+ 2022 World Champion - Glenn Ian Villanueva +

Glenn posted consistent incredible shots to the competition throughout the year. Its amazing to see how in a matter of a few years he upgraded cameras and became a top-notch underwater photographer. We are prod to have him as our world champion.

Who is Glenn?
I was born and raised in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines.
I am a certified public accountant (CPA) by profession, working as a tax consultant in one of the auditing firms in the Business District of Makati City, Philippines. Currently a PADI Dive Master and a PADI certified underwater photographer,
I started scuba diving back in 2015 and got immersed into it when underwater photography was introduced to me by my instructor sometime in 2016.
Diving is miles apart from my profession but it is exactly what I need to survive in the corporate jungle. The warm and sometimes cold water as you descend underwater offers the perfect environment for the busy mind to cool down, to relax and be creative. Finding a nudibranch sitting on a rock becomes a blank canvass for the mind to explore possibilities with.

I regularly dive in Anilao, Batangas and started with Olympus TG4 with handheld torch mostly doing macro shots. As simple as this set-up was, it gave me an understanding of light, how it affected the photos I took as I played around with the camera. As I progressed, I started shooting with Sony A7R (in Nauticam Housing) or Sony A6300 (in Fantasea housing) with my trusty Inon Strobes, Backscatter Miniflash and RGBlue to illuminate the subject surroundings.

I love the underwater world, I dream of doing this full-time one day.