THESE striking photographs taken by a Worcestershire scuba diver have won acclaim at a national awards ceremony.

Trevor Rees’ underwater photography, featuring creatures from the deep on the British coastline, has been highly commended in the British Wildlife Photography Awards.

A member of the Worcester branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC), Mr Rees said he had taken up underwater photography more than 25 years ago and was delighted by the accolade.

“My aim is to photograph what may be a common subject but to try and do it better than anyone else,” he said.

Mr Rees has been a BSAC scuba diver for 30 years and is an advanced diving instructor with the organisation, as well as working as a commercial customer adviser with Severn Trent Water.

He said he prefers to focus on what is commonly found around the British coastline, using a Nikon D600 camera with a range of different lenses and flash guns to capture his stunning pictures.

“It looks complicated but it’s actually a very simple set-up,” he said.

“I never dive now, or very rarely, without having my camera with me. It wouldn’t feel right somehow.

“I tend to stick to marine life and usually quite common species to be honest.

“I don’t go out thinking I need to find some particularly rare fish to photograph.

“Instead, I don’t ignore what may be a very common species but endeavour to photograph it in a different way.

“I’m always looking to capture my subjects better than any image I’ve seen of them before.”

Mr Rees said he particularly enjoys diving in the Scottish lochs and the coastline around Plymouth, where the water is shallow and home to a wide variety of marine life.

“I will photograph other subjects but it’s wildlife that really gives me a special buzz,” he said. “I’m quite deliberate in my approach to photography in truth.

“I will set out with a subject in mind, such as a common kind of anemone for example, but then come across another common species that demands my attention as the light is right or it is behaving in a particular way like guarding its eggs, for example.”

BSAC chief executive Mary Tetley described Mr Rees’ work as “a real celebration of British scuba diving”.

“His photography shows there is so much to be enjoyed by learning to scuba dive and reveals the passion which BSAC divers have for the underwater world,” she said.

Worcester Divers – the city’s branch of BSAC – meets every Thursday evening at the swimming pool in Sansome Walk, Worcester.

For more information about their activities or to find out about joining the club, visit worcesterdivers.com.