Photography is a powerful thing. With the click of a button, time stops. With a single image, a fleeting moment lasts a lifetime. And for five years Underwater Photography Guide has honored the underwater photographers who have mastered this art with the prestigious Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition. Announced in January, the winners of this year’s contests were selected out of thousands of entries from across the globe by a panel of judges including Tony Wu, Martin Edge, and Marty Snyderman, accompanied by Underwater Photography Guide publisher Scott Gietler.
Below is a taste of the incredible images that stood out from the competition, and you can see the full list of winners at tinyurl.com/oceanart2015.
We congratulate all of the winning photographers, and encourage all underwater shooters to enter the ring for the 2016 competition!
For more, go to uwphotographyguide.com
Matthew Sullivan
Wood Turtle
This photo of the endangered wood turtle took first place in the Mirrorless Wide-Angle category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Montane Creek, Pennsylvania
Camera: Sony A6000, Nauticam housing, Zeiss 12mm lens, dual Sea & Sea YS-01 strobes
Irene Middleton
Panic Puffer School
This photo of a school of starry toado pufferfish took first place in the Novice DSLR category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Maroro Bay, Poor Knights Island Marine Reserve, Northland, New Zealand
Camera: Nikon D300, Sealux housing, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, Ikelite D125 strobe and DS50 on slave
Walter Bassi
Dad and her Eggs
This photo of a seahorse retrieving his mate’s eggs won first place in the Mirrorless Behavior category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Capo Noli, Liguria Sea, Italy
Camera: Olympus PEN E-PL1, Olympus Ept01 housing, Olympus 60mm macro, dual Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha strobe
So Yat Wai
Skeleton Shrimp
This skeleton shrimp photo grabbed first place in the Supermacro category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia
Camera: Canon 5D Mark III, Sea & Sea housing, Canon 100mm macro lens, SMC, dual Inon z240 strobes, Light & Motion Photo 800 focus light
Greg LeCoeur
Pilot Whales
This photo of a pod of pilot whales took first place in the Portrait category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Nice, FRance
Camera: Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens
Francesco Pacienza
The Painter of the Sea
This photo of a model named Francesco “painting” an Axinella sponge won first place in the Pool/Conceptual category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Santa Maria al Bagno, Salento, Apulia, Italy
Camera: Nikon D7100, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, Easydive LEO3 housing, dual Sea & Sea D1 strobes, Nikonos SB105 with bank diffuser
Roland Bach
Sunny Day
This Felimare picta photo nabbed first place in the Nudibranchs category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Punta d’en Siulet, Minorca/ Spain
Camera: Nikon D300, 10.5mm fisheye lens, 1.4x TC, Sealux housing, Nikon SB900 strobe
Francesco Visintin
The Satellite
This barrel jellyfish picture took first place in the Wide-Angle category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy
Camera: Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm lens, Isotta housing, dual Ikelite SS200 strobes
Settings: f/18, 1/320, ISO 100
Alessandro Raho
The Fluorescent Cerianthus
This glowing anemone took first place in the Compact Macro category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Noli, Italy
Camera: Canon G16, Isotta housing, dual Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes, yellow filter on
Jack Berthomier
Fast strike of a Tylosorus crocodilus on a juvenile kyphosus vaigiensis
This photo of a houndfish swallowing a brassy chub received first place in the Compact Marine Life Behavior category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Ouemo Bay, Noumea, New Caledonia
Camera: Sony RX100, Nauticam housing, internal flash only
Settings: f/7.1, 1/1000, ISO 200
Steven Kovacs
Egg Release
This photo of a frogfish pair about to spawn took first place in the Marine Life Behavior category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Blue Heron Bridge, Lake Worth Lagoon, Riviera Beach, Florida
Camera: Nikon D7000, Nikon 105mm lens, Ikelite housing, dual Ikelite DS160 strobes
Settings: f/18, 1/250
Simon Chiu
Shyness
This filefish photo placed first in the Mirrorless Macro category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Mactan, Cebu, Philippines
Camera: Panasonic GF1, Panasonic 45mm lens, dual Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes, FIT(10) and FIT(5) diopters
Brian Christiansen
Cetaceclipse
This photo of a dolphin from below took first place in the Compact Wide Angle category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Locations: Deshaies, Guadeloupe
Camera: Olympus TG-3
Jeff Milisen
Feeling Exposed
This larval cusk eel photo was taken on a blackwater dive and took Best of Show and first place in the Macro category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Note: This type of eel might never have been photographed or seen by any diver before!
Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Camera: Canon T1i, Canon 60mm lens, Ikelite housing, dual Ikelite DS-51 substrobes
Lill Haugen
Anemone Light
This North Sea anemone photo took first place in the Cold Water category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.
Location: Oslo Fjord, Norway
Camera: Nikon D300, Nikon 10.5mm fisheye lens, Ikelite DS160 strobe, Triggerfish remote slave sensor connected to an INON Z240 strobe