Photo / Video News & Reviews
Amazing images win the MIMA 2014 underwater photography competition
The MIMA underwater photography competition is tough! 26 teams, comprising an underwater photographer and a model, compete over 2 days of diving at the Medes Islands in Spain. Over these 4 dives, the teams, divided into 2 boats, visit different dive sites to get images that have to be entered into 6 different categories: Macro, Fauna, Wide Angle Environment, Environment with Model, Open and the special category for 2014 – Bryozoans. The competition rules are designed to protect both the competitors and the special underwater marine life that exists in this wonderful national park area. Each dive must not be longer than 60 minutes and all the divers descend at the same time on the sound of the boat klaxon. You must be back up again, within 10m of the boat, before it sounds again an hour later. Divers must not exceed 40m and must return with at least 50 bar. Environmental officers also dive alongside the competitors to ensure that none of the fragile corals and other reef dwellers are damaged. Each team must wear ID tags and if they are caught damaging the reef, lying on the seabed to take images or any other bad behaviour, points are deducted from their score.
The 2014 competition was held over the 4-6th June with competitors from the local area and others travelling from around Spain, France, Italy, Russia, Canada, Monaco and the UK. The event had a party like atmosphere in the evenings, with interesting talks and exhibitions being held each evening, usually rounded off with local cava. But in the daytime, things were much more serious. A long line of competitors checked their diving equipment and cameras before heading out for the morning on their designated boat. As each photographer was only allowed to take 100 photos per day, and not allowed to delete anything from the memory card, they needed to make each shot count. The pressure was obvious amongst all the competitors until the dives were over for the day.
The diving around the Medes Islands has a lot to offer, with steep walls covered in red and yellow soft corals. Huge grouper patrol these reefs and have no fear of the divers that visit. Schools of fish swim in the sunlight of the shallows and nudibranchs of all colours can be found by those with keen spotting abilities. The topography of the area gives divers caves, caverns and swim-throughs to explore.
Once the 2 days of diving were complete, each team had to select the 6 images they wanted to enter. The panel of 3 judges then scored each image and prizes for the best in each category were awarded. Pete Ladell, the guest British judge at the event, said we had an “excellent collection of images, some difficult to separate; only after much discussion was the final result agreed.”
With 138 high quality images to assess, ascertaining the wining order was always going to be a challenge.” Alongside this main “splash-in” style competition there are also annual video and image competitions from submissions online. The local schools also get involved and there is a competition of the pupils art work, based on a marine theme, where the winning painting becomes the image used for the following year’s posters. It is a wonderfully run competition and we are already looking forward to next year.
The biggest prize (1500 Euros) went to the overall winner with the highest total score for all 6 images. The standard was very high, but a few sets of images really stood out for having all 6 images that made you say “wow”! The overall winners were Marc Casanovas (photographer) and Sussi Navarro (model) who took a series of outstanding shots to take the title.
And here are the winning shots:
An emotive photograph showing a freediver examining the aftermath of whaling sees
Alex Dawson from Sweden named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s
photograph ‘Whale Bones’ triumphed over 6500 underwater pictures entered by underwater
photographers from around the world.
“Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions,” explains chair of judging
panel Alex Mustard, “as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear
witness to the carcasses. The composition invites us to consider our impact on the great
creatures of this planet. Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85%. Today,
just 4% of mammals are wildlife, the remaining 96% are humans and our livestock. Our way
needs to change to find a balance with nature.”
Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero
Whales dominated the winning pictures this year with Spanish photographer Rafael
Fernandez Caballero winning two categories with his revealing photos of these ocean giants:
a close up of a grey whale’s eye and an action shot of a Bryde’s whale engulfing an entire bait
ball, both taken in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Fernandez Caballero took ‘Grey
Whale Connection’ while drifting in a small boat, holding his camera over the side in the water
to photograph the curious whale. ‘The End Of A Baitball’ required Fernandez Caballero to dive
down and be in exactly the right place at the moment the whale lunged. “The photo shows
the high speed attack,” he said, “with the whale engulfing hundreds of kilograms of sardines
in one bite — simply unforgettable to see predation on such a scale.”
Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero
Lisa Stengel from the United States was named Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image of a mahi-mahi catching a sardine, in Mexico. Stengel used both a very fast shutter speed and her hearing to catch the moment. “If you listen there’s an enormous amount of sound in the ocean,” she explained. “The action was too fast to see, so I honed in on the sound of the attacks with my camera to capture this special moment.”
“It is such an exciting time in underwater photography because photographers are capturing such amazing new images, by visiting new locations and using the latest cameras,”
commented judge Alex Mustard. “Until this year I’d hardly ever see a photo of a mahi mahi,
now Lisa has photographed one hunting, action that plays out in the blink of an eye.”
The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and Jenny Stock,
was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image “Star
Attraction”, which finds beauty in species of British wildlife that are often overlooked.
Exploring the west coast of Scotland, Stock explained “in the dark green depths my torch
picked out the vivid colours of a living carpet of thousands of brittle stars, each with a
different pattern. I was happily snapping away, when I spotted this purple sea urchin and I
got really excited.”
Photo: Jenny Stock
In the same contest, Portuguese photographer, Nuno Sá, was named ‘Save Our Seas
Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024, with his photo ‘Saving
Goliath’, taken in Portugal. Sá’s photo shows beachgoers trying to save a stranded sperm
whale. The picture gives us hope that people do care and want to help the oceans, but also
warns us that bigger changes are needed. “The whale had been struck by a ship and its fate
was sealed,” explains Sá. “An estimated 20,000 whales are killed every year, and many more
injured, after being struck by ships-and few people even realise that it happens.”
Photo: Nuno Sá
More winning images can be found at www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com.
About Underwater Photographer of the Year
Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools, and attracts entries from all around the world. The contest has 13 categories, testing photographers with themes such as Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour and Wreck photography, as well as four categories for photos taken specifically in British waters. The winners were announced in an award ceremony in Mayfair, London, hosted by The Crown Estate. This year’s UPY judges were experienced underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Dr Alexander Mustard MBE.
Header image: Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 winner Alex Dawson
The winners of the prestigious World Shootout 2023 underwater photography competition were announced at this year’s BOOT Show, captivating audiences at the world’s largest diving and water sports exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany. Hundreds of photographers from 54 countries competed across nine categories, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technical skill.
Grand Prize Winners
- Picture of the Year: Spanish photographer Eduardo Acevedo “secured” the top Honor with the prestigious prize the “boot Dusseldorf Director’s Prize, earning an Andromeda statuette and a €2,000 cash prize.
- Best 5 Images Portfolio: Luc Rooman from Belgium triumphed in this category, winning a dream 4-week diving trip for two to Papua New Guinea, valued at $18,900.
- Amateur Photographer: Alexandra Ceurvorst from the USA impressed the judges with her talent, taking home the 1,000 € cash prize award.
Celebrating Diversity and Innovation
This year’s competition saw 11,680 entries from 964 photographers, showcasing a remarkable spectrum of skills and perspectives. From the intricate wonders of Macro photography to the beauty of “Black Water”, the “Underwater Fashion” category added a touch of artistry and innovation, while the ever-important ” Environmental & Conservation” category served as a powerful reminder of the need to protect these fragile ecosystems.
Looking Ahead: AI and Ocean Conservation
World Shootout founder and producer David Pilosof unveiled an exciting addition for the 2024 competition: this year the Environmental category will be focusing on the impact of plastic on our oceans and future.
This category will embrace the potential of AI or other editing software as a tool to amplify the conservation message.
Entrants will submit campaigns of three original underwater photographs dealing with plastic pollution, along with their final AI assistance processing. This innovative approach encourages artistic expression while raising awareness about a critical environmental issue.
Explore the Stunning Collection
Discover the complete album of competition entries by clicking here.
For Low-resolution photos of finalist entries in eight categories, click here.
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