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 2013/14 |
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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 2013/14 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)
Two worlds in a single image.
Location: Mexico
Silver Medal Winner
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
Male Sockeye Salmon taking a breath.
Location: Canada
Bronze Medal Winner
Over/Under (shots half topside, half U/W)
Red Waratah Anemones. What I really love about over/under photographs is that it gives the underwater element a sense of place. For the viewer it marries the underwater environment with our own familiar world. It links the unknown with the known.
Location: Australia
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)
Rays rays rays
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
'The elements'
Silversides at Devil's Grotto
Location: Cayman islands
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Natural Light (no strobe)
The last sperm whale of the expedition waving goodbye
Location: Sri Lanka
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
Fly
Freediver at the bow of the EX-USS Kittiwake (Mark Tilley)
Location: Cayman islands
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Wrecks
A motorbike on the wreck of SS Thistlegorm. Slow shutter to capture the blue light coming through the hold hatchway.
Location: Egypt
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Wrecks
Lightshow -
winner: UW Images Ohio 2010 wreck cat.
Scan from Ilfort 400 ISO B&W film, scanned by Nikon Coolscan
Location: Sudan
Runner Ups
Wide Angle - Wrecks
Wide Angle - Divers
Divers doing what divers do - underwater or on the surface
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
The spindle
Location: Egypt
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
Freediver - Domagoj Jakovac - world champ under Ice diving
Location: Croatia
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Divers
A freediver entering Devil's Grotto
Location: Cayman islands
Runner Ups
Wide Angle - Divers
Wide Angle - Marine Life
wide angle shots with no divers in frame
Gold Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
Barracuda school with one Great Barracuda interacting with the school of smaller ones; not sure what this behaviour was.
Location: Egypt
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
Happy Moment - in the Red Sea with a Dugong south of Port Gahlib.
Location: Egypt
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Marine Life
I lay on sand quietly watching this chap. Loved it when he opened his mouth for the cleaners.
Location: South Africa
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
Red Sea , Egypt
Location: Egypt
Silver Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Close Focus
Bronze Medal Winner
Wide Angle - Close Focus
Dream Dives In Papua
Location: Papua New Guinea
Runner Ups
Wide Angle - Close Focus
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
The Gem/ Luria lurida mediterranean cowry
Location: Italy
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - not swimming
Gulf signal blenny in an tube wormhole, cosy!
Location: Mexico
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - not swimming
Two guys at work
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
Labyrinth
Nikon D800E,105 macro, two strobo
Lembeh strait
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - swimming
Posterity
Location: Indonesia
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - swimming
Next generation -
Jawfishes with eggs.
Have fun watching.
Location: Indonesia
Runner Ups
Macro - swimming
Macro - Nudibranchia
Sea slugs. A subject popular with macro guys! (means naked gills) Flatworms allowed
Gold Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
Rider2
Nikon D800E , 105 micro, twin strobo
Lembeh strait
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
Dirona Albolineata
Location: United States
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - Nudibranchia
Nembrotha Nudibranch
Bunaken,Sulawesi,Indonesia,
Nikon d300s in Kinetics
no strobes, natural lighting
Location: Indonesia
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
"MARINE CANADIAN FLAG"
supermacro about spanish dancer gills
Location: Egypt
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - Super macro
Blenny
Location: United Arab Emirates
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - Super macro
Runner Ups
Macro - Super macro
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
Gold Medal Winner
Macro - Close-Up
Thorny Seahorse in the bay of Ambon,Indonesia
Location: Indonesia
Silver Medal Winner
Macro - Close-Up
almost dead
Location: Indonesia
Bronze Medal Winner
Macro - Close-Up
Tiger
Location: Indonesia
Runner Ups
Macro - Close-Up
Sharks
Shots where sharks are the predominant subject. Sponsored by Stuart Cove's
Gold Medal Winner
Sharks
Whale shark incoming! Canon 7D. Tokina 10-17.
Location: Mexico
Silver Medal Winner
Sharks
Face to face with a wobbegong - the flounder of the sharks :-)
Location: Indonesia
Bronze Medal Winner
Sharks
Great Hammerhead - stiring up the sand
Location: Bahamas
Runner Ups
Sharks
Temperate Waters
Seas with green water well north or south of tropical zones typically cold enough for drysuits!
Gold Medal Winner
Temperate Waters
Bell Jelly
Location: United States
Silver Medal Winner
Temperate Waters
Plumose Anemone
Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Location: United States
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
Portrait of a manatee
Location: United States
Silver Medal Winner
Freshwater
Pike in the mirror
Location: Czech Republic
Bronze Medal Winner
Freshwater
Water lily (Grand Cenote)
Location: Mexico
Runner Ups
Freshwater
Fashion
Underwater Fashion Photography, Trash the Dress, Wedding and Couple shots and any other shot with models underwater
Gold Medal Winner
Fashion
Russian Field
Location: Russia
Silver Medal Winner
Fashion
Weightless...
Location: Kazakhstan
Bronze Medal Winner
Fashion
In a gadda da vida
Location: Mexico
Runner Ups
Fashion
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)
Resigned ...
Location: Czech Republic
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)
Playing with the sea.
Location: Italy
Silver Medal Winner
Topside (above water but marine related)
Japanese Sea Plane Wreck, Rock Islands, Palau
Location: Palau
Bronze Medal Winner
Topside (above water but marine related)
The Wave !
Location: South Africa
Runner Ups
Topside (above water but marine related)