Winners medal
Winning here (or even just being placed) is Underwater Photography's most coveted accolade because it says you succeeded in the most competitive environment there is, against the top talent of the moment.
Every year a panel of judges select the best images entered in our online photo contest from the previous year. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded for the top three from each category in order of merit.
The judges comprise of industry professionals, previous year's World Champions, our site moderators - anyone we can rope in! They are unpaid, non-affiliated, and (of course) cannot vote for themselves.
You may not agree with the judges. You may think you have 'better shots' at home - prove it! Enter this year's contest.
| World Champion 2018/19 |
|
The judges award the photographer who submits the most consistent and complete portfolio over the year World Champion.
Other photographers of distinction are awarded Grand Master.
 The overall 2018/19 World Champion is...
|
|
|
|
|
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
shots that cross the surface boundary (so under/overs like Snells Window too)
Gold Medal Winner
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
Sharks and rays cruising in the lagoon of Moorea
Location: French Polynesia
Silver Medal Winner
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
Turtle at night.
Double exposure in the camera, without Photoshop
Location: Italy
Bronze Medal Winner
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
American crocodile
Location: Cuba
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
shots taken using ambient light i.e. unlit by flash or continuous lighting like HID but filters on the lens are allowed if declared
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
Southern Stingray
Location: Cayman islands
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
Hawksbill Turtle in a shallow lagoon
Location: Maldives
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
The Cape Gannet" - A B&W rendition of one of my favourite sardine run images taken off shore of the wild coast, Transkei, Port St. Johns, South Africa. The Cape Gannet is truly an amazing bird and has adapted to its ocean life like no other.
Location: South Africa
Runner Ups
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
Wide Angle - Wrecks
anything man-made that is sunk including cars, tanks, planes etc. - oh and ships!
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Wrecks
Pinar 1 wreck and diver( horizontal ) - Bodrum / Turkey
Location: Turkey
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Wrecks
The steam boilers of the wreck HMS Viknor from WW1. she is laying on 86m depht.
Location: Ireland
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Wrecks
It is from the german lake kreidesee
Location: Germany
Wide Angle - Divers
Divers doing what divers do - underwater or on the surface
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
Swimming through silversides
Location: Cayman islands
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
Man From Mars
Location: Indonesia
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
Shark dancer
Location: Cuba
Wide Angle - Marine Life
wide angle shots with no divers in frame
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
The natural mirror, Jardins de la Reina
Location: Cuba
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
Travel Safely Mantas
Location: Mexico
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
Wakatobi Cuttlefish
Location: Indonesia
Runner Ups
Wide Angle - Marine Life
Wide Angle - Close Focus
shots taken with a WIDE ANGLE (or fisheye) lens having 1) a well defined close subject (usually strobe-lit) AND 2) a wide angle BACKGROUND with a second subject, usually a diver
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Close Focus
Under the clouds
Location: Italy
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Close Focus
Juvenile California Sea Lion coming in for a chew on the camera
Location: Mexico
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Close Focus
Turtle portrait
Location: Spain
Runner Ups
Wide Angle - Close Focus
Macro - not swimming
Smaller subjects typically 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5cm) shot on macro settings or with macro equipment that are NOT MOVING usually on the bottom (i.e. between 1:1 and 1:3)
Gold Medal Winner
Macro - not swimming
seahorse mating
Location: Japan
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - not swimming
Opistognathus aurifrons
Yellowhead Jawfish
Location: Netherlands Antilles
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - not swimming
Porcelain Crab
Location: Indonesia
Runner Ups
Macro - not swimming
Macro - swimming
Smaller subjects typically 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5cm) shot on macro settings or with macro equipment that are in MID WATER not touching anything (i.e. between 1:1 and 1:3)
Gold Medal Winner
Macro - swimming
Jack & Jelly
Location: Philippines
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - swimming
B L A Z I N G
Squid
(Sepioteuthis lessoniana)
Location: Philippines
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - swimming
ribbon eel close up
Location: Indonesia
Runner Ups
Macro - swimming
Macro - Nudibranchia
Sea slugs. A subject popular with macro guys! (means naked gills) Flatworms allowed
Gold Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
Emperor shrimp on the chromodoris.
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
Cyerce nigra
Location: Philippines
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
Flabellina laying egg's in the Fjords of Norway.
Location: Norway
Runner Ups
Macro - Nudibranchia
Macro - Super macro
Shots taken (at smaller than 1:1) with multiple extension rings, diopters, or teleconverters of extremely small subjects typically less than 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Gold Medal Winner
Macro - Super macro
Emperor Shrimp
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - Super macro
Happy Halloween Shrimp
Location: Indonesia
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - Super macro
Dragon shrimp, Anilao, Philippines
Location: Philippines
Runner Ups
Macro - Super macro
Macro - Close-Up
Shots taken of a subject between 3 inches and 1 foot (7.5 to 30cm) in size (e.g. large fish or diver head) that dominates the frame - any background is incidental and occupies LESS THAN 50% of frame
Gold Medal Winner
Macro - Close-Up
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - Close-Up
A baby eel
Location: Philippines
Sharks
Shots where sharks are the predominant subject. Sponsored by Stuart Cove's
Gold Medal Winner
Sharks
Great White approaches thru the late afternoon sun at Guadalupe off Mexico
Location: Mexico
Silver Medal Winner
Sharks
This is a well-known female great Atlantic hammerhead shark in Tiger Beach and is nicknamed "Patches" (aka Scylla.) I happened to catch her swimming directly overhead in a glorious sun ball.
Location: Bahamas
Bronze Medal Winner
Sharks
Reef Shark in Blue, Gardens of the Queen Cuba
Location: Cuba
Temperate Waters
Seas with green water well north or south of tropical zones typically cold enough for drysuits!
Gold Medal Winner
Temperate Waters
Platichthys flesus, Zeeland, The Netherlands
Location: Netherlands
Silver Medal Winner
Temperate Waters
Compass jellyfish(Chrysaora hysoscella), Zeeland, The Netherlands.
Location: Netherlands
Bronze Medal Winner
Temperate Waters
Jelly mono
Nikon D810, Sigma fisheye.
Lundy Island, UK
Location: United Kingdom
Runner Ups
Temperate Waters
Freshwater
shots taken bodies of water with no salt e.g. in lakes, streams, pools, rivers i.e NOT the Sea!
Gold Medal Winner
Freshwater
under the bridge near Traunfall- waterfalls
Location: Austria
Fashion
Underwater Fashion Photography, Trash the Dress, Wedding and Couple shots and any other shot with models underwater
Gold Medal Winner
Fashion
Freediver basking in the sun rays beaming through the surface of one of the many cenotes in the Riviera Maya, Mexico
Location: Mexico
Silver Medal Winner
Fashion
Goddesses in the Temple
Location: Indonesia
Bronze Medal Winner
Fashion
"Circle to another world", photographed at TODI, Belgium. Model Mermaid Celine.
Location: Belgium
Creative - Manipulated (Photoshopped)
Shots that have been digitally edited outside of the camera for creative reasons (not brightness/contrast etc.) in a program like PhotoShop
Gold Medal Winner
Creative - Manipulated (Photoshopped)
An angel is watching over us. Model: mermaid Nyxe, TODI, Belgium.
Location: Belgium
Silver Medal Winner
Creative - Manipulated (Photoshopped)
"Leafy in the Fall" part of my Underwater Surrealism body of work. Image is playing off the amazing camouflage these animals have
Location: Australia
Topside (above water but marine related)
shots above the surface. Can be on land but with relevance to the marine environment
Gold Medal Winner
Topside (above water but marine related)
"Sunset Sunset" - Surfaced to this stunning sunset at Sunset House! Hefting my macro kit with diopters half out of the water to get this shot was...interesting. I can almost feel my arms again. ;)
Location: Cayman islands
Silver Medal Winner
Topside (above water but marine related)
Missing Words
Grey Seal (pup) - Halichoerus grypus
Horsey, Norfolk, England
Location: United Kingdom