Winners - Underwater Photography Contests
December 2019 Photo Contest Winner and Review
WINNER CHOSEN AND REVIEW BY SCUBAVERSE.COM’S UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR NICK ROBERTSON-BROWN
WINNER: Young Whaleshark in ….. by Tim Steenssens
When judging any underwater photography competition, the first thing I do is ask of each image: Is it in focus? The main subject has to be pin sharp. Is it exposed correctly?
I then look at lighting (photography is all about light) and composition. Backscatter, hot spots of light, messy backgrounds: all might see your image lose out.
Then there are other considerations that might get you knocked out of the first round: Was the image taken underwater? After all it is an underwater photography competition! Were any animals distressed or harassed to get the image? Was any environmental damage done to get the shot?
Once I have whittled out the images that do not pass these criteria, it is time to get down to picking a winner. A shot that makes me go wow – I wish I had taken that!
December saw fewer entries than usual, I guess you were getting ready for the festivities… so I had the chance to mention each image in my review in this final month of the year.
Muraena helena by Lorenzo Buccio
This portrait shot has a very small depth of field, but in the moray’s mouth you can see a parasite on the right hand side. The texture on top of the critter’s head is nicely captured too.
Pipefish are notoriously difficult to capture on lens and this robust Ghost Pipefish is one of the hardest. Isolating it against a blue background really helps to see the animal clearly. The small piece of coral helps to break-up the negative space.
Silent Reflection by Sean Steininger
What a cool shot of a Humpback, diving inverted. The reflected light from its underside creates a patch of light on the surface and the darkness of the rest of the image creates a contrast that works really well in this image.
Eye Contact by Sean Steininger
Coming face to face with one of the ocean’s giants is a great experience and to capture the moment on camera is always a thrill. Unfortunately, clipping its nose doesn’t help with the overall presentation.
This shot is taken at a great angle and shows all the main components of this amazing nudibranch. The dark patches on the body are clusters of chlorophyll and the photosynthesise the light to give extra energy to the critter.
I love the lighting in this shot. The light has been put through the brown bottle to create an amber colouring on the subject, which is sitting at a sufficient angle for the shot.
I really like the use of a large depth of field on this image which allows the photographer to get the amazing eyes and the lips in focus. Shot on the sand, in its usual, ambush pose, the black background adds impetus to the overall dynamic of the image.
I love the idea of this image but I feel it would have benefited from taking the highlights down as the anemone is over-exposed. It is also, in my opinion, one of those shots that would have benefited from a larger depth of field, especially as the title suggests all the family.
Sea lions make such wonderful subjects and this shot captures the mischievous nature of these iconic mammals. There is always, at least one, that has to come and check-out the photographer.
This is a great angle for this much-photographed fish. I love the small depth of field and the catch-light in its eye. I think I would have reduced the highlights a bit as the bright white stripe is distracting and the detail in its face is a little bit lost.
Green Turtle in Black by Tim Steenssens.
It’s always nice to encounter a turtle on a night-dive and this one has been captured at the perfect angle. The black and white works well as there is a lot of contrast.
This is a double exposure shot, presumably of the tiny 1cm frogfish laid onto the sun as a background is very nicely done. The lighting and composition are excellent.
Young Whaleshark in ….. by Tim Steenssens
This is a cool shot of a young Whaleshark feeding at the surface. Excellent.
After much deliberation by our judge….
Whilst numbers were low, quality was very high!
The results
Winner: Young Whaleshark in ….. by Tim Steenssens
Runner-up: Bottled by Marc Eeckhaut
Congratulations to those who were placed – some really nice images here, and well done to all those that entered. I cannot wait to see what 2020 has to offer.
Scubaverse.com’s January 2020 Underwater Photo Contest is now open! Enter as many as three of your underwater photos here.
WINNER CHOSEN AND REVIEW BY SCUBAVERSE.COM’S UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR NICK ROBERTSON-BROWN
WINNER: Basket star in the pure darkness by Arnaud Guillebert
Another great month full of wonderful underwater images!
When judging any underwater photography competition, the first thing I do is ask of each image: Is it in focus? The main subject has to be pin sharp. Is it exposed correctly?
I then look at lighting (photography is all about light) and composition. Backscatter, hot spots of light, messy backgrounds: all might see your image lose out.
Then there are other considerations that might get you knocked out of the first round: Was the image taken underwater? After all it is an underwater photography competition! Were any animals distressed or harassed to get the image? Was any environmental damage done to get the shot?
Once I have whittled out the images that do not pass these criteria, it is time to get down to picking a winner. A shot that makes me go wow – I wish I had taken that!
Three squid by Min seok Jeon: I love squid and this shot with three against a black background really stands out. I love the colours and shapes they create as they stretch across the frame.
Hippocampus guttulatus (Cuvier, 1829) by Marco Spoto: What a lovely scene. Great that you did not disturb the worm on taking this shot. I would have liked to have seen the subject isolated more though, losing the backscatter and seabed which can distact the eye.
Turtle in its coral garden by Claude Lespagne: What I like about this image is the snorkeler at the surface looking down on the scene. It shows that you do not have to be a diver to enjoy a stunning Red Sea scene like this one.
Ghost Goby by MichaelG: I love the colours, the expression on the goby’s face and most of all the texture of the coral. Lovely use of depth of field.
Hedgehog by Sofia Tenggrono: Great use of a snoot. You have lit up just enough of the environment to show us where this nudibranch lives, but still have highlighted the subject really well. The complimentary colours are lovely.
yellow cutie by Cedric Peneau: Lovely framing of a really cute little fish. The colours jump out from my screen.
REFLET by DIDIER PASQUINI: I like the motion in the tail and the reflection in this image of the biggest fish in the sea. I always like a bit more space in front of a fish when possible – but I know this will have been hard with a big Whale Shark.
Basket star in the pure darkness by arnaud.guillebert: This is more like a fine art image than the usual underwater imagery you see. Lovely lighting showing off the texture of this basket star.
After much deliberation by our judge….
The results
Winner: Basket star in the pure darkness by arnaud.guillebert
Runner-Up: yellow cutie by Cedric Peneau
Third: Ghost Goby by MichaelG
Highly Commended: Three squid by Min seok Jeon
Congratulations to those who were placed – there were a number of excellent images, and well done to all those that entered.
Scubaverse.com’s January 2023 Underwater Photo Contest is now open! Enter as many as three of your underwater photos here.
WINNER CHOSEN AND REVIEW BY SCUBAVERSE.COM’S UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR NICK ROBERTSON-BROWN
WINNER: The Herd by Cedric Peneau
Another great month full of wonderful underwater images!
When judging any underwater photography competition, the first thing I do is ask of each image: Is it in focus? The main subject has to be pin sharp. Is it exposed correctly?
I then look at lighting (photography is all about light) and composition. Backscatter, hot spots of light, messy backgrounds: all might see your image lose out.
Then there are other considerations that might get you knocked out of the first round: Was the image taken underwater? After all it is an underwater photography competition! Were any animals distressed or harassed to get the image? Was any environmental damage done to get the shot?
Once I have whittled out the images that do not pass these criteria, it is time to get down to picking a winner. A shot that makes me go wow – I wish I had taken that!
Longimanus by night by Claude Lespagne: Of the three wonderful Oceanic Whitetip Shark images you entered this month, this is my favourite. The reflection on the surface is sublime and I love the way the pilot fish really catch the eye against a dark night sea.
Underwater doughnut shop? by Bill Passmore: The detail in this simple shot of a coral head is super. I love the title too!
Little frogfish, big pollution by Cedric Peneau: I always worry about images like this one. Who put that battery there? Was it a diver in order to get a shot? I hope not. What it does to well is show how tiny this beautiful frogfish is.
The Herd by Cedric Peneau: Wow! I love this shot, there is so much going on and yet the subject is still really strong in the frame.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Sofia Tenggrono: This image really caught my eye. The focus is not what we would usually expect, but because the body and the glittering edges are the subject, it still works.
GREAT ENCOUNTER by DIDIER PASQUINI: Lovely shot that tells a story. You can imagine being this snorkeler and have an encounter of a lifetime with the biggest fish in the sea. You can imagine this image in a brochure.
Below the surface by arnaud.guillebert: These shots are so difficult to get right. This is another shot that tells a story and could grace a diving magazine. Initially you see the main shark subject, but as you spend more time, you see all the other sharks in the background.
After much deliberation by our judge….
The results
Winner: The Herd by Cedric Peneau
Runner-Up: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Sofia Tenggrono
Third: Longimanus by night by Claude Lespagne
Highly Commended: Below the surface by arnaud.guillebert
Congratulations to those who were placed – there were a number of excellent images, and well done to all those that entered.
Scubaverse.com’s December 2022 Underwater Photo Contest is now open! Enter as many as three of your underwater photos here.
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