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Our World Underwater 2019

Best of Show by Luc Rooman
Best of Show

PHOTOGRAPHER
Luc Rooman

CATEGORY
Wide Angle Unrestricted
Gold

The Our World Underwater International Underwater Photography and Videography Competition has become known as the “Superbowl” of underwater imaging events. The competition celebrates and highlights both art of underwater imaging as well as the beauty of the ocean.

This year, the panel of judges—David Doubilet, Howard and Michele Hall, Erin Quigley, Lia Barrett, and Abi Mullens—went through hundreds of images and videos taken by novice to professional photographers and videographers from around the world.

Some $55,000 in prizes was awarded to the winners. Congratulations to Luc Rooman, who won “Best of Show” for his 1st place image from the Wide Angle Unrestricted category.

Winners were announced live on stage during the Our World Underwater film festival in Chicago (February 16–17, 2019), and will be published by supporting media partners worldwide. You can enjoy the winning images and videos below.

Winners
BEST OF SHOW
Best of Show by Luc Rooman

Wide Angle Unrestricted
Gold
Luc Rooman Belgium
Prize
12-night cruise for two to Raja Ampat on the Seven Seas liveaboard
Macro Traditional
Gold
Sweet seahorse by Virginia Salzedo ()

Virginia Salzedo

"Sweet seahorse"
Location: Puglia, Italy
Prize
7-night packages at Atlantis Puerto Galera or Atlantis Dumaguete, Philippines
Silver
Seahorse Haze by Henley Spiers ()

Henley Spiers

"Seahorse Haze"
Location: Anilao, Philippines
Prize
5-day trips to Guadalupe Island aboard Solmar V
Bronze
smaragdia viridis by Alessandro Giannaccini (Italy)

Alessandro Giannaccini
Italy

"smaragdia viridis"
Location: capraia isola
Prize
7-day packages to Norway at Gulen Dive Resort
Macro Unrestricted
Gold
Diamond Squid by Songda Cai (China)

Songda Cai
China

"Diamond Squid"
Location: Anilao Batangas
Prize
7-night trip to the Solomon Islands aboard the Solomons PNG Master
Silver
Tiger Wave by Henley Spiers ()

Henley Spiers

"Tiger Wave"
Location: Anilao, Philippines
Prize
Various lighting equipment from Ikelite
Bronze
Ribbonfish by Fabien Michenet (France)

Fabien Michenet
France

"Ribbonfish"
Location: Off tahiti island reef
Prize
Various lighting equipment from Ikelite
Honorable Mention
Spirit Dancer by Songda Cai (China)

Songda Cai
China

"Spirit Dancer"
Location: Anilao Batangas
Wide Angle Traditional
Gold
Attack!!! by Pedro Carrillo (Spain)

Pedro Carrillo
Spain

"Attack!!!"
Location: Isla Espiritu Santo, La Paz, Mexico
Prize
8-night liveaboard trips to Papua New Guinea aboard MV Oceania
Silver
Whiskers by Celia Kujala ()

Celia Kujala

"Whiskers"
Location: Jurien Bay Marine Park, Western Australia, Australia
Prize
7-night, 18-dive packages at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, Philippines
Bronze
Flight by Renee Capozzola (United States)

Renee Capozzola
United States

"Flight"
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Prize
7-night, 18-dive packages at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, Philippines
Wide Angle Unrestricted
Gold
mating frogs by Luc Rooman (Belgium)

Luc Rooman
Belgium

"mating frogs"
Location: De Melle Belgium
Prize
12-night cruise for two to Raja Ampat on the Seven Seas liveaboard
Silver
Just Keep Swimming by Matthew Sullivan ()

Matthew Sullivan

"Just Keep Swimming"
Location: Port Fidalgo, Alaska
Prize
5-day diving packages by Sam’s Tours Palau including 7 nights at Palau Royal Resort
Bronze
Flying Ray by Nicholas Samaras (Greece)

Nicholas Samaras
Greece

"Flying Ray"
Location: Stratoni, Chalkidiki / Greece
Prize
Various lighting and lens accessories from Inon
Honorable Mention
Into the light by Grant Thomas ()

Grant Thomas

"Into the light"
Location: Swallows Cave, Tonga
Compact Cameras
Gold
Who is here by Todor Dimitrov (Bulgaria)

Todor Dimitrov
Bulgaria

"Who is here"
Location: Black sea
Prize
Various lighting equipment from Ikelite
Silver
Hairy Frogfish at Sunrise by Enrico Somogyi (Germany)

Enrico Somogyi
Germany

"Hairy Frogfish at Sunrise"
Location: Ambon, Indonesia
Prize
7-night packages at Atlantis Puerto Galera or Atlantis Dumaguete, Philippines
Bronze
Harlequin Shrimp and the Sun by Enrico Somogyi (Germany)

Enrico Somogyi
Germany

"Harlequin Shrimp and the Sun"
Location: Ambon, Indonesia
Prize
Various lighting equipment from Ikelite
Honorable Mention
The Trio (mom, calf and escort) by Andy Schmid (Germany)

Andy Schmid
Germany

"The Trio (mom, calf and escort)"
Location: Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga
Black & White
Gold
Between Two Worlds by Henley Spiers ()

Henley Spiers

"Between Two Worlds"
Location: Baja California, Mexico
Silver
Mobula Shadows by Nick Polanszky (Australia)

Nick Polanszky
Australia

"Mobula Shadows"
Location: Espiritu Santo Island, Baja California Sur
Bronze
Sea lion and sardine´s sky by Christian Vizl (Mexico)

Christian Vizl
Mexico

"Sea lion and sardine´s sky"
Location: La Lobera, La Paz, México
Honorable Mention
The Foresst by Jacob Degee ()

Jacob Degee

"The Foresst"
Location: Banca Chinchorro
Video
Gold

Lee Burghard
United States
"Paradise Found: Kimbe Bay & The Coral Crucible"
Silver

Lee Burghard
United States
"Paradise Found: The Island of Dragons"
Bronze

Mattias Granberg
Sweden
"Norway: An Underwater Paradise"
Honorable Mention

Atsushi Hori
Japan
"Sister-ship 平安丸と氷川丸"
Categories
PHOTO
Macro Traditional

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.

Macro Unrestricted

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.

Wide Angle Traditional

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.

Wide Angle Unrestricted

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.

Compact Cameras

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.

Black & White

Any single-toned image, such as black and white, or sepia, with no additional accent color.

VIDEO
Short Film

Any film, five minutes or less in duration, where at least 50 percent of the footage is shot underwater. The remaining footage may be captured on land or from the air, including via drones.

Judges
Abi Smigel Mullens

Abi Smigel Mullens is the associate editor of Wetpixel, a premiere online underwater photography community and website. She is also a freelance underwater photographer and writer that has been published in many popular scuba diving magazines. In addition to shooting wildlife underwater, Abi specializes in children’s underwater portraits and runs her own company, Sea Star Underwater Portraits. She is based in the San Francisco bay area and offers this service to clients and swim schools up and down the California coast.

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.

Erin Quigley

Erin Quigley is an award-winning photographer and Adobe A.C.E. certified expert in Lightroom and Photoshop. Her company, Go Ask Erin, provides education and post-production resources specifically developed for underwater photographers. Erin is a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, the Boston Sea Rovers, and the Ocean Artists Society. She teaches post-production and shooting techniques workshops worldwide.

Howard and Michele Hall

Howard and Michele Hall are wildlife filmmakers who specialize in marine wildlife films. Working as a team, Howard and Michele have produced and directed countless television films and their work has resulted in seven Emmy Awards. The Halls are perhaps best known for their underwater IMAX films. In 1994 Howard directed the first-ever underwater IMAX 3D feature, Into the Deep, and in 1998 he directed and Michele produced the IMAX film, Island of the Sharks. The Halls returned to the IMAX 3D format in 2005 when Michele produced and Howard directed the Warner Bros. IMAX feature, Deep Sea 3D, a film that has grossed almost $100 million at the box office. In 2009, the Halls followed Deep Sea 3D with the award-winning sequel, Under the Sea 3D. Howard and Michele have participated in many other underwater IMAX productions in various capacities and in 2002 their underwater production team was featured in the MacGillivray Freeman’s IMAX film Coral Reef Adventure.

Lia Barrett

Lia Barrett is a Korean born, North Carolina raised professional underwater photographer. After completing university at Parsons School of Design in New York in 2007, Lia has been on a continual pursuit of travel and adventure. From her deep-sea work in a homemade submarine off of Roatán, Honduras, to shooting world record holding freedivers, Lia has embraced the underwater world as her ultimate sanctuary. Lia is the Photo Editor of DivePhotoGuide, the definitive source for underwater photography. She is also the co-founder and Creative Director of Prawno Apparel, an ocean-minded apparel company that draws designs directly from Lia’s photographs. She has been published in numerous newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, BBC, CNN, Time, Outside, Huffington Post, ESPN, Playboy, The Times, Men’s Journal, and 60 Minutes.

Prizes
12-night cruise for two to Raja Ampat on the Seven Seas liveaboard
8-night liveaboard trips to Papua New Guinea aboard MV Oceania
5-day trips to Guadalupe Island aboard Solmar V
5-day diving packages by Sam’s Tours Palau including 7 nights at Palau Royal Resort
7-night, 18-dive packages at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, Philippines
7-day packages to Norway at Gulen Dive Resort
7-night packages at Atlantis Puerto Galera or Atlantis Dumaguete, Philippines
7-night trip to the Solomon Islands aboard the Solomons PNG Master
Various lighting equipment from Ikelite
Various lighting and lens accessories from Inon