2009/10 Medal Winners

medal
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.

Winners are announced to the Press at the end of May

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 2009/10
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.

winnerThe overall 2009/10 World Champion is...


The UnderwaterPhotography.com photo course collection
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See the best images from the last 10 years of the contest in all their glory in...
The UnderwaterPhotography.com photo course collection
120 full color pages

Topside (above water but marine related)

shots above the surface. Can be on land but with relevance to the marine environment
click to zoomclick images to zoom
What a beautiful mermaid...
Dave Benz

Germany
Gold Medal Gold Medal
The sea gypsy village of Pan Yee as an HDR photo.
Julian Cohen

Singapore
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Driftwood - Natures Valley
Tony Makin

South Africa
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Lake Bajkal
Sergiy Glushchenko

Ukraine
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
The Rock Islands in Micronesia as seen from the air.The Islands are made up of Limestone so they slowly erode over the years. What a beatifull country with fantasic and friendly people and diving that is out of this world.
Rick Ouellette

Canada
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Iguana, dive boats, a morning full of promise... Bonaire
William Goodwin

United States
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)

shots that cross the surface boundary (so under/overs like Snells Window too)
click to zoomclick images to zoom
diver on agrounded wreck
Miro Polensek

Slovenia
Gold Medal Gold Medal
This swimming pig came out to meet us in our tender at Big Majors near Staniel Cay in the Bahamas, the crew from the boat are standing on the beach behind.
Carol Benbrook

South Africa
Silver Medal Silver Medal
I took 20 photos using different angles so I will try not to bore everyone with these shots. This Starfish was on the beach so I placed him back in the water. I used my DC500 and 1 single strobe with a wide angle lens. Fantasy Island - Roatan - 2006.
Steven Anderson

United States
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Summer Time...
Cenk Ceylanoglu

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Dive boats tied up at a jetty.
Charles Wright

South Africa
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Kids watching us cave dive.Nikon D70s with 10.5 Fisheye lense and Ikelite 400 Substrobe
Dorian Borcherds

Papua New Guinea
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

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)
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Spider crab
Tony Makin

South Africa
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Crocodile Fish in Komodo. G9/Ikelite DS160s.
Richard Witmer

United States
Silver Medal Silver Medal
porceleine crab
Daniel Strub

Switzerland
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
"The Magic of Love" - taken with D100,105mm, no strobes shooting into the blue
David Henshaw

United Kingdom
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
4U
Cem Gazivekili

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Pipefish
Reidar Opem

Norway
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
local seahorse saying "ahhhhhh"
Dave Baxter

Australia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
   

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Underwater Photo course

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)
click to zoomclick images to zoom
"Spiral" (Rhinomuraena quaesita) Free swimming Blue Ribbon Eel in Lembeh
David Henshaw

United Kingdom
Gold Medal Gold Medal
An interesting subject that cares for its eggs on their mouth just up to the time they hatch then released into open waters.
Gurney Fermin

Philippines
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Anemonefish & Cmmensal shrimp-Lembeh
Richard Goluch

United States
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
They get in everywhere...
Tunc Yavuzdogan

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Blue Ribbon Eel - Tulamben.
Canon G 9 + Nikonos SB 105 + DIY Inon ucl 165 macro lens and adapter.
Andy Chan

Indonesia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
glass fish
Claudio Stoppato

Italy
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

Wide Angle - Wrecks

anything man-made that is sunk including cars, tanks, planes etc. - oh and ships!
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Wreck of a Jill Torpedo Bomber, Chuuk Lagoon (Truk), Micronesia.
Jim Garland

Ireland
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Hilma Hooker in Bonaire with David Fleetham as the model
D300 subal housing 2 ys-250 strobes 11-16 tokina @11mm
George Ordenes

United States
Silver Medal Silver Medal
The Fearless at BVI.
Juan Torres

Puerto Rico
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
A wide angle look from the bow of WW1 Lundy Wreck at Kabatepe. Nikon D200 with 10.5mm fish-eye lens in Sea&Sea Housing. 2xYS-110 Strobe both running in TTL mode.
Andre Yanco

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
"Volga – Don" German Cargo Ship
Aleksandr Marinicev

Latvia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
F4 Phantom, Subic bay/Philippines, -44 m (152 ft). Nikon D2Xs, Nikon fisheye 10,5 mm in a Seacam-housing with Seacam Miniflash 100. Model: Tanja.
Frank Schneider

Germany
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

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
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Manta Silhouette
Julian Cohen

Singapore
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Dolphins flight
Patrick Neumann

Germany
Silver Medal Silver Medal
new addition
The larger one below is almost 10, the upper one is probably a month old.

Olympus 5050, Inon Dome
Arun Madisetti

Dominica
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Ray of Light
Cem Gazivekili

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Just diving together with a mermaid...nothing else ;-)
Dave Benz

Germany
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
 

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Underwater Photo course

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
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Hopefully the political statement is ok.
Just saw a photo of a Stealth plane today and got the idea of combining the Stealth's of the ocean with the manmade ones in joined force to fight finning. Background:Maldives. Manta shots from Bali.
Christian Nielsen

Denmark
Gold Medal Gold Medal
My daughter, Jenny, makes a kaleidocopic circle by holding hands with herself.
Patrick Reardon

United States
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Sunglasses under water
Veronika Matějková

Czech Republic
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Chess III ; Victory round...
Dray Van Beeck

Netherlands
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
The last supper...
Dray Van Beeck

Netherlands
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Hairy Squatlobster "Reanimated".
Marco Waagmeester

Netherlands
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

Wide Angle - Divers

Divers doing what divers do - underwater or on the surface
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Roaring Silence
Diver explores wreck of a sunken fregate.
Norbert Probst

Germany
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Watching over the reefs
Andy Lerner

United States
Silver Medal Silver Medal
A couple of photographers met in Dahab swimming out of the canyon.
Raoul Caprez

Switzerland
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Dugong and snorkler.
Dray Van Beeck

Netherlands
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Astronaut traning at ESAs Neutral Buoyancy Facility in Cologne, Germany.
Christian Skauge

Norway
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Airborei Jetty-Raja Ampat-local kids diving with us.Canon 5D MK II 15 mm fisheye
Richard Goluch

United States
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

Wide Angle - Marine Life

wide angle shots with no divers in frame
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Closeup image of a humpback mother and calf. Vava'u Tonga. No cropping. Nikon D300 with 10-20mm sigma lens.
Melissa Fiene

Australia
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Bigeye Jacks (Caranx sexfasciatus) at the USAT Liberty (Bali).
Nikon D300, 10,5 mm, Ikelite, 2xDS125
Michael Henke

Germany
Silver Medal Silver Medal
"Queue" Canon G7 Internal flash
Sangut Santoso

Indonesia
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
For the remoras this big manta was a nice place to take a ride to somewhere else.
Esteban Toré

Spain
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Red Jellyfish backlit by sun.  Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia.  Canon 50D & Tokina 10-17
Ross Gudgeon

Australia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Landscape with fishes
Andrey Tazba

Russia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

Freshwater

shots taken bodies of water with no salt e.g. in lakes, streams, pools, rivers i.e NOT the Sea!
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Divers coming back out of Kilsby's Sinkhole near Mt Gambier South Australia. Canon 20D Tonika 10-17.
Mick Tait

Australia
Gold Medal Gold Medal
A tiny snail
Sven Tramaux

Switzerland
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Areoplane at Capernwray, Nikon D80 Tokina 12-17mm
Alan Fryer

United Kingdom
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Grunerr see underwater
Miro Polensek

Slovenia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Unbelievable...I was cleaning my photo equipment at the pool and justat this moment a leguan come in the pool to drink fresh water. I dive to the buttom of the pool and make my shot !!! Thank you, little Godzilla...
Dave Benz

Germany
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
My Dive Buddy reeling back the line in Weebubbie Cave
Nullarbor Australia
Chris Holman

Australia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

Temperate Waters

Seas with green water well north or south of tropical zones typically cold enough for drysuits!
click to zoomclick images to zoom
"Volga – Don" German Cargo Ship
Aleksandr Marinicev

Latvia
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Sammy the sea-lion
Dave Baxter

Australia
Silver Medal Silver Medal
The class clowns.  Sea lions at Hornby Island, BC, Canada
Dave Hunt

United States
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Jelly shuttle. Canon Ixus 980.
Bea & Stef Primatesta

Switzerland
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
   

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Underwater Photo course

Macro - Nudibranchia

Sea slugs. A subject popular with macro guys! (means naked gills) Flatworms allowed
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Chromodoris coi on a slippery underground, taken at Wakatobi with Canon S70 and double CloseUp Lens
Beate Krebs

Germany
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Glossodoris cruenta. A great find in the last few minutes of our last dive in Lombok.
Chad Ordelheide

Guam
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Hypselodoris Bullockii with buddy on his nose.
Caroline Istas

Vietnam
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Nembrotha milleri grazing on ascidians in the South China Sea.
Jim Chambers

United States
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Glossodoris cincta.  Anilao, Philippines.  Canon G9/Ikelite DS160.
Richard Witmer

United States
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Nudi on wreck of Laura C
Vittorio Durante

Italy
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

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)
click to zoomclick images to zoom
"Spotty"
Debi Henshaw

United Kingdom
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Boxer crab mumy and child
Nikon D200, 60 micro,Twin strobo
Manado 2008
Marchione Giacomo

Italy
Silver Medal Silver Medal
found in Lembeh - no crop, D200
Thomas Lueken

Germany
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
(PRE) school of fish. Though I've never really seen a school of clownfish..hehe.  Anilao, Mabini, Batangas. 10 feet of water. Canon G9. no external strobe.
Larry Medenilla

Philippines
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
My first tooth
Giuseppe Piccioli

Italy
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
 

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Underwater Photo course

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
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Divespot Shaab Rumi/Sudan; Precontinent II, Cousteau-house from 1963. Nikon D2Xs, Nikon Zoom AF 12 - 24 mm; 2 flashes: Seacam Seaflash 150 TTL, Seacam flash Mini 100. Model: Karin.
Precontinent II is one of my absolute topspots worldwide!
Frank Schneider

Germany
Gold Medal Gold Medal
"Super model" Giant cuttle fish
Cenk Ceylanoglu

Turkey
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Cozumel wall dive, a gray angelfish checking my camera out
Javier Sandoval

Mexico
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
The WW1 Lundy Wreck at Kabatepe in Northern Aegean Sea. Nikon D200 with 10.5mm fish-eye lens in Sea&Sea Housing. 2xYS-110 Strobe both running in TTL mode.
Andre Yanco

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Anchor winch from the wreck of Lundy in Kabatepe.... Nikon D200 with 10.5mm fish-eye lens in Sea&Sea Housing. 2xYS-110 Strobe both running in TTL mode.
Andre Yanco

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
What a day :-)
My guide Wayan with 2 beautiful Manta Rays on Manta Point, Nusa Penida.
Olympus E330, 8mm Fisheye, 2 Ikelite DS125 Strobes
Christian Nielsen

Denmark
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

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
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Giant Frogfish amongst an old iron structure in Anilao.  Canon G10, Sea and Sea YS110a/YS27Dx
Stephen Holinski

Canada
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Blénie nain sur un corail fil de fer
André Bruchez

Switzerland
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Cleaner
Girts Kravalis

Latvia
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Parrotfish portrait, taken at night in the Maldives
Michael Gallagher

United Kingdom
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Eyes of a Strombus (Vomer vomer)...and I didn't even have to wrangle the conch, it was just there crawling along. :-)......¸><((((º>.....Canon G9 & Inon UCL 165
Brian Mayes

United Kingdom
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
"Crinoid" A different take on a common subject. Malapascua, Philippines
Debi Henshaw

United Kingdom
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

Sharks

Shots where sharks are the predominant subject. Sponsored by Stuart Cove's
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Fish are friends!!!  This heavily pregnant female bull shark is having a final feed before heading up the river to give birth. Shot in Beqa Passage, Fiji on 18 November 09.  Nikon D90 twin Z240 strobes with Nikon 10-24 lens.
Sam Cahir

Australia
Gold Medal Gold Medal
BIG WHITE SHARK
Alberto Romeo

Italy
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Hammerhead at Darwin's Arch, Galapagos - shot taken with 50mm 1.8f portrait lens
Michael Gallagher

United Kingdom
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Great White Shark
Julian Cohen

Singapore
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Shark encounter of the first degree.....
Soren Egeberg

Thailand
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
raggie at supermarket
Dray Van Beeck

Netherlands
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     

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Underwater Photo course

The UnderwaterPhotography.com photo course collection
click here to buy the book
See the best images from the last 10 years of the contest in all their glory in...
The UnderwaterPhotography.com photo course collection
120 full color pages

Previous year's winners


Remember, if you don't enter you won't win!
Annual Medal Winners slide showSlide Show
how to win!
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