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Our World Underwater 2016

Best of Show by Fabien Michenet
Best of Show

PHOTOGRAPHER
Fabien Michenet

CATEGORY
Wide Angle Unrestricted
Gold

The Our World Underwater international underwater photography and video competition has become known as the "Superbowl" of underwater imaging events. The competition celebrates and highlights both art of underwater photography as well as the beauty of the ocean.

This year the panel of judges went through thousands of images and videos taken by novice to professional photographers and videographers from around the world.

$55,000 in prizes were awarded to the winners. Congratulations to Fabien Michenet, who won Best of Show for his 1st place image from the Wide Angle Unrestricted category.

Winners were announced live on stage during the Our World Underwater film festival in Chicago (February 26–28, 2016), and will be published by supporting media partners worldwide. You can enjoy the winning images below.

Winners
BEST OF SHOW
Best of Show by Fabien Michenet

Wide Angle Unrestricted
Gold
Fabien Michenet France
Prize
13-day liveaboard trip for two to Komodo with Seven Seas

Various Lighting Accessories from Inon
Macro Traditional
Gold
Black Paper by Neal Hoogenboom ()

Neal Hoogenboom

"Black Paper"
Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Prize
7-night package at Atlantis Puerto Galera or Atlantis Dumaguete, Philippines
Silver
clowfish 01 by Luc Rooman (Belgium)

Luc Rooman
Belgium

"clowfish 01"
Location: Lembeh
Prize
7-day packages to Norway at Gulen Dive Resort
Bronze
Snake EEL by Alfonso Expósito (Spain)

Alfonso Expósito
Spain

"Snake EEL"
Location: Lembeh
Prize
Various Lighting Accessories from Inon
Macro Unrestricted
Gold
Expose yourself by Jeff Milisen ()

Jeff Milisen

"Expose yourself"
Location: Kona, Hawaii
Prize
8-night liveaboard trips to Papua New Guinea aboard MV FeBrina
Silver
Phronima by Fabien Michenet (France)

Fabien Michenet
France

"Phronima"
Location: Tahiti
Prize
13-day liveaboard trip for two to Komodo with Seven Seas

Various Lighting Accessories from Inon
Bronze
Will-o’-the-wisp by Alex Tattersall ()

Alex Tattersall

"Will-o’-the-wisp"
Location: Lembeh
Prize
7-day dive packages to Lembeh Strait with NAD-Lembeh
Honorable Mention
Weedyscorpion fish by Qing Lin (China)

Qing Lin
China

"Weedyscorpion fish"
Location: Anilao, Philippines
Prize
DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Wide Angle Traditional
Gold
Following the light by Octavio Aburto (United States)

Octavio Aburto
United States

"Following the light"
Location: Espíritu Santo, Mexico
Prize
8-night liveaboard trips to Papua New Guinea aboard MV FeBrina
Silver
Sea lion in the bait ball by Greg Lecoeur (France)

Greg Lecoeur
France

"Sea lion in the bait ball"
Location: South Africa
Prize
7-night trip on board the Truk Master with Worldwide Dive and Sail

Various Lighting Accessories from Inon

DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Bronze
Dance into the light by Miguel Pereira ()

Miguel Pereira

"Dance into the light"
Location: Maldives
Prize
Various Lighting Accessories from Inon
Wide Angle Unrestricted
Gold
Synchronized swimming by Fabien Michenet (France)

Fabien Michenet
France

"Synchronized swimming"
Location: Tahiti
Prize
13-day liveaboard trip for two to Komodo with Seven Seas

Various Lighting Accessories from Inon
Silver
Lagoon by Greg Lecoeur (France)

Greg Lecoeur
France

"Lagoon"
Location: French Polynesia
Prize
7-night trip on board the Truk Master with Worldwide Dive and Sail

Various Lighting Accessories from Inon

DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Bronze
Pilot whales by Greg Lecoeur (France)

Greg Lecoeur
France

"Pilot whales"
Location: France
Prize
7-night trip on board the Truk Master with Worldwide Dive and Sail

Various Lighting Accessories from Inon

DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Honorable Mention
FROZEN HUNTING by Fabrice GUERIN (France)

Fabrice GUERIN
France

"FROZEN HUNTING"
Location: NORWAY
Prize
DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Compact Cameras
Gold
The future generation by Bert Willaert (Belgium)

Bert Willaert
Belgium

"The future generation"
Location: Belgium
Prize
7-night package at Atlantis Puerto Galera or Atlantis Dumaguete, Philippines
Silver
Zoooom by Stephen Holinski (Canada)

Stephen Holinski
Canada

"Zoooom"
Location: Hornby ISland, British Columbia
Prize
5-day trip to Guadalupe Island aboard Solmar V

DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Bronze
Selfie Time! by Stephen Holinski (Canada)

Stephen Holinski
Canada

"Selfie Time!"
Location: Hornby Island, British Columbia
Prize
5-day trip to Guadalupe Island aboard Solmar V

DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Honorable Mention
A ship of bottles by Enrico Somogyi (Germany)

Enrico Somogyi
Germany

"A ship of bottles"
Location: Dauin-Phillipines
Prize
DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Commercial, Conceptual & Fashion
Gold
Moonlight Butterfly by Lucie Drlikova ()

Lucie Drlikova

"Moonlight Butterfly"
Location: Swimming pool
Prize
7 Night Dive Package in Palau with Sams Tours Palau

DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Silver
Descent by Zachary Spira-Bauer ()

Zachary Spira-Bauer

"Descent"
Location: New York
Prize
7-day dive packages to Lembeh Strait with NAD-Lembeh
Bronze
Freefall by Steffen Binke ()

Steffen Binke

"Freefall"
Location: Studio Pool Binke Photographic Art
Prize
7-day packages to Norway at Gulen Dive Resort
Honorable Mention
Dolphins are not pets by Lucie Drlikova ()

Lucie Drlikova

"Dolphins are not pets"
Location: swimming pool
Prize
7 Night Dive Package in Palau with Sams Tours Palau

DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
Video
Gold

Nick & Cheryl Dean
"What Would Wallace Think?"
Silver

Evan Sherman
United States
"Bali Close Up"
Bronze

Dustin Adamson
United States
"18 Years – A Story of a Broken Curse"
Categories
PHOTO
Macro Traditional

Any close-up image captured with a macro lens, where the reproduction ratio is between 1:10 and 1:1, or greater. 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 enables 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. Please do not submit cropped or manipulated entries in this category.

Macro Unrestricted

Any close-up image captured with a macro lens, where the reproduction ratio is between 1:10 and 1:1, or greater. Unlike the "Traditional" divisions, the "Unrestricted" divisions have no specific rules regarding digital manipulation. However, as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make.

Wide Angle Traditional

Any image captured with a wide-angle lens (focal length 35mm or less in 35mm format). 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 enables 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. Please do not submit cropped or manipulated entries in this category.

Wide Angle Unrestricted

Any image captured with a wide-angle lens (focal length 35mm or less in 35mm format). Unlike the "Traditional" divisions, the "Unrestricted" divisions have no specific rules regarding digital manipulation. However, as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make.

Compact Cameras

Any image taken by a point-and-shoot, non-DSLR, non-interchangeable-lens camera.
Any camera with interchangeable lenses is not considered a compact, so images taken with such cameras must not be entered into this category.

Commercial, Conceptual & Fashion

Any non-wildlife focused underwater images of commercial, conceptual or fashion related subjects.
Images can be shot in a pool or in the wild, but the primary subject should not be wildlife.

VIDEO
Short Film

Any film, five minutes or less in duration, where at least 50 percent of the footage is shot underwater. The remaining footage may be captured on land or from the air, including via drones.

Judges
Alex Mustard

Dr Alexander Mustard, from the UK, has been taking underwater photographs for 30 years and has worked as a full-time underwater photographer for the last decade. His photographs have attracted many awards including being category winners in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and in 2013, he was named European Wildlife Photographer of the Year as overall winner of the GDT contest. He was one of the team for the 2020VISION conservation photography project in the UK. He also runs popular underwater photography workshops at top diving destinations around the world. www.amustard.com

Alice Grainger

Alice Grainger is the multi-award-winning editor of Scuba Diver AustralAsia and Asian Diver magazines. As part of the team that runs the internationally acclaimed Asia Dive Expo (ADEX), she also fronts the event’s world-class Photo Video Seminar. Growing up in Saudi Arabia, the daughter of an environmental conservationist and Nature photographer, Alice learnt to swim in the Red Sea before she could walk, and started diving in Egypt in 1996. She began working in the dive industry in 1998, finally becoming an instructor in Indonesia in 2007, and picking up her first underwater camera in 2009. An artist and writer, with a professional background that spans not only the media, dive industry, and the Nature conservation and sustainable development sector, Alice has also been a judge for a number of national and international photographic competitions.

Amanda Cotton

Amanda Cotton has spent the last two decades working as a wildlife photographer, specializing in capturing the beauty of the underwater world. Her work has been showcased on platforms including National Geographic, BBC, Discovery, and Smithsonian magazine. Amanda’s images have ventured beyond magazines, finding their way into international dive industry advertising campaigns, where her underwater photography continues to resonate with a wide audience. Moreover, she’s been an integral part of several film productions for the TV and film industry, bringing her unique perspective and expertise to the visual storytelling of the ocean’s wonders. Her photography isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about making a positive impact on the oceans. Collaborating with organizations such as The Conservation Fund and Women Divers Hall of Fame, she’s been part of educational and outreach programs aimed at raising awareness about the challenges faced by our marine ecosystems. In 2015, Amanda had the honor of being inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame for her contributions. With a passion for the ocean and a drive to inspire change, she continues to use her work to make a difference.

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.

Keri Wilk

Keri Wilk started diving at around 8 and was certified by the age of 12. Around two decades have now passed since he picked up his first underwater camera. With his brother, a fellow engineer, Keri co-owns ReefNet, which creates products that benefit the underwater world, such as optics, data recorders, and marine life ID guides. Keri recently ventured into the field of aerial imaging and started a company called Rotorpixel, which primarily manufactures direct-drive camera-stabilizing gimbals for unmanned aerial systems. After winning over 100 awards in international photo competitions, he now regularly appears on judging panels.

Prizes
13-day liveaboard trip for two to Komodo with Seven Seas
8-night liveaboard trips to Papua New Guinea aboard MV FeBrina
7 Night Dive Package in Palau with Sams Tours Palau
7-night package at Atlantis Puerto Galera or Atlantis Dumaguete, Philippines
7-night trip on board the Truk Master with Worldwide Dive and Sail
5-day trip to Guadalupe Island aboard Solmar V
Various Lighting Accessories from Inon
DS-161 Strobe or Gamma II Light from Ikelite
7-day packages to Norway at Gulen Dive Resort
7-day dive packages to Lembeh Strait with NAD-Lembeh
DS-161 Strobe from Ikelite