There was no recession in either the quality or quantity of underwater photography in our contest this year! It was a bumper year that saw an increase in standards on all levels.

• We had 11,135 entries from 130 countries this year – down slightly (by a couple of hundred) from last year but the quality was greatly increased! Remember, we restrict entry to one per day per person (2 for pro accounts) to stop being inundated with high volumes. We just want your best shots!
  
• more entries than ever (1506) were shortlisted to the first round of judging by our 200+ moderators (Thanks Guys!). see website for the shortlist
  
• 369 entries went to the final round. Of those several were disqualified for not uploading hi-rez images before the deadline (probably because their email addresses had expired and they didn't receive notification!)
  
• 102 images were placed. 79 photographers were placed. 60 medals were awarded.
  

Once again the newbies triumph - with 80% of the medals going to first timers! Many of these new entrants look set for successful careers. Providing they keep competing they could be future Champions and Grand Masters. To pick some names out at random: Nick Blake, Paul Colley, Tobias Friedrich and for the ladies Lucie Drlikova, Doris Vierkoetter, Mona Dienhart, and Suzan Meldonian.

We saw several of these new names (e.g. Paul Flandinette, Lucie Drlikova), come through our new photo critique service. This service is run by a team within our moderators who offer newbies constructive criticism for their first entries to the contest. It’s free, and it works!

The battle for World Champion was intense, with Rico Besserdich just pipping Doug Anderson to the title. In fact so many of the ‘old stalwarts’ produced their best work this year that we created more Grand Masters in one year than ever before; including Henry Jager, Michael Gallagher, Patrick Neumann, and the two Andersons - Steven Anderson and Doug Anderson (no relation, we think). They are all multiple medal winners from previous years.

Benny Sutton (Editor)

Rico Besserdich is this year’s breakout star!
A member since June 05, 2010 he has 478 entries in the contest. I make that (more than) one upload per day! His average vote is 26 and, when spread over so many images, requires incredible consistency for such a high score in that time frame.
He’s from Germany but names his adopted country Turkey on his member record. This is where he lives and, until recently, where he was a diving instructor - diving, and shooting, every day. If you think this gives him an unfair advantage remember - Rico doesn’t have the best u/w photo subjects in his Mediterranean waters – yet he knows how to turn the slightest opportunity into a stunning u/w photo.
He’s one of our community MVP’s and was instrumental in starting our photo critique service.
A photographer since 1978 and underwater photographer since 2001, he uses a Canon D-SLR in a Ikelite housing with Sea & Sea strobes.
If you want to learn Rico’s Tricks and secrets he will be bringing his knowledge and experience to running UnderwaterPhotography.com resort courses in Turkey and Egypt this year. Check out website for more details.

One of our previous world champions sums up Rico’s talents...
With no hesitation, Rico (Besserdich) HAS to be our World Champion this year (2011/12)
Wide Angle, Macro - super Macro, Outside, Half-Half, Modeling, B&W...etc... have no secret for him... Almost every week, Rico came up with amazing and surprising pictures...
He control's to not far from perfection all the techniques of photography... and that is the mark of a great and versatile (polyvalent) photographer...
He also has done a lot with the "critic" initiative.... Great job... and so useful for the new comers on UP.com...
High praise indeed! Rico’s ambition is to become a professional underwater photographer in 2012 and we wish him luck. If anyone can, he can!

Doug Anderson is one of the World’s most respected underwater photographers. He does shoot the occasional wide angle but mostly specialises in macro photography.
The old saying ‘form is temporary but class is permanent’ applies to Doug. He has 360 entries and an average vote of 30! That takes quality!
His shots are simple, yet classic. They are usually characterised by a single subject that fills the frame so pleasingly, with attention to detail, saturated colour, and a well thought out negative space background. Doug’s nudibranch shots are delicious, as is his eye for behaviour.
Even his captions say ‘less is more’ - usually a species ID (always accurate!) and the place taken. The pictures do the talking!
If you want to learn macro underwater photography just look over his work, and learn.
We are particularly pleased that he is one of the photo critique team, always willing to help newbies with a succinct observation.
Doug is an Aussie, living in Sydney where he dives his native waters (especially the Tasman Sea) extensively. He also dives Indonesia (Andaman Sea, Bali Sea) the Banda Sea (East Timor) Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean).
An ardent ecologist he is the Biodiversity Officer at Leichhardt Council He Studied Philosophy, Applied Ecology at University of Sydney, University of New South Wales

Henry Jager is from Switzerland and has been a member since 2007 when he upgraded to D-SLR and started taking underwater photography seriously.
Henry is a valued member of our photo critique team with always a kind word of encouragement and a concise solution to our newbies.
He has been in the medals from the start with two runner ups, a Bronze, and now Gold.
His over/under of a reef at sunset was technically brilliant and universally acclaimed. It took the monthly winner earlier in the year and a Gold in these annual awards.
He does most of his diving in the Phillipines/Indonesia.
He shoots with an Olympus E-5 in a BS Kinetics housing with two Inon Z 240 strobes.

Michael Gallagher is our second Aussie Grand Master of the year.
He has been a member since 2009, has entered 268 images in 14 categories, which has gained him a runner up placing and a medal for the past three years.
His versatility stretches from super-macro shots of Pygmy seahorses through to large pelagics - with wrecks and everything else in between! Whatever he shoots fills the frame nicely, and shows his empathy for the oceans.
Michael really gets about. He has dived his native Australia, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Sudan, and the United Kingdom!
He uses a Canon 50D in Hugyfot housing with dual Inon Z240s.

Patrick Neumann is from Germany and a member since 2006. He has been diving since the age of seven!
Most of his work is done in Asia, especially the Andaman sea and South China sea.
Patrick shoots the full range of categories with an emphasis on macro. He shoots anything; from nudibranchia to models with much creative flair and the occasional experimental lighting.
He has 3 runner up places, Bronze, Silver and Gold medals from 312 entries over the five years he has been competing. He shoots on a Canon 7D in a Hugyfot housing.

Steven ‘Creech’ Anderson is a freelance photographer from the United States, where he lives in Brentwood, TN.
He’s been a member for five years (and diving many more). In those five years Steven has entered 917 images in a wide range of categories well balanced between wide angle and macro. But, over a third of those entries are in the sharks category! Yes, Steven is the Shark Guy!
He believes Shark conservation is very important in order to maintain a proper balance in our oceans and uses his images to promote it.
Over the years he has treated us to a fantastic portfolio of tiger shark shots from Tiger beach in the Bahamas, where he dives with our sponsors, Stuart Cove’s. He gets up close and personal with his subjects, capturing the magnificence of these creatures. This work has earned him a runner up, Bronze, and two gold medals.
He dives the Caribbean and coastal United States and is also a member of our photo critique team