Most Prestigious Underwater Photo Competitions

In your opinions, what are the most prestigious UW photo competitions. Which ones are worth the time/effort to enter and which ones are throwaways?

thanks

Bill

wetpixel picture of the week!

I would suggest the BBC wildlife comp as well as "antibes" (which is now elsewhere.. ) as the two most prestigious.

I Which ones are worth the time/effort to enter and which ones are throwaways?

 

thanks

Bill

I think all festivals/comps are worth entering ... Its always nice to get appreciation for your work whether its the local village contest or the Veolia Environment competition ... Although a few may just enter images/films for the 'prizes' I feel peoples praise (especially from experts) of your work is worth its weight in gold...

Dive safe

DeanB

I would suggest the BBC wildlife comp as well as "antibes" (which is now elsewhere.. ) as the two most prestigious.

I add the Wetpixel/DPG/OWU, which I think generates one of the most impressive and diverse sets of underwater winners, which are published very widely, to Mike's suggestions. Although it does not have the longevity yet, which is an important factor.

I think that these carry prestige because the results are published very widely and publishers and magazine editors tend to take note, even if this year's underwater winners from the BBC WPOTY are described by the editor in the current issue of our dive mag as "blandly forgettable"! But griping editors aside - a handful of victories in these means that magazines will be contacting you. No doubt.

From my experience, get a winner or two in the BBC WPOTY and you will get 30+ emails within the next month from photo libraries wanting to represent you, and magazines up to and including Nat Geo asking you to submit images. But the WPOTY is only for wildlife images and there is much more to underwater photography than that. That is why I think WP/DPG/OWU is good, although I have no direct experience of winning in it. Antibes has always had a garlic-belt bias and this does reduce its standing in some parts of the world. But because they invite and host all the magazines there for free - it always gets great coverage and being a winner there certain generates work offers, although in my experience to a smaller degree than WPOTY. Although my first book offer, was germinated by me winning 4 awards one year in Antibes.

Winning in both WPOTY and Antibes, in the same year, with different images is a real way to get noticed.

All that said, what really leads to prestige and all these opportunities is having a track record of success - and not just with one picture. Hawking the same image from competition to competition can actually be detrimental to your standing (everyone always quotes that split level frog from a few years ago as the classic example), even though all the prizes might make up for it.

All that said, many of the amateur only competitions have excellent prizes, better in value that the big comps. But by being amateur only don't generate the same prestige and publishing offers.

Finally, all competitions should not be taken too seriously. Judging will always be subjective - remember this when you loose, but also when you win. Take your photography seriously, but don't take the competitions too seriously.

Alex

p.s. Should also mention the big Fotosub competitions and CMAS World Championship. None of these get much press, but being able to officially call yourself World Champion of Underwater Photography has gotta be pretty prestigious. I would say the Eilat shootout gets the most press/prestige of the shoot outs these days. While the highest standard and the biggest cash prizes (that I am aware of in underwater photography) are in the Fotosub competitions held in the Canary Islands, Spain, where not coincidentally a great many of the winners of World Championships and Eilat Shoot Outs have come from.

Great response, Alex, particularly this bit! (But then I've never one a comp so I would say that!! )

Finally, all competitions should not be taken too seriously. Judging will always be subjective - remember this when you loose, but also when you win. Take your photography seriously, but don't take the competitions too seriously.

Great response, Alex, particularly this bit! (But then I've never one a comp so I would say that!! )

yeah exactly ... I remember not so long ago entering a film into a 'top' festival with 'never filed before behaviour sequences, which took weeks suffering numbingly cold waters, from a film that made the world renowned NHU take notice' only lose to yet another load of 'colourful' tropical water films in which 2-3 of these were near enough exactly the blimming same !!! ...

I blamed the narrow minded judges going for the 'easy' and 'eye pleasing' options ...

However, then again I was just bloody jealous and felt a Little let down after all the hard work...

Dive safe

Dean (onwards and upwards)B

Great response, Alex, particularly this bit!

It is actually a line I stole/reproduced from an article I wrote about tips for success in competitions, which will be out in mid January in Dive Mag (UK).

I hear you, Dean!

I blamed the narrow minded judges going for the 'easy' and 'eye pleasing' options ...

I would add Nature's Best Competitions to the list.

In general I feel any competition that is open to all would be more prestigious than those only open to amateurs in my mind. The amatuer only competitions certainly produce amazing images, so my comment is not because the open competitions necessarily produce the best images. My comment is only from the perspective of prestige and the fact that you have been selected against all. That said I also agree with the statements made above. Alex makes some good points that I agree with.

Cheers

Todd

p.s. Should also mention the big Fotosub competitions and CMAS World Championship. None of these get much press, but being able to officially call yourself World Champion of Underwater Photography has gotta be pretty prestigious. I would say the Eilat shootout gets the most press/prestige of the shoot outs these days. While the highest standard and the biggest cash prizes (that I am aware of in underwater photography) are in the Fotosub competitions held in the Canary Islands, Spain, where not coincidentally a great many of the winners of World Championships and Eilat Shoot Outs have come from.

Umm isn't that like the NBA and MLB calling themselves the champions of the world or my fave, "World Series" champions?

Hi all,

I agree Alex and Mike. BBC WPOY is probably the most prestigious contest. An IMHO it is prestigious not only because of the huge participation, it is prestigious because they are serious about photography.

What is really worrying is that in some of these online contests there is no control on the authenticity of the pictures presented. I am seeing more and more manipulated images in categories where, according to the rules, manipulation is not accepted.

The other day I was watching the images of the Eilat Red Sea Epson contest, and I was shocked when I saw the winner Portfolio collection (http://www.eilatredsea.com/?CategoryID=341). There is a picture of a couple of californian sheepheads fighting that it seems manipulated with Photoshop, with a Motion Blur effect. Am I wrong?

In the BBC Wildlife the winners must send the RAW files, but I guess in many other contests don't!!

I think that not to ask for RAW files and accept manipulated images takes away credibility and prestige to any contest.

Jordi

I think that not to ask for RAW files and accept manipulated images takes away credibility and prestige to any contest.

Depend about what is the contest.

And, depend if you include (small) manipulation in the definition of photography

There is contests where you judge only the photos as they cames out (I would say "who's the best+luckier" contests) and others where you judge the total artistic capacity of a person, including manipulation.

If I would have to choose, I would choose with manipulation. Because photography and competition are two words that does not match. you just can't compare two person's level on one photo, you would have to judge 1000 photos of them. and even if you could, maybe the one that lost is better but younger so have less photos in total. AND, you can be better at macro, poor in wideangle, etc....

So, you actually have to make them take 1000 photos of various subjects in front of you and with the same equipment. then you can judge.

But then, of course I like both concept, judging photos without manipulation is way more interesting than with. but then, why do you shoot raw if you don't manipulate? then you are judging only on the composition ? changing the white balance on your camera is allowed, but changing it in photoshop is not? but is it not silly to have such an hard time underwater changing you white balance when you can juste make it as good as possible (and so possibly better) on your computer?

a soooooo big and long debate we should add it to the Christmass list thread : that the pro-manipulation and anti-manipulation stops the war

Even though ive placed in some contests, I would add the court of all underwater photographers public opinion. You get the broadest, and most diverse, group of judges. What could be more fair? An example would be POW contest. I value that group over 2 or 3 judges

I hear you, Dean!

LOL ... Forgive my rant Elaine ... It was obvious my film wasn't 'flavour of month' with the selected judges ... We filmmakers (and you shooters) also have to compete against the deep pocket people with all the latest and greatest gizmo's, fancy effects and exotic locations that will win every time as it gets the WOW factor ... But we should all just keep plugging our own back door as it is just as beautiful ...

Passion over possession in my books

Dive safe

DeanB

Finally, all competitions should not be taken too seriously. Judging will always be subjective - remember this when you loose, but also when you win. Take your photography seriously, but don't take the competitions too seriously.

I hear that part (as we discussed in another threads.) In fact I had a video that placed in OWU, yet another competition where I submitted the film, and which usually has 1st through 3rd places, did not even give out a 3rd place. Of course my video was not one of the top two Though that one particular contest seems to swing wildly all over the place as to what they choose any year and whether they give out 1st-3rd places or honorable mentions. I would assume they have enough entries to make selections, but you never know.

Yes. And all the more rewarding given the conditions sometimes! Good light and clear water ... over-rated!

But we should all just keep plugging our own back door as it is just as beautiful ...

 

Dive safe

 

DeanB

Depend about what is the contest.

And, depend if you include (small) manipulation in the definition of photography

There is contests where you judge only the photos as they cames out (I would say "who's the best+luckier" contests) and others where you judge the total artistic capacity of a person, including manipulation.

 

If I would have to choose, I would choose with manipulation. Because photography and competition are two words that does not match. you just can't compare two person's level on one photo, you would have to judge 1000 photos of them. and even if you could, maybe the one that lost is better but younger so have less photos in total. AND, you can be better at macro, poor in wideangle, etc....

So, you actually have to make them take 1000 photos of various subjects in front of you and with the same equipment. then you can judge.

 

But then, of course I like both concept, judging photos without manipulation is way more interesting than with. but then, why do you shoot raw if you don't manipulate? then you are judging only on the composition ? changing the white balance on your camera is allowed, but changing it in photoshop is not? but is it not silly to have such an hard time underwater changing you white balance when you can juste make it as good as possible (and so possibly better) on your computer?

 

a soooooo big and long debate we should add it to the Christmass list thread : that the pro-manipulation and anti-manipulation stops the war

1- Picture manipulation is not good or bad, it is just manipulation. And in many contests is forbidden, so RAW is the only way to be sure that this picture was no digitally manipulated. If you enter a contest following the rules, which clearly says that manipulation is not allowed and then the winner has a picture which is been obviously manipulated then this contest is not a serious because they are no applying their own rules.

2- Adjusting RAW parameters (contrast, saturation, etc) is not considered as manipulation because you are not adding something that was not on the file, you are just "adjusting". In the film era you were able to decide about contrast, saturation, color dominance by choosing the type of film. Now you do the same but after pressing the shutter. That's far different from adding a new element on the picture like a blur effect, or erasing a fish or a diver....

3- Contests don't judge photographers, they judge pictures so you don't need to see 1000 pictures from 1 photographer, one good picture is enough to win a prize

1- ...

2- ...

3- ...

I agree with all 3 points but I still agree with what I said. it's differents things.

more and more contests (I would say more than 50% of them) are now allowing adjusting (light, color, contrast, dot removing, sharpness, noise reduction) and even encouraging it.

when I was speaking about "manipulations" I meant what you call adjustements. of course ading something on a photo is not a photo anymore.