2010/11 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 2010/11
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 2010/11 World Champion is...

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

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
Feeling sleepy ?
In the Galapagos all the animals are unafraid and come very close to people. This little sea lion was tired of resting on the rocks so thought nothing of using one of the sun loungers instead !!!
Jackie Campbell

Ireland
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Ice boat ... it was quite cold last week in Switzerland.
Raoul Caprez

Switzerland
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Eastern Fields reef from the surface
Julian Cohen

Singapore
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Clear Ice of the lake Bajkal
Sergiy Glushchenko

Ukraine
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Plow shell on the move
Tony Makin

South Africa
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Sunset...cable beach.....This place gets some of the most spectacular sunsets that I have ever seen.
Life's a beach and then you....dive :)
Jackie Campbell

Ireland
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     
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
Six foot
Tony Makin

South Africa
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Another beautiful day to be a turtle in Hawaii.
Stuart Ganz

United States
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Lions mane jelly. Shot using a port extension I constructed myself for around £20. Canon G11, Canon housing, ys110 strobe under.
Tom Ashton

United Kingdom
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Sirenes-2
Sergiy Glushchenko

Ukraine
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Grab my camera please!
Julian Cohen

Singapore
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
 
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
Harlequin shrimp
Aleksandr Marinicev

Latvia
Gold Medal Gold Medal
A goldentail moray getting real up close and personal at Invisibles, Bonaire. Nikon D300 in Nexus housing, 2z Inon Z-240 strobes.
Christian Skauge

Norway
Silver Medal Silver Medal
white & red
Enje Im

Korea, Republic of
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Hey...what´s up ???
Dave Benz

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

Belgium
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
 
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
Juvenile Squid in tight frame ( I followed Jackie C's advice..thanks, Jackie ).
Rico Besserdich

Turkey
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Yellow baby boxfish
Els Van Den Borre

Belgium
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Plectorhincus vittatus
Alex Varani

Italy
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
     
Underwater Photo course

Wide Angle - Wrecks

anything man-made that is sunk including cars, tanks, planes etc. - oh and ships!
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Evelio exploring the wreck.
Abimael Márquez

Puerto Rico
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Prop of the Monem Wreck in Cesme.  It turns out that my model was not the only one posing for thşs shot :)  Nikon D200+Sigma 15mm Fisheye with YS110 Strobe connected via TTL converter.
Andre Yanco

Turkey
Silver Medal Silver Medal
P29 Patrol boat in 36metres
Taken with an Olympus 5000z
F2.8 1/125 ISO 160
Ian Palmer

United Kingdom
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Exploring the wreck of " Cedar Pride" in Gulf of Aqaba.
Alberto Romeo

Italy
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
R2D2....the most famous air compressor in the world !!

Canon Ixus 100, single inon D2000 strobe.
Jackie Campbell

Ireland
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Using my new Tokina lens. I found out that I can basically get any full wreck in one shot - not bad.
Roine Gabrielsson

Sweden
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     
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
divers and crystal water...a dream
Cipriano (ripli) Gonzalez

Spain
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Minke Whale
Steffen Binke

Australia
Silver Medal Silver Medal
sea lion backlight
José Augusto Silva

Portugal
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
The Freediver
CANON 40D, Ike Housing, Sigma 10-20mm lens, no strobe
Rico Besserdich

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
I love this spanish dancer...
Dave Benz

Germany
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Yawning Frog Fish - standard Canon, no lenses, no strobes, no flash, no photoshop...NO CROPPING!
Tim Ho

Malaysia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
The most friendly turttle i've ever seen
Els Van Den Borre

Belgium
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
   
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
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Fun with Photoshop #2.  Original shot from Anilao, Philippines.  A year without doing much diving meant time for photoshop.
Stephen Holinski

Canada
Gold Medal Gold Medal
sky, earth, water
Paola Pallocci

Italy
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Dangerzone !!!
Fiercelooking animals. However the homo sapiens is probably the more fearsome.
Animals shot in Egypt, Tenerife, Indonesia and the Maldives. The diver is my wife (not fearsome :-) ). The background is Palm Mar cave on Tenerife.
Christian Nielsen

Denmark
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
" speeeed "
new high speed record:  
This gurnad was flashed by radar control [68mph]  :)
Roland Bach

Spain
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
dive with a simile II
Thomas Lueken

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

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

Wide Angle - Divers

Divers doing what divers do - underwater or on the surface
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Fashion & nudity
Patrick Neumann

Germany
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Say "Cheese"
Researcher takes a family portrait
Arun Madisetti

Dominica
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Swimming pool session. Reflections and colors are real - not photoshopped. Minor adjustments to levels and saturation.
Vladimir Levantovsky

United States
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Nikon D2Xs, Zoom f4/12-24 mm, Seacam Housing w. Seacam Seaflsh 150 TTL (manual setting) and Seacam Mini 100 (manual setting); 1/125 s, f13, ISO 200. Model: Leda
Frank Schneider

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

Germany
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
A young boy free diving from his dug out canoe with home made wooden googles..
Burak Dedeler

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

Wide Angle - Marine Life

wide angle shots with no divers in frame
click to zoomclick images to zoom
Hammerhead, Galapagos, up close!
Michael Gallagher

Australia
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Point me in the RIGHT direction!!
Allen Walker

South Africa
Silver Medal Silver Medal
So big, so gentle... Cruising whale shark. Nikon D300+10.5 mm fisheye. Cropped and color adjusted.
Mehmet Demirkan

Turkey
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Sea Lion, Galapagos
Aleksandr Marinicev

Latvia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Southern Stingray taken his NAP, thanks to Nicolai Ruprechter  show us.
Nikon D80 with 15mm lens.
Pedro Padilla

Puerto Rico
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
 
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
Posta Fibreno Lake Italy
Marco Bartolomucci

Italy
Gold Medal Gold Medal
UNDERWATER BEAUTY EDITORIAL for WIENERIN MAGAZINE
 - promotion for waterproof makeup
see more on www.susannestemmer.com
Susanne Stemmer

Austria
Silver Medal Silver Medal
chac Mool cenote kukulcan Room
Juan Cardona

Mexico
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Divers in Silfra, Iceland. Melted glacierwater, many years of filtering through lavarock, resulting in the clearest water you have ever seen.
Rob De Vries

Netherlands
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Sockeye salmon.British Columbia, Canada
Robert Polo

Canada
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
..under water
Veronika Matějková

Czech Republic
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     
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
Lumpsucker - Male
Dancing in front of my domeport
Jorn Ari

Denmark
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Lingcod, Vancouver, Canada  Nikon D200, 10.5 mm
Robert Polo

Canada
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Harbour seal. Canon ixus 980.
Bea & Stef Primatesta

Switzerland
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Tompot Blenny from Swanage Pier, UK.  Finally getting time to do a spot of UK diving and was really proud to conquer my dream of snapping one of these chappies!  Canon 980 with Canon Housing, Macro Mode and Camera's own flash
Maria Munn

United Kingdom
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) at Flinders Pier, Victoria. From this angle it looks like it would make a good catapault. ;-)
Brian Mayes

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

Macro - Nudibranchia

Sea slugs. A subject popular with macro guys! (means naked gills) Flatworms allowed
click to zoomclick images to zoom
I like the colours...
Dave Benz

Germany
Gold Medal Gold Medal
"Naked Gills"
Nikon F90X with 105mm Macro Lens and +2 Diopter and wet diopter
Brian Welman

South Africa
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Nembrotha lineolata on golden sea squirt (Polycarpa aurata)
Alan Lyall

United Kingdom
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
the circle
Patrick Neumann

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

South Africa
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Over the hill! Image captured with Canon G9, Ikelite Housing and Inon Z240 strobe.
Greg Win

New Zealand
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Chromodoris williani-Lembeh
Richard Goluch

United States
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Get a room!!! Nudibranchs mating, Komodo, Indonesia. Any help identifying which species of nudibranch much appreciated - hypselodoris bullocki perhaps??
Michael Gallagher

Australia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
 
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
"OK, I'm ready for my close up."  .................Tiny 15mm Western Cleaner Clingfish (Cochleoceps bicolor)
Brian Mayes

United Kingdom
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Picture taken at only 5 meters of depth. It took me a long time to take the right shot but I'm very, very happy with the result!!
Bruno Van Saen

Belgium
Silver Medal Silver Medal
"tentacles"
Tentacles of a luminescent jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca )
Roland Bach

Spain
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
"Cup Coral's Portrait"

from Kasai Village, Moalboal, Philippines
(Olympus E-3, 50mm macro lens, 1,4x tele converter and close up lens)
Henry Jager

Switzerland
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Porcelain Crab (Porcellanella sp.) on the underside base of a black feather star.
Brian Mayes

United Kingdom
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
We have antennas!
Two small gobies with parasites attached, probably to their stomachs.
Burak Dedeler

Turkey
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
     
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
CFWA. Wire Coral Goby & Diver
Nicholas Samaras

Greece
Gold Medal Gold Medal
It took some time and trial to place the batfish in the background
Burak Dedeler

Turkey
Silver Medal Silver Medal
This area had lots of big healthy beautiful elephant ear sponges, caught my buddy cruising over the top!
Lisa Hinderlider

United States
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
underwater Art...fellings
Juan Cardona

Mexico
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
The red garden
Nikon D200, 10,5mm nikon,twin strobo
Wakatobi 2010
Marchione Giacomo

Italy
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Lobster in the open, Cozumel 2010. Nikon D200, 10.5 mm
Robert Polo

Canada
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
La Bym
Arun Madisetti

Dominica
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
   
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
Blu eyes
Nikon D200, 60 micro, ywin strobo
Lembeh 2010
Marchione Giacomo

Italy
Gold Medal Gold Medal
Sand pipefish
Jagwang Koo

Korea, Republic of
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Seastar on night dive - Saudi Arabia - Canon S90 with hand torch light
Patrick Tutt

Switzerland
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Trigger fish
Victor Tabernero

Spain
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Spiny Devil or Bearded Ghou
Aleksandr Marinicev

Latvia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Froggy - Padang Bai, Bali
Andy Chan

Indonesia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
Rockfish hideout
Robert Polo

Canada
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
I lifted a metal plate and found this octopus looking after her eggs. Carefully put the plate back down, but discovered on subsequent dive 2 days later, some moron had turned the plate over and left it with eggs and octopus exposed to die. :-(
Brian Mayes

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

Sharks

Shots where sharks are the predominant subject. Sponsored by Stuart Cove's
click to zoomclick images to zoom
This image was taken while we waited for the arrival of Tiger Sharks. Very exciting dive! Lucky I was to watch the action.
Steven Anderson

United States
Gold Medal Gold Medal
In the MIX!! Sorry about all the bubbles, just absolutely unavoidable...
Allen Walker

South Africa
Silver Medal Silver Medal
Mako shark
Charles Wright

South Africa
Bronze Medal Bronze Medal
Kissing the dome ! Curious Longimanus at Daedalus Reef. Truly sad with the incidents in Sharm el Sheikh. 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
30m Encounter with 'Lady Grace' the 3.5-4m tiger.  Taken at Lake Reef in Fiji.
Sam Cahir

Australia
Runner Up - worthy of note but not a medal winner - an equal 4th place if you like! Runner Up
 
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!
top of page
all content ©1996/2013 UnderwaterPhotography.com
all images © their respective owners
Category Quick Navigation :::: Topside (above water but marine related) :::: Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W) :::: Macro - not swimming :::: Macro - swimming :::: Wide Angle - Wrecks :::: Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe) :::: Creative - Manipulated (Photoshopped) :::: Wide Angle - Divers :::: Wide Angle - Marine Life :::: Freshwater :::: Temperate Waters :::: Macro - Nudibranchia :::: Macro - Super macro :::: Wide Angle - Close Focus :::: Macro - Close-Up :::: Sharks