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 2008/09 |
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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 2008/09 World Champion is...
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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)
US Navy Divers going to the office.
Location: Dominica
Silver Medal Winner
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
Under the surface: Xmas tree
Location: Indonesia
Bronze Medal Winner
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
Stepson fishing in Martin's Haven, West Wales
Location: United Kingdom
Runner Ups
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
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)
Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola) cleaned by bannerfish, Crystal Bay, Bali (Canon G9)
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
St.Johns caves. Couldn't find the rockband anywhere.
Location: Egypt
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
Taken in Nuweiba with Emperor Divers in Egypt, this was taken with a Fuji Finepix F31D compact camera and an Inon Wide Angle lens on the Underwater Setting whilst doing a headstand to fit it all in!
Location: Egypt
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
The Giannis D, Sha’ab Abu Nuhas Reef, Red Sea, Egypt.
Location: Egypt
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Wrecks
Un-named wreck in Lake Ontario, Canada, near Picton. Depth 170'.
Location: Canada
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Wrecks
Motorcycle in Hold of the SS Thistlegorm. Canon 10-22mm wide angle. Balanced natural light through hold doors with strobes with a 1/50 shutter.
Location: Egypt
Runner Ups
Wide Angle - Wrecks
Wide Angle - Divers
Divers doing what divers do - underwater or on the surface
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
Pollution - camera Nikonos UW 15 mm.
Location: Italy
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
Camera's point of view at the end of a dive. ©Amanda Cotton
Location: Bahamas
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
Diver checking out the soldierfish before going back up to the boat.
Location: Egypt
Runner Ups
Wide Angle - Divers
Wide Angle - Marine Life
wide angle shots with no divers in frame
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
All aboard the Manta Train!! Olympus SP350, Inon fisheye lens, natural light. Baa Atoll, Maldives.
Location: Maldives
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
Kissing fish? Two blued striped grunts trying to establish dominance over each other. Cozumel Mexico. Canon 20D and Sigma 17-70.
Location: Mexico
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
Diving with the m/v Dolphin Dream at Tiger Wreck in the Bahamas.
Lemon sharks by the dozen
Location: Bahamas
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
Big fun gorgonias in Moal Boal
Nikon D200 , !0,5 wide angle, two strobo and amd one very good model
Location: Philippines
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Close Focus
Leopard
Location: Malaysia
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Close Focus
sharm el seik,ras mohamed,nikond2x 10,5mm 2 strobes
Location: Egypt
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
Rhinopias eschmeyeri (Rhino-fish), Lembeh strait
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - not swimming
Nose to nose.
Location: Spain
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - not swimming
"Two Bargibanti Buddies" ... Ok ... if you spot three of them, I won't negotiate ;-). Taken at the Raja Ampat, West Papua. Touched up background, but left animals untouched in PS.
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
Cleaning time.... :O)
Location: Maldives
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - swimming
Colors of Nature....
Location: Malaysia
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - swimming
I was very fortunate to see these two Black-Saddled Tobies spiraling upward in a mating ritual. I got a sequence of about a dozen shots before the action ended. Dauin, Philippines.
Location: Philippines
Runner Ups
Macro - swimming
Macro - Nudibranchia
Sea slugs. A subject popular with macro guys! (means naked gills) Flatworms allowed
Gold Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
Hypselodoris Kanga nudibranch, Tukad Abu, Bali (Canon G9, WP-DC21,Inon D2000w)
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
jumping nudi
Location: East Timor
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
Another Nudi Shot from Anilao taken with Canon 400D + 100mm macro lens
Location: Philippines
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
Nudi close-up D200/105 VR
Location: Philippines
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - Super macro
Pygmy Seahorse
Location: Indonesia
Runner Ups
Macro - Super macro
Temperate Waters
Seas with green water well north or south of tropical zones typically cold enough for drysuits!
Gold Medal Winner
Temperate Waters
in the kelp forest
Location: South Africa
Silver Medal Winner
Temperate Waters
Giant cuttle, Kurnell
Location: Australia
Bronze Medal Winner
Temperate Waters
"Dont mess with me!"............................ A snarling Mosaic Moray (Gymnothorax prionodon)<><><><>Canon G9
Location: New Zealand
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
Apnea World Championship in Maribor, 2007
Location: Slovenia
Silver Medal Winner
Freshwater
Skydiver. A diver suspended in the clear waters of an Australian Sinkhole.
Location: Australia
Bronze Medal Winner
Freshwater
The Napoleon Bridge near Kobarid. The Picture is made on 2m depth Soca River (max depth on this place is cca.8m). It's nice place with lot of fish...also well known for its unique trout species Salmo trutta marmoratus (known as the marble trout).
Location: Slovenia
Runner Ups
Freshwater
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)
Golden dress
Location: United Kingdom
Silver Medal Winner
Creative - Manipulated (Photoshopped)
nudi delivery :)
Location: Indonesia
Bronze Medal Winner
Creative - Manipulated (Photoshopped)
Pterois mutans II
Location: Egypt
Runner Ups
Creative - Manipulated (Photoshopped)
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)
An Antarctic view before a dive under the ice. One of the things that is amazing about the Antarctic is that there is no distance 'haze' effect through lack of dust. This mountain is over 1,000 m high and the ice cliffs hundreds of m high.
Location: Antarctica
Silver Medal Winner
Topside (above water but marine related)
One of my most memorable marine life encounters. A baby seal basking in the morning sun
Olympus sp-350
Location: Australia
Bronze Medal Winner
Topside (above water but marine related)
Surfing "Jaws"
Location: United States
Runner Ups
Topside (above water but marine related)