just rained so I thought why not try and capture the leaf in the puddle. The reflection of the trees was an afterthought and really just pure luck as I didn't even notice it until I looked at the photo on my computer. To emphasise the colours in the leaf I added a cool blue tint to the water and boosted the contrast. I also applied a very slight blur to the water to make the leaf appear sharper. 

Being a member of multiple online photography communities I can honestly say none of them come close to MFP. Not only do you get to show of your photos and receive honest critique but if you have any problems you can be sure someone will have the answer. 

I've always thought of a message in a bottle as a very romantic and exciting concept. When we were on holiday in Fuerteventura (a desert island) I made it my mission to do my best to capture an image that would epitomise my vision of a bottle washed up on a deserted beach. I took the bottle everywhere we went - and it was a wonderful opportunity to explore many of the wonderful beaches on the island. I did take many shots, some of which are in my gallery. I even tried snorkelling with an underwater camera!As the photo had to be taken from a very low perspective I did have one major problem - as a very senior citizen I had great difficulty getting up again afterwards!I think the prize will be amazing. We are shortly moving to a place where, nearby, there is a large lake with a bird watching hide, so with the 26x zoom I will be in my element!I bought my first digital camera (Fujifilm S5800) over 6 years ago, after I retired, and it was the best thing I ever did because it introduced me to MFP. This has been such a wonderful source of inspiration and encouragement to me. Everything I have learned about photography - and especially about creating and composing a good image - has come from information shared by MFP members. I also love the challenge of entering the competition and I don't think I have ever missed a single month!