5th ANNUAL OUR WORLD UNDERWATER INTERNATIONAL UNDERWATER PHOTO & VIDEO COMPETITION
HOSTED BY WETPIXEL & DIVEPHOTOGUIDE
WINNERS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!
DivePhotoGuide.com and Wetpixel.com are proud to announce the winners of the 5th annual Our World Underwater international underwater photography & video competition. The competition is in held in association with Our World Underwater and part of a joint series often referred to as the "Super Bowl" of international underwater imagery events, with world-class prizes, esteemed celebrity judges, and significant global media support.
Thousands of entries were received from dozens of countries and the winners represented fourteen countries. The quality level of the images submitted was very high, and the bar is continually being set higher each year. A formal statement from the judges is posted here. Congratulations to the winners!
The winners were presented during the film festival at a special 40th anniversary Our World Underwater show in Chicago.
In 2010 photographers & videographers competed in seven still-image categories and two video categories, to win nearly $50,000 in prizes including premium dive trips, underwater photography and video and diving equipment and more. Dive packages to some of the top photo destinations in the world included The Sea of Cortez, Wakatobi-Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Red Sea, Grand Cayman, the Solomon Islands, Vietnam, and Norway. Other prizes included underwater strobes, focus lights, and Cressi dive equipment.
Esteemed judges included leading professional underwater photographers, cinematographers and magazine editors: Eric Cheng, David Doubilet, Ric Frazier, Alex Mustard, and Berkley White comprised the judging panel for still categories and Steve Douglas, Eric Hanauer, and Mary Lynn Price for video categories.
Winning images will be published by supporting media partners worldwide, and Divefilm.com will be podcasting the winning videos as episodes of the iTunes-featured DiveFilm Podcast Video and DiveFilm High Definition Podcast Video.
As with all Wetpixel & DivePhotoGuide competitions, 15% of proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.
Congratulations again to all of the winners from around the world!
(All images and a complete prize distribution list are below)
Our World Underwater 2010
Ross Gudgeon
Stuart Westmorland
Alexander Safonov
Guy Carter
Francesco De Marchi
Any close-up image captured with a macro lens, where the reproduction ratio is between 1:10 and 1:1, or greater. The "Traditional" divisions allow for the adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness only. Cropping, cloning, and other digital manipulation is not allowed in this category. This restriction on digital manipulation enables people who are not as savvy at Photoshop to compete on more-or-less even ground as those with more experience. It also highlights composition and lighting skills by not allowing cropping and cloning. Before selecting winning entries, we reserve the right to audit your original RAW or JPG files. Please do not submit cropped or manipulated entries in this category.
Any close-up image captured with a macro lens, where the reproduction ratio is between 1:10 and 1:1, or greater. Unlike the "Traditional" divisions, the "Unrestricted" divisions have no specific rules regarding digital manipulation. However, as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make.
Any underwater image of a 24mm x 36mm (0.95in x 1.4in) or smaller picture area. The "Traditional" divisions allow for the adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness only. Cropping, cloning, and other digital manipulation is not allowed in this category. This restriction on digital manipulation will enable people who are not as savvy at Photoshop to compete on more-or-less even ground as those with more experience. It also highlights composition and lighting skills by not allowing cropping and cloning. Before selecting winning entries, we reserve the right to audit your original RAW or JPG files. Our judges are digital photography experts, so please do not submit cropped or manipulated entries in this category.
Any image captured with a wide-angle lens (focal length 35mm or less in 35mm format). The "Traditional" divisions allow for the adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness only. Cropping, cloning, and other digital manipulation is not allowed in this category. This restriction on digital manipulation enables people who are not as savvy at Photoshop to compete on more-or-less even ground as those with more experience. It also highlights composition and lighting skills by not allowing cropping and cloning. Before selecting winning entries, we reserve the right to audit your original RAW or JPG files. Please do not submit cropped or manipulated entries in this category.
Any image captured with a wide-angle lens (focal length 35mm or less in 35mm format). Unlike the "Traditional" divisions, the "Unrestricted" divisions have no specific rules regarding digital manipulation. However, as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make.
Any image taken by a point-and-shoot, non-DSLR, non-interchangeable-lens camera.
Any camera with interchangeable lenses is not considered a compact, so images taken with such cameras must not be entered into this category.
Since participating in competitions is a way to progress one's photography, we have established a new Novice category. This category is specifically for amateur and novice photographers who do not want to compete with more established photographers. Ultimately the final decision to compete in this category is yours, however, we have established some basic guidelines and restrictions. 1. Have been shooting underwater less than 5 years 2. Never placed (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in a major competition 3. Never won more than $100 (value) in a photo competition 4. Never licensed an image for more than $100.
Any film five minutes or less in duration. At least 50% of the footage must be shot underwater.
Marine Conservation themed films, five minutes or less in duration, and at least 50% of the footage must be shot underwater. Conservation videos will be expected to have a conservation message or emphasis, which can be explicit or subtle.
Keri Wilk |
Liveaboard Trip to the Sea of Cortez with Solmar V, |
David Barrio |
Liveaboard Trip to the Sea of Cortez with Solmar V, |
Jeremy Kozman |
Liveaboard Trip to the Solomon Islands with Bilikiki, |
| Luc Eeckhaut | Up to 10 Days at Wakatobi Dive Resort, or on board Pelagian, in Indonesia |
| Matt Curnock | Up to 10 Days at Wakatobi Dive Resort, or on board Pelagian, in Indonesia |
Bruno Vanherck |
Liveaboard Trip to Papua New Guinea with MV Febrina |
Zsolt Sasdi |
Liveaboard Trip to Papua New Guinea with MV Febrina |
Stephen Holinski |
5 night package, including accommodations and 4 days of diving the North Wall of Grand Cayman with Dive Tech @ Cobalt Coast Dive Resort, |
Fredrik Ehrenstro |
5 night package, including accommodations and 4 days of diving the North Wall of Grand Cayman with Dive Tech @ Cobalt Coast Dive Resort, |
Gianni Pecchiar |
One Week Liveaboard Trip to the Red Sea with Emperor Divers |
Jeffrey de Guzman |
6 Nights / 5 Days of Diving With Rainbow Divers and Sunrise Beach Resort in Vietnam |
Francesco De Marchi |
6 Nights / 5 Days of Diving With Rainbow Divers and Sunrise Beach Resort in Vietnam |
Kris Wilk |
One week at Gulen Dive Resort, Norway |
| Shawn Heinrichs | One Week Liveaboard Trip to the Red Sea with Emperor Divers |
| Eduardo Acevedo | Cressi Dive Equipment Package A (TBA), Signed Book from Wyland |
| Carlos Villoch | Cressi Dive Equipment Package A (TBA) |
| Maxim Tomashevich | Cressi Dive Equipment Package A (TBA) |
| Bartosz Strozynski | Nocturnal Lights 800i SLX Focus Light, SEA&SEA $500 Gift Certificate |
| Yigal Aharoni | Nocturnal Lights 800i SLX Focus Light |
| Ross Gudgeon | Nocturnal Lights 800i SLX Focus Light |
| David Vik | Cressi Dive Equipment Package B (TBA) |
| Mike Elliot | Cressi Dive Equipment Package B (TBA) |
| Stuart Westmorland, Jody Elliot, Todd Mintz, Tamas Szabo, Steven Jacobs, Paolo Isgro, Jose Alejandro Alvarez, Jonas Thormar, Esteban Tore, Magnus Lundgren, Michele Davino, Anders Korsvall | Ikelite Flashlight |
| Alexander Safonov, Indra Swari Wonowidjojo, Guy Carter | Signed Book from Wyland |
Your prize includes accommodation, diving, tanks and weights, and meals.
Valuable prize packages include regulator & BC, computer & regulator, masks, fins & wetsuit, and computer & fins.
One week on board one of the liveaboard dive vessels in our Red Sea Emperor Fleet Your prize includes accommodation, diving, tanks and weights, and meals.
Berkley White
Berkley White is a leading expert in the field of underwater photography and digital image processing. As a professional photographer and instructor, he shares his in-field photographic techniques and digital methods through a series of select travel events each year. Berkley is the founder of Backscatter in Monterey, California, the largest specialty underwater photographic supplier in the US, and is the organizer of international photographic events such as the Digital Shootout.
David Doubilet
David Doubilet is considered to be among the best by editors, peers and colleagues the world over. He has photographed over 60 stories for the National Geographic Magazine where he is currently a Contributing Photographer-in-Residence. David has documented our changing underwater world since his first assignment with the Geographic in 1971. In addition to the Geographic, David’s work continues to appear in countless publications worldwide and he is a contributing editor and feature columnists for the Behind the Shot in Sport Diver Magazine (US) and Seascapes and Dive Magazine (UK). He has authored seven books on the sea, and is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including: The Sara Prize, The Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award and the Lennart Nilsson Award in Photography. David is a member of both the Royal Photographic Society and International Diving Hall of fame.
Dr. Alexander Mustard
Dr Alexander Mustard is both a marine biologist and also as part of a 'new wave' of up-and-coming young underwater photographers who have challenged our perceptions of what we see underwater, Alex has won many awards for his photography including being a multiple winner in both the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and World Festival of Underwater Photography in Antibes, France. His new book "The Art Of Diving," a collaboration with author Nick Hanna, is not just a photo collection but is an exploration of why we love to dive, and has been described by David Doubilet as "the best book about diving since Jacques Cousteau's The Silent World." He is founder of the Young Underwater Photographer's Group, the Digital Officer for the British Society of Underwater Photographers and a Co-Administrator of Wetpixel.com. Alex is also the brains behind Magic filters - filters designed specifically for available light underwater photography with digital cameras.
More about Alex at http://amustard.com
Eric Cheng
Eric Cheng is an underwater photographer who has become known around the world for his expertise in underwater imaging. He has meticulously documented his travels around the world, and has been published in numerous publications, both in print and on the web. In 2003, Eric was awarded a prestigious Antibes Festival award for his work with Wetpixel.com, the Antibes underwater imaging web site of the year, and in 2005, he won a category in the prestigious Nature's Best Magazine photo competition, which has placed some of his work in the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. Eric also leads trips and has given workshops and seminars in locations around the world.
Eric owns and runs Wetpixel.com, the premiere online resource for underwater photographers. Hosting over 6,150 registered underwater photographers internationally, Wetpixel's friendly community offers breaking news, reviews, features, community forums, image galleries, photo contests, photo expeditions, and more.
Eric's underwater images can be found on personal website: http://echeng.com/travel/
Ric Frazier
Born and raised in Texas, Ric’s photographic journey began with participating in and shooting the skateboarding scene. Many scrapes and scars later, swimming with the sharks seemed like an equally stimulating experience. This led this aqua man to pursue his interests at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. Over Ten years later, having become one of the most skilled, experienced and versatile underwater photographer in the world, Ric has redefined the art of underwater photography shooting everything ranging from people, props and sets, to ocean life. With a focus on advertising and editorial, Ric offers a relaxed and efficient working environment however complex or simple the shot or campaign. Recently he has shot for advertising clients such as Bayer, Mcdonald’s, MTV, and Shell Oil, as well as recent editorial clients Elle, ESPN, GQ, People, and Shape.
Ric's website: Frazierproductions.com
Eric Hanauer
Eric Hanuer published his first underwater image and article, in Skin Diver magazine, in 1977. Over the past 30 years, his photos and articles have been published in magazines, books, posters, and CDs worldwide. He has written guidebooks to the Red Sea and Micronesia, as well as an oral history of diving in America (ehanauer.com). Recently Hanauer began shooting underwater video, and his work has been selected for showing in festivals, on the internet, on iTunes, and in TV commercials.
Born in Stuttgart, Germany and raised in Chicago, Eric was educated in the Chicago Public Schools, then earned a BS in Physical Education at George Williams College, and an MS in Physical Education at UCLA. His wife, Karen Straus, is also an active diver and underwater photographer. They live in San Diego. More about Eric can be found on his website www.ehanauer.com
Mary Lynn Price
Mary Lynn Price is a video journalist and producer, founder of DiveFilm.com. She is the executive producer of the iTunes featured podcast, DiveFilm HD Video, and is a founding organizer of the San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition. She teaches video editing and storytelling on land and at sea, and is an Apple certified pro in Final Cut Pro 7. More about Mary Lynn can be found at her website, marylynnprice.com.
Steve Douglas
Steve Douglas is a certified Apple Pro for Final Cut Pro 6 and underwater videographer. A winner of the 1999 Pacific Coast Underwater Film Competition, 2003 IVIE competition, 2004 Los Angeles Underwater Photographic competition, and the prestigious 2005 International Beneath the Sea Film Competition, where he also won the Stan Waterman Award for Excellence in Underwater Videography and 'Diver of the Year,' Steve was a safety diver on the feature film "The Deep Blue Sea," contributed footage to the Seaworld Park's Atlantis production, the History Channel's MegaDisaster show, and his first, recently aired National Geographic special segment on Marlin. Steve is a feature writer for Asian Diver Magazine and the Final Cut Pro editing websites, www.kenstone.net and www.lafcpug.org and continues to conduct filming and editing seminars for both private and group audiences. A regular speaker and presenter for many dive clubs, Steve is one of the founding organizers of the San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition and leads both underwater filming expeditions and African safaris.