Free Stuff for Entrants
All entrants in the Compact Camera category will receive one free photo lesson from reknowned underwater photographer, Marty Snyderman, via TheUnderwaterphotographer.com

Winners will be announced on stage at the 2008 Our World-Underwater film festival in Chicago, Illinois (February 15-17, 2008), and will be published by our supporting media partners worldwide.

As with all UnderwaterCompetition.com events, 15% of entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.
                                    
To submit images, please read our general rules and the submission guidelines. Prize list and category descriptions can be found on this page.

For questions about the competition, please contact us.

Note that the Environment and Conservation category allows for both topside and underwater images, while all other categories are underwater-only. Categories have been modeled from those used in The Digital Shootout, which Wetpixel has been involved with for the past few years.

• Macro Traditional: Any underwater image of a 7x5 inch or smaller picture area. The "Traditional" divisions allow for the adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness only. Cropping, cloning, and other digital manipulation is not allowed in this category. This restriction on digital manipulation will enable people who are not as savvy at Photoshop to compete on more-or-less even ground as those with more experience. It also highlights composition and lighting skills by not allowing cropping and cloning. Before selecting winning entries, we reserve the right to audit your original RAW or JPG files. Our judges are digital photography experts, so please do not submit cropped or manipulated entries in this category.
• Macro Unrestricted: Any underwater image of a 7x5 inch or smaller picture area.The "Unrestricted" divisions have no such rules regarding digital manipulation. Anything goes, but as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make.
• Super Macro Traditional: Any underwater image of a 24mm x 36mm (0.95in x 1.4in) or smaller picture area. The "Traditional" divisions allow for the adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness only. Cropping, cloning, and other digital manipulation is not allowed in this category. This restriction on digital manipulation will enable people who are not as savvy at Photoshop to compete on more-or-less even ground as those with more experience. It also highlights composition and lighting skills by not allowing cropping and cloning. Before selecting winning entries, we reserve the right to audit your original RAW or JPG files. Our judges are digital photography experts, so please do not submit cropped or manipulated entries in this category.
• Wide Angle Traditional: Underwater images larger than a 7x5 inch picture area. The "Traditional" divisions allow for the adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness only. Cropping, cloning, and other digital manipulation is not allowed in this category. This restriction on digital manipulation will enable people who are not as savvy at Photoshop to compete on more-or-less even ground as those with more experience. It also highlights composition and lighting skills by not allowing cropping and cloning. Before selecting winning entries, we reserve the right to audit your original RAW or JPG files. Our judges are digital photography experts, so please do not submit cropped or manipulated entries in this category.
• Wide Angle Unrestricted: Underwater images larger than a 7x5 inch picture area. The "Unrestricted" divisions have no rules regarding digital manipulation. Anything goes, but as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make.
  
• Compact Camera: Underwater images of all kinds, taken by point 'n shoot, non-SLR digital cameras. In this category, no entries from scanned slides or digital SLRs will be accepted. Although there exist many great underwater images taken by point 'n shoot cameras, it is often difficult for them to compete with SLRs when it comes to image quality. In this category, digital manipulation is allowed, but as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make.
  
• Environment and Conservation: Topside and underwater images of all kinds, taken by any camera, with a focus on the marine or lake environment and conservation. Subject matter must address a marine or lake-related environmental issue. The goal in this category is to convey a real-world message. In this category, digital manipulation is allowed, but as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make.

VIDEOS

• Video (General): Any film five minutes or less in duration, and at least 50% of the footage must be shot underwater.
• Video (Conservation): Marine Conservation themed films, five minutes or less in duration, and at least 50% of the footage must be shot underwater. Conservation videos will be expected to have a conservation message or emphasis, which can be explicit or subtle.
  

Eric Cheng

Eric Cheng is an underwater photographer who has become known around the world for his expertise in underwater imaging. He has meticulously documented his travels around the world, and has been published in numerous publications, both in print and on the web. In 2003, Eric was awarded a prestigious Antibes Festival award for his work with Wetpixel.com, the Antibes underwater imaging web site of the year, and in 2005, he won a category in the prestigious Nature's Best Magazine photo competition, which has placed some of his work in the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. Eric also leads trips and has given workshops and seminars in locations around the world.

Eric owns and runs Wetpixel.com, the premiere online resource for underwater photographers. Hosting over 6,150 registered underwater photographers internationally, Wetpixel's friendly community offers breaking news, reviews, features, community forums, image galleries, photo contests, photo expeditions, and more.

Eric's underwater images can be found on personal website: http://echeng.com/travel/

Dr. Alexander Mustard

Dr Alexander Mustard is both a marine biologist and also a part of a 'new wave' of up-and coming young underwater photographers who have challenged our perceptions of what we see underwater, Alex has won many awards for his photography including being a multiple winner in both the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and World Festival of Underwater Photography in Antibes, France. His new book "The Art Of Diving", a collaboration with author Nick Hanna, is not just a photo collection but is an exploration of why we love to dive, and has been described by David Doubilet as "the best book about diving since Jacques Cousteau's The Silent World." He is founder of the Young Underwater Photographer's Group, the Digital Officer for the British Society of Underwater Photographers and a Co-Administrator of Wetpixel.com. Alex is also the brains behind Magic filters - filters designed specifically for available light underwater photography with digital cameras.

More about Alex at http://amustard.com

Berkley White

Berkley White is a leading expert in the field of underwater photography and digital image processing. As a professional photographer and instructor, he shares his in-field photographic techniques and digital methods through a series of select travel events each year. Berkley is the founder of Backscatter in Monterey, California, the largest specialty underwater photographic supplier in the US, and is the organizer of international photographic events such as the Digital Shootout.

Tony Wu

Since 1995, Tony has combined his love of visual art with his interest in the marine world through underwater photography, and he has concentrated on using his photographs and writing to encourage others to appreciate and protect the beauty of the oceans. Tony is currently Associate Editor of FiNS Magazine in Asia, and his photographs and essays appear regularly in periodicals and newspapers around the world.

Tony’s images have received international awards in Japan, Europe and the US, and his first book, Silent Symphony, received the award for “Best Book of the Year” at the 28th annual Antibes Festival of Marine Images in France. In recent years, Tony has been doing his best to keep up with the younger generation by starting up a blog and podcast, providing near real-time updates of his trips and experiences. See more of Tony's work at: http://www.tonywublog.com

Ric Frazier

Born and raised in Texas, Ric’s photographic journey began with participating in and shooting the skateboarding scene. Many scrapes and scars later, swimming with the sharks seemed like an equally stimulating experience. This led this aqua man to pursue his interests at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. Over Ten years later, having become one of the most skilled, experienced and versatile underwater photographer in the world, Ric has redefined the art of underwater photography shooting everything ranging from people, props and sets, to ocean life. With a focus on advertising and editorial, Ric offers a relaxed and efficient working environment however complex or simple the shot or campaign. Recently he has shot for advertising clients such as Bayer, Mcdonald’s, MTV, and Shell Oil, as well as recent editorial clients Elle, ESPN, GQ, People, and Shape.

Ric's website: Frazierproductions.com

Chuck Nicklin

Emmy Award-winning Chuck Nicklin has filmmaking experience in Imax, Omnimax, Circlevision, 70mm, 35mm, 16mm, Panavision, digital film and video formats.  Feature film credits include The Abyss, The Deep, Never Say Never, For Your Eyes Only, and Love Is Forever.

Chuck began free diving in 1947 and SCUBA diving in 1953. He was the owner of San Diego’s Diving Locker, a retail dive business, for 42 years.  Underwater videographers like Howard Hall and Marty Snyderman both worked at Chuck’s dive shop.  Bob Talbot received encouragement as a teenaged videographer from him.  Chuck’s son, Flip Nicklin has made a name for himself as an underwater photographer and videographer for National Geographic for the past 20 years.

Truly one of the pioneers of underwater cinematography, Chuck is actively involved in the diving, dive travel and underwater filmmaking communities.  He continues to work hard at his art, while putting much time and energy into encouraging and assisting new videographers.  Over the years, Chuck has dived all over the world, and continues to explore new dive destinations and visit his long-time favorites.

Chuck currently works in High Definition Video (HDV) format, and produces his own videos.  In addition to his filmmaking work, he leads dive tours all over the world, and is always willing to take time on his trips to help out the newer underwater videographer.  Chuck is one of the founding organizers of the San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition.

Chuck’s website:  http://ChuckNicklin.com

Mary Lynn Price

Mary Lynn Price is a video journalist, underwater videographer, and pioneering video podcaster based in San Diego, California. Her work has appeared in nationally broadcast documentaries, award-winning news packages and educational productions. She is a certified Apple Pro in Final Cut Pro 6 and teaches video editing on land and at sea.  She’s worked as onboard videographer and dvd producer for San Diego Shark Diving Expeditions, and as guest videographer aboard such dive boats as the Nautilus Explorer. She authored and co-produced with Marty Snyderman the DVD, “Sharks and their Kin with Marty Snyderman.” Mary Lynn produces videos for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library on Scripps diving history using Scripps Archives material and interviews with Scripps scientists and pioneers. She is also produces videos and podcasts for online news and travel organizations.

Mary Lynn is the producer of DiveFilm Podcast Videos, which are “Featured TV & Film Podcasts” and “Featured HD Video Podcasts” at iTunes, and are produced in association with Wetpixel. In 2000, she launched what was one of the first websites dedicated to showcasing underwater video, DiveFilm.com. Through these efforts, her editing seminars, and her work as a founding organizer of the San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition, Mary Lynn works to promote the creation of short underwater videos by filmmakers, amateur and professional alike, all over the world.

Mary Lynn's website:  http://DiveFilm.com