2011/12 Medal Winners

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 2011/12 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 2011/12 World Champion is...

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 images to zoom Michael Gallagher Australia Gold Medal Marco Faimali Italy Silver Medal Ahmet Yay Turkey Bronze Medal Nick Blake United Kingdom Runner Up Ben Joubert South Africa Runner Up Steven Anderson United States Runner Up

Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W) shots that cross the surface boundary (so under/overs like Snells Window too) click images to zoom Henry Jager Switzerland Gold Medal Levent Albas Turkey Silver Medal Dale Kobetich United States Bronze Medal Stuart Ganz United States Runner Up Jagwang Koo Korea, Republic of Runner Up Paul Colley United Kingdom Runner Up

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 images to zoom Doug Anderson Australia Gold Medal Suzan Meldonian United States Silver Medal Sue Ferreira South Africa Bronze Medal Allen Lee Taiwan Runner Up Patrick Neumann Germany Runner Up Jagwang Koo Korea, Republic of Runner Up Raoul Caprez Switzerland Runner Up Michael Gallagher Australia Runner Up Doug Anderson Australia Runner Up

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 images to zoom Ken Thongpila Australia Gold Medal Marcello Di Francesco Italy Silver Medal Henrik Gram Rasmussen Denmark Bronze Medal Ferdinando Meli Italy Runner Up Charly Kotnik Slovenia Runner Up Victor Tabernero Spain Runner Up

Wide Angle - Wrecks anything man-made that is sunk including cars, tanks, planes etc. - oh and ships! click images to zoom Paul Colley United Kingdom Gold Medal Erich Reboucas Brazil Silver Medal Stew Smith United Kingdom Bronze Medal Levent Albas Turkey Runner Up Patrick Neumann Germany Runner Up Tobias Friedrich Germany Runner Up

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 images to zoom Dave Benz Germany Gold Medal Lucie Drlikova Czech Republic Silver Medal Brad Ryon United States Bronze Medal Roland Bach Spain Runner Up Nick Blake United Kingdom Runner Up Arun Madisetti Dominica Runner Up

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 images to zoom Alex Varani Italy Gold Medal Doris Vierkoetter Germany Silver Medal Christine Hamilton Australia Bronze Medal Rick Tegeler Canada Runner Up Paola Pallocci Italy Runner Up Blaza Jovanovic Netherlands Runner Up

Wide Angle - Divers Divers doing what divers do - underwater or on the surface click images to zoom Christian Schlamann Germany Gold Medal Horen Stalbe Egypt Silver Medal Ladislav Nogacek Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Bronze Medal Frank Schneider Germany Runner Up Jonny Simpson - Lee United Kingdom Runner Up Horen Stalbe Egypt Runner Up

Wide Angle - Marine Life wide angle shots with no divers in frame click images to zoom Steven Anderson United States Gold Medal Alp Baranok Turkey Silver Medal Richard Wylie Australia Bronze Medal Roland Bach Spain Runner Up Henry Jager Switzerland Runner Up Tobias Friedrich Germany Runner Up

Freshwater shots taken bodies of water with no salt e.g. in lakes, streams, pools, rivers i.e NOT the Sea! click images to zoom Nick Blake United Kingdom Gold Medal Adolfo Maciocco Italy Silver Medal Tobias Friedrich Germany Bronze Medal Becky Kagan United States Runner Up Mathieu Foulquié France Runner Up Mona Dienhart Luxembourg Runner Up

Temperate Waters Seas with green water well north or south of tropical zones typically cold enough for drysuits! click images to zoom Douglas Klug United States Gold Medal Harald Fauske Norway Silver Medal David Gilchrist Canada Bronze Medal Jorn Ari Denmark Runner Up Robert Polo Canada Runner Up Doug Anderson Australia Runner Up

Macro - Nudibranchia Sea slugs. A subject popular with macro guys! (means naked gills) Flatworms allowed click images to zoom Mona Dienhart Luxembourg Gold Medal Tom Radio United States Silver Medal William Loke Singapore Bronze Medal Marchione Giacomo Italy Runner Up Jörg Menge Germany Runner Up Paul Ng Malaysia Runner Up

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 images to zoom Ximena Olds United States Gold Medal Sven Tramaux Switzerland Silver Medal Mark Gray Australia Bronze Medal William Loke Singapore Runner Up Doris Vierkoetter Germany Runner Up Christian Nielsen Denmark Runner Up

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 images to zoom Boris Pamikov Russia Gold Medal Larry Polster United States Silver Medal Mathieu Foulquié France Bronze Medal Roland Bach Spain Runner Up Jackie Campbell Ireland Runner Up Tobias Reitmayr Germany Runner Up

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 images to zoom Tony Cherbas Guam Gold Medal Marylin Batt United States Silver Medal Melvin Lee Singapore Bronze Medal Jorge Sorial Spain Runner Up Suzan Meldonian United States Runner Up John Roach United States Runner Up Afflitti Gianluca Italy Runner Up Paul Flandinette United Kingdom Runner Up Paul Colley United Kingdom Runner Up

Sharks Shots where sharks are the predominant subject. Sponsored by Stuart Cove's click images to zoom Shane Gross Canada Gold Medal Helmy Hashim Egypt Silver Medal Afflitti Gianluca Italy Bronze Medal Allen Walker South Africa Runner Up Ryan Miller Canada Runner Up Kyle Mcburnie United States Runner Up Sam Cahir Australia Runner Up

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

---award winners--- 2001 winners 2002 winners 2003 winners 2004 winners 2005 winners 2006 winners 2007 winners 2008 winners 2009 winners 2010 winners 2011 winners

Remember, if you don't enter you won't win!
Slide Show
how to win!

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