The prestigious competition Underwater Photography Contest ended with an impressive number of 4,121 participants. The primary goal of this online contest is to promote young talents and provide them with a platform to showcase their photos to start a career as an underwater photographer. Today, it features some well-recognized names in the field.
opening image © Alejandro Topete
World Champion 2018 – Alejandro Topete
« Alejandro has been posting his images on the site since 2012. He has posted 1,085 images for which he received 29,199 votes. Among his favorite subjects are sea lions, sharks, dolphins, and mantas, but his gallery is varied and also includes stunning images of small creatures such as blennies, seahorses, and nudibranchs. He is a diverse photographer who excels in all types of images. A well-deserved world champion title for 2018! » To see his images: Underwaterphotography.com
Grand Master – Mehmet Salih Bilal
« Mehmet is a true macro artist. His passion for small ocean creatures is reflected in his magical photos, captivating viewers and drawing them into a different world. He loves experimenting with various creative techniques to produce unique images that define his personal style. Since joining the site, he has posted 722 photos and received a total of 11,402 votes. » To see his images: Underwaterphotography.com
Surface
1st prize – Susannah H. Snowden-Smith (Cayman Islands)
2nd prize – Stefan Follows (Thailand)
Half Air Half Water
1st prize – Greg Fleurentin (French Polynesia)
2nd prize – Marco Caracani (Italy)
3rd prize – Suzan Meldonian (United States)
Macro – Static Subject
1st prize – Jinggong Zhang (China)
2nd prize – John Roach (United States)
3rd prize – Iyad Suleyman (Ukraine)
Macro – Moving Subject
1st prize – Wayne Jones (Australia)
2nd prize – Lilian Koh (Singapore)
3rd prize – Rudy Janssen (Belgium)
Wide Angle – Wrecks
1st prize – Mehmet Ôztabak (Turkey)
2nd prize – Rene B. Andersen (Denmark)
3rd prize – Rene B. Andersen (Denmark)
Wide Angle – Natural Light
1st prize – Henley Spiers (United Kingdom)
2nd prize – Henley Spiers (United Kingdom)
3rd prize – Allen Walker (South Africa)
Digital Creation
1st prize – Filip Staes (Belgium)
2nd prize – Conor Culver (United States)
Wide Angle – Divers
1st prize – Leena Roy (United Kingdom)
2nd prize – Wayne Jones (Australia)
3rd prize – Richard (Qingran) Meng (China)
Wide Angle – Marine Life
1st prize – Daniel Flormann (Germany)
2nd prize – Nick Polanszky (Australia)
3rd prize – Steven Miller (United States)
Freshwater
1st prize – Claudia Weber-Gebert
Cold Water
1st prize – Filip Staes (Belgium)
2nd prize – Filip Staes (Belgium)
3rd prize – Nick Blake (United Kingdom)
Macro – Nudibranchs
1st prize – Mehmet Salih Bilal (Turkey)
2nd prize – Julian Hsu (Taiwan)
3rd prize – Stefaan Haegeman (Belgium)
Macro – Super Macro
1st prize – Plamena Mileva (Bulgaria)
2nd prize – Alvin Cheung (Hong Kong)
3rd prize – Marylin Batt (United States)
Wide Angle – Close Subject
1st prize – Salvatore Ianniello (Italy)
2nd prize – Nick Polanszky (Australia)
3rd prize – Plamena Mileva (Bulgaria)
Macro – Focus Subject
1st prize – Jinggong Zhang (China)
3rd prize – Masa Biru (Aruba)
Sharks
1st prize – Steven Anderson (United States)
2nd prize – Debbie Wallace (United States)
3rd prize – Alejandro Topete (Mexico)
Underwater Fashion Photography
1st prize – Nick Polanszky (Australia)
2nd prize – Plamena Mileva (Bulgaria)
3rd prize – Filip Staes (Belgium)