The British competition Underwater photographer of the year has just announced the 2021 photographer of the year as well as the complete list of winners. American photographer Renee Capozzola wins the grand prize of this competition. She is the first woman to receive this prestigious award. Her photo stood out among the 4,500 shots examined by the jury. Photographers from 68 different countries participated in this edition. This year’s jury consisted of photographers Peter Rowlands, Martin Edge, and Alex Mustard. Discover the full list of winners in the 13 categories.

Wide Angle

1st prize – Renee Capozzola (United States)

Renee Capozzola: « In French Polynesia, there is strong legal protection for sharks, allowing them to thrive and balance the marine ecosystem. In August 2020, I visited the island of Moorea, which was open to visitors and happens to be my favorite place to photograph sharks. During this trip, I spent several evenings in shallow waters at sunset, hoping to capture something unique. Instead of focusing on split-level images for which I am known, I decided to try something different. I envisioned capturing the sharks underwater with the sunset seen through the Snell windowl. This required many attempts, but that evening, the water was calm, the sharks came into a beautiful composition, and I was fortunate that birds flew over the water at that moment. Given that many shark species are threatened with extinction, I hope these images of these beautiful animals will help promote their conservation. »The jury’s opinion: « This ballet of reef sharks and seabirds at sunset in a quiet corner of the Pacific Ocean is a richly deserved winner of the underwater photographer of the year 2021 award. It is an image of hope, a glimpse of what the ocean can reveal when we give it a chance to thrive spectacularly beneath and above the surface. »
Alex Mustard

« The judges did not doubt for a single moment: this image was, by far, the deserved winner. Absolutely everything in this photo is just right: composition, light, color, and contrast. Almost perfect! »
Peter Rowlands

« The first time I laid eyes on this image, I was simply mesmerized. It’s the color palette that drew me first. The austere bellies of the sharks form a sort of union with each other just above their reflections. The birds above stand out particularly in the sunset sky, and they seem to line up to feast in turn. A stunning underwater image. »
Martin Edge

2nd prize – Martin Broen (United States)

3rd prize – Oleg Gaponyuk (Russia)

Macro

1st prize – Galice Hoarau (Norway)

Galice Hoarau:  » The Pontohi pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus pontohi) is one of the smallest and most recently discovered seahorses. It generally lives on reef walls and can be difficult to spot. We had seen two during the morning dive, so I decided to dedicate the afternoon to obtaining a backlit photo. We were lucky to find this one hanging onto the wall, allowing the use of a snoot to backlight it with the help of Rando, my dive guide. We had to wait for it to get accustomed to us and finally turn towards the camera for a brief moment. »The jury’s opinion: « This backlit image of a tiny pygmy seahorse is superb. The composition is so strong, with just a hint of branch and nothing more. Using the snoot for this image was ideal. It makes the pygmy bright while being discreet and subtle. The austere black background gives strength to this image, a deserved winner in the macro category! »
Martin Edge

2nd prize – Steven Kovacs (United States)

3rd prize – Chien Ting Hou (China)

Wreck

1st prize – Tobias Friedrich (Germany)

Tobias Friedrich: « Due to bad weather at Tiger Beach and Bimini, we had to seek shelter near Nassau, in the Bahamas, and do regular dives. This wreck was totally new to me and proved to be a great surprise when we descended because the bow was almost completely suspended over a sand overhang. »the jury’s opinion: « Wreck images stand out for several reasons: a David and Goliath scale, grandeur, and clarity to name just three, and this image encompasses all that and more. If you want to know the secret formula of a classic wreck photo, look no further. »
Peter Rowlands

2nd prize – Grant Thomas (Great Britain)

3rd prize – Renee Capozzola (United States)

Animal Behavior

1st prize – Karim Iliya (United States)

Karim Iliya: « It is a terrifying scene for these small fish, fleeing to save their lives as a striped marlin hunts them. The slightest mistake means death. There are often birds hunting from above and sometimes a dozen other marlins as well as sea lions attacking from all sides. The marlin is one of the fastest fish, a terrifying predator for a small fish in the vast blue desert. I went to Mexico to document these feeding frenzies, but I did not expect such a fast chase, almost too fast for my brain to process. For a brief moment, this scene unfolded before me and I had to rely on all my instincts and experience underwater to take this photo. I used natural light and stayed on the periphery of the baitball to try to disturb them as little as possible. These hunting scenes are one of nature’s greatest spectacles. »the jury’s opinion: « Most images of baitballs are taken from further away, but this one, right on target and unfolding right before our eyes, is astonishingly and remarkably different. The eyes of the fish seem even wider than usual. No wonder! »Peter Rowlands

2nd prize – Jing Gong Zhang (China)

3rd prize – Mike Korostelev (Russia)

Portrait

1st prize – Ryohei Ito (Japan)

Ryohei Ito: « As the Asian humphead wrasse ages, it changes sex, transitioning from female to male. During the process, a large hump develops on its head. I thought about the lighting and composition so that we could clearly see the hump and the powerful face of the animal. It lives in a marine sanctuary and resembles a guardian deity. I would like to thank my teacher, Keigo Kawamura, for teaching me to take underwater photos, and Hiroyuki Arakawa who guided me. »

The jury’s opinion: « A subject may have a natural visual character like a caricature but that is not enough for a contest winner. The lighting and composition elevated it in the ranking every time we saw it. A worthy winner. »Peter Rowlands.

2nd prize – Keigo Kawamura (Japan)

3rd prize – Michael Gallagher (Great Britain)

Black and White

1st prize – Diana Fernie (Australia)

Diana Fernie: « This photo was taken at Leru Cut in the Solomon Islands. I was fortunate to have won a 10-day trip on the Solomons PNG Master liveaboard and was very happy to have the opportunity to visit this site again. Having dived these waters twice, I knew what to expect. However, I needed an elegant model as a key element for this composition, and my immediate companions could in no way be classified as elegant… fortunately, there was another photographer in my group whose wife, beautiful model, was the perfect subject. I managed to capture some shots of her while she posed for her husband! »the jury’s opinion: « Excellent use of all tones, from rich black to pure white. The composition is classic and the decision to go black and white was a winning choice. »
Peter Rowlands

2nd prize – Martin Broen (United States)

3rd prize – Renata Romeo (Italy)

Compact Camera

1st prize – Jack Berthomier (New Caledonia)

Jack Berthomier: « I went fishing in the river to take some shots a few days after heavy rains that raised the riverbed and created large floods. The current was strong but still navigable by snorkeling with the plants, leaves, and broken branches. They bring a lot of colors which highlight this New Caledonian carp that is common in our rivers. »

The jury’s opinion: « Such a well-deserved winner for this compact camera category. The author highlighted the carp against a colorful background of yellow, green, red, and blue. The hint of color added by the sky as well enhances this image perfectly. »
Martin Edge

2nd prize – ManBd (Malaysia)

3rd prize – Isaías Cruz (Spain)

Up and Coming Photographers

1st prize – SJ Alice Bennett (Mexico)

SJ Alice Bennett: « Since this photo was taken during a cave diving course, we set up a fairly complex plan. This is generally not how I direct underground shoots. However, the plan failed miserably as the student, Max, had several equipment failures before even reaching the area. Plans are important, but when they fail, you have to adapt quickly. After sorting out all the problems on the surface and modifying our plan to compensate for our now quite low gas levels, we went down again. I swam ahead and waited for the team swimming towards me, closely followed by the lighting assistants creating these beautiful halo effects. In one moment, everything fell perfectly into place, so I triggered my camera as Max turned to cling to the main line. »

The jury’s opinion: « We always appreciate the fresh vision of photographers in this category, and the combination of incredible lighting and shallow depth of field gives this image originality and truly captures the spirit of adventure that the photographer was seeking. »
Alex Mustard

2nd prize – Ryohei Ito

3rd prize – Danny Lee (Australia)

Wide Angle – British Waters

1st prize – Mark Kirkland

Mark Kirkland: « Malls Mire – a small forest in Glasgow, between a housing estate, a supermarket, and a factory – is an unlikely wildlife haven. As winter thaws, for a few nights each year, one of these small muddy ponds comes alive with ash frogs. I photographed them here for the first time in 2018 and since that day, I had this image in mind. It took me two more years to capture the small wonders agitating the cold nights while the city sleeps. Using a finicky remote shutter while combining a long exposure, backlighting, close-focus wide-angle, and split photography meant I had to give up any frustration and try (and inevitably fail) for the hundredth time to get things right. This final shot is the culmination of 25 hours, over 4 nights, spent lying in the dark, covered in mud, waiting for the unpredictable elements of nature to align. Time well spent? Absolutely!The jury’s opinion: « I honestly think the appearance of this image will go down in the history of underwater photography as a defining moment. Perfect but imperfect, natural in an urban environment. I think it’s a masterpiece. Savor it! »
Peter Rowlands

2nd prize – Mark Kirkland

3rd prize – Kirsty Andrews

Macro – British Waters

1st prize – Malcolm Nimmo

Malcolm Nimmo: « The variable blenny (Parablennius pilicornis) is a relatively new resident of the coastal waters of the UK, originating from the south (Mediterranean). This species can have multiple different forms and colors. Here, this male was photographed in Plymouth Sound, in July 2020. This particular blenny stood out, proudly perched on the edge of a reef, making it an ideal subject. The image was captured using snooted lighting to highlight only its face, with the snooted light positioned above the head to enhance the facial features. »

The jury’s opinion: « A beautiful portrait of a British fish. Everything about this image is perfect. The composition of the two eyes in relation to the height and the black background which frames three sides. Both eyes are on the rule of thirds and the mouth below has also been framed on the lower rule of thirds. All these elements provide us with a beautifully framed underwater photograph. Congratulations to the British Waters Macro winner. »
Martin Edge

2nd prize – Dr Alex Tattersall

3rd prize – Dan Bolt

Living Together – British Waters

1st prize – Kirsty Andrews

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Kirsty Andrews: « The UK, in my opinion, has some of the best wreck diving in the world, and the SS Hispania in the Sound of Mull is one of my favorites. This wreck has truly become an artificial reef: it attracts wildlife and wildlife attracts divers. Every inch of metal is covered with anemones, algae, or sponges, orange and white. My boyfriend was exploring the wreck above a row of portholes and I backed up, shooting as wide as possible to try to give a sense of scale in this colorful scene. »the jury’s opinion: « A deserved winner combining a visually strong image with a very positive message. »
Peter Rowlands

2nd prize – Atanas Petrov

3rd prize – Dan Bolt

Compact Camera – British Waters

1st prize – Ian Wade

Ian Wade: « I had seen two mute swans in my local lake. They seemed to follow people in search of food. I decided to attach a small weight to the back of my GoPro and tossed it into the lake not far from me. Due to its light weight, the GoPro kept falling on its back. I connected the GoPro to my phone so I could remotely trigger images. The GoPro diving into the water attracted the interest of the swans and they swam over to me. I waited for one of them to be in the right position with its head underwater and took a high-speed burst shot allowing me to capture this image.the jury’s opinion: « It was a unanimous choice among the judges. Although the swan’s face is in the shade, it was all the other elements that were so strong. The Snell’s window in particular, with the dim light and the tree branches. Beautiful image. I thank him for the detailed story of the shooting. »
Martin Edge

2nd prize – Sandra Stalker

2nd prize compact camera – British waters. © Sandra Stalker / UPY2021

3rd prize – Sandra Stalker

Environmental Conservation

1st prize – Karim Iliya (United States)

Karim Iliya: « A narrow village inhabited off the coast of Panama in the Guna Yala region serves as a microcosm and reminder of how humans across the planet consume land and space at a rapid pace. Most of the Guna live on these densely populated islands, fishing and cultivating coconuts on neighboring islands. The importance of man’s relationship with nature and the need to protect it becomes evident when you look at our species from a bird’s perspective and see the space we occupy. I came to this area of Panama to photograph the art of mola making, the traditional clothing worn by the Guna. While waiting on a boat, I flew my drone over this island to get this aerial perspective and give more impact to the image than I could have from the sea or underwater. »The jury’s opinion: « A striking visual reminder of how we, humans, populate and fully develop the land, then overfish the fragile environment. This image perfectly captures this artificial and unsustainable imbalance. »Peter Rowlands

2nd prize – Pasquale Vassallo (Italy)

3rd prize – Rafael Fernandez Caballero (Spain)

In the backyard

This category was specially created during the epidemic for photographers who can no longer travel and now have to dive around their home to capture new shots.

1st prize – Mark Kirkland

2nd prize – Steve Miller

3rd prize – Shane Gross