This year's contest has provided not only a bumper crop but also the highest quality in years.

Many of the 'old timers' from previous years are still in there but we have also seen some new outstanding talents emerge from 'nowhere'. Some of them dominated whole categories. For example, newcomer Marco Waagmeester had the best collection of nudibranch shots we have seen in a long while. He struck double Gold (in the Wide Angle and Macro categories).

Marco was in contention for the top awards but, along with other strong contenders (Andrey Tazba, Jeff Chua De Guzman, Doug Anderson, Brian Mayes and several others), did not have quite a varied enough portfolio over multiple categories. Next year guys...

I would also like to point out that you will soon be able to see the winning images the way you were meant to see them - published in a hardback book in all their glory! The book contains more than a decade’s worth of some of the World's greatest underwater photography - shot by many of the World's greatest underwater photographers. To get your preview copy of the UnderwaterPhotography.com Photo Contest Collection click here...

• We had 12591 entries from 134 countries this year - there's no global credit crunch in U/W photography! It just goes to show that diving takes you through times of no money better than money take you through times of no diving!
  
• 848 entries were shortlisted to the first round of judging ( website to see shortlist)
  
• 164 entries went to the final round. 25 of those were disqualified for not uploading hi-rez before the deadline (probably because their email addresses had expired and they didn't receive notification!)
  

Michel only joined the contest at the end of March 2008 but managed 179 entries to the photo contest in that time!

The quantity is never as important as the quality, which has been of the highest standard in Michel's case. It is the mark of a great photographer that they don't just enter strong images - they never enter weak ones. In this respect his consistency alone made him stand out head and shoulders above the crowd.

One judge said "This year world champ has to be Michel Lonfat. His entries are to a high standard, the split level's are superb. I know he has only been in the comp for a short while but he seems always to come up with the goods.. "

The range of Michel's work is impressive, both cold and warm water, and all categories. Much of Michel's diving is done in his native Switzerland in the gin-clear, but cold, Verzasca River near Tessin. His warm water material is every bit as noteworthy. He has dived the Caribbean, Celebes sea, the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and Red Sea. He has entered something in ALL our categories with numerous 'hotshot' placings in our monthly contests.

Geoff Spiby joined us in June 2007 and made an immediate impact with his atmospheric Kelp forest shots from his native South African coast.

With an extremely high average vote in each of our categories he is a definite all-rounder. This is reflected by the number of hotshots he has, along with a Gold Medal for his shot of a Great White Shark in 2007.

As well as the Atlantic Geoff has dived in the Celebes Sea, Halmahera Sea, Indian Ocean, Molucca Sea, Red Sea, South China Sea, Sulu and Sulawesi Seas.