2018/19 Underwater Photography Contest Winners Announced

DIVE Report

The winners of the annual UnderwaterPhotography.com photo contest 2018/19 have been announced.

The UnderwaterPhotography.com photo contest is the longest-running and one of the most prestigious online photo competitions in the world. Each year, hundreds of photographers from around the world submit thousands of photographs in a range of categories. This year, an impressive 4,121 entries were submitted, 891 of which became 'hotshots' to be considered in the first round of judging. The pictures were vetted by a range of industry professionals, previous competition winners, and the UnderwaterPhotography.com's team of moderators. One of the medals is a reward for the hard work put in by underwater photographers chasing the best shots far-flung destinations. 'It's the industry's most coveted prize,' said the team, 'because it says you succeeded in the most competitive environment there is, against the top talent of the moment,'

2018 WORLD CHAMPION - ALEJANDRO TOPETE

'Alejandro has been posting on the site since 2012. During that time he has posted 1085 beautiful entries for which he has received 29199 votes. Among his favourite subjects are sea lions, sharks, dolphins and mantas, but his gallery is diverse and includes stunning images of tiny critters such as blennies, sea horses and nudibranchs. He is truly a diversified photographer who excels in every type of photography he does, a well deserved World Champion for 2018!'

2018 GRAND MASTER - MEHMET SALIH BILAL 

'Mehmet is a true macro artist. His passion for the little alien-like critters in the ocean stands out in his magical photos, captivating the viewers and pulling them into a different world. He loves to experiment with various creative techniques, producing unique images which make up his personal style. Since he joined the site, he has posted 722 stunning entries and received 11402 votes in total. Mehmet's photos are a huge inspiration and we are honoured to have him on the website.'

For more information about this year's world champions and a full portfolio of their pictures, visit www.underwaterphotography.com/photo-contest/Awards.aspx

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS

OVER/UNDER

Greg Fleurentin, French Polynesia

MACRO - NOT SWIMMING

Jinggong Zhang, China

Seahorses mating, Japan (Jinggong Zhang/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

MACRO - SWIMMING

Wayne Jones, Australia

'Jack and Jelly', Philippines (Wayne Jones/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

WIDE-ANGLE - WRECKS

Mehmet Öztabak, Turkey

WIDE ANGLE - NATURAL LIGHT

Henley Spiers, United Kingdom

Southern Stingray, Cayman Islands (Henley Spiers/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

CREATIVE - MANIPULATED

Filip Staes, Belgium

'An angel is watching over us'. Model: Mermaid Nyxe, TODI, Belgium (Filip Staes/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

WIDE-ANGLE - DIVERS

Leena Roy, United Kingdom

Swimming through silversides, Cayman Islands (Leena Roy/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

WIDE-ANGLE - MARINE LIFE

Daniel Flormann, Germany

The natural mirror, Jardins de la Reina, Cuba (Daniel Flormann/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

FRESHWATER

Claudia Weber-Gebert, Germany

Under the bridge near Traunfall Waterfalls, Austria (Claudia Weber-Gebert/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

TEMPERATE WATERS

Filip Staes, Belgium

MACRO - NUDIBRANCHIA

Mehmet Salih Bilal, Turkey

Emperor shrimp on the chromodoris, Indonesia (Mehmet Salih Bilal/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

SUPERMACRO

Plamena Mileva (Bulgaria)

Emperor shrimp, Indonesia (Plamena Mileva/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

WIDE ANGLE - CLOSE FOCUS

Salvatore Ianniello, Italy

'Under the Clouds' (Salvatore Ianniello/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

MACRO - CLOSE-UP

Jinggong Zhang, China

'Roar' (Jinggong Zhang/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

SHARKS

Steven Anderson, United States

Great White approaches through the late afternoon sun at Guadalupe off Mexico (Steven Anderson/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

FASHION

Nick Polanszky, Australia

Freediver basking in the sun rays beaming through the surface of one of the many cenotes in the Riviera Maya, Mexico (Nick Polanszky/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

TOPSIDE

Susannah H. Snowden-Smith, Cayman islands

'"Sunset Sunset" - Surfaced to this stunning sunset at Sunset House! Hefting my macro kit with diopters half out of the water to get this shot was...interesting....'(Susannah H. Snowden-Smith/UnderwaterPhotography.com)

For a full listing of all the medal placings, profiles and portfolios of the winning entries, visit www.underwaterphotography.com/photo-contest/Winners.aspx. For more information about the competition and how to enter, visit the home page at www.underwaterphotography.com, and check out their Facebook Page and Instagram @uwphotos