2014 Ocean Art Contest Winners
2014 Ocean Art Contest Winners
Awarded over $70,000 in Prizes
View the Ocean Art 2015 winners here
Honorable Mentions are in no particular order. Winners get only 1 prize based on totalling points from all their winners photos, and winners had ranked their prize choices.
Click here to skip photos & view list of winners' names
Special thanks to Tony Wu, Martin Edge, Marty Snyderman and Scott Gietler for judging the competition. Read the judges' comments.
Please be sure to SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS listed below
Quick Links to All Categories
Note that you can click photos to view full size
Wide-Angle | Macro | Cold Water | Portrait | Marine Life Behavior
Novice dSLR | Compact Macro | Compact Behavior | Compact Wide-Angle
Nudibranchs | SuperMacro | Divers/ Fashion
- Click on Photos for Larger Image -
Best of Show
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Best of Show - Ray Collins
"Underwater - Kirra Point" Shot at Kirra Point, Australia with Nikon D4
Wide-Angle Category
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1st Place - Ray Collins
"Underwater - Kirra Point" Shot at Kirra Point, Australia with Nikon D4
2nd Place - Gang Song
"Crocodile's Dusk" Shot in Quintana Roo, Mexico with Canon 5D Mark III
3rd Place - Shane Gross
"Fire in the Sky" Shot in Eleuthera, Bahamas with Nikon D90
4th Place - Montse Grillo
"Follow Me" Shot in Tenerife, Canary Islands with Canon 7D
5th Place - Davide Lopresti
"Animal in Cage" Shot at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico with Nikon D600
Honorable Mention - Alejandro Prieto
"Beach Guardians" Shot at Playa Del Carmen, Mexico with Canon 5D Mark II
Honorable Mention - Eiko Jones
"Transitions" Shot in British Columbia with Nikon D800
Honorable Mention - David Salvatori
"Mom and Son" Shot at Dominica Island with Nikon D800E
Macro Category
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1st Place - Ron Watkins
"Tiny Refuge in the Dark" Shot in Kona, Hawaii with Nikon D800
2nd Place - Uwe Schmolke
"Juvenile Pinnate Batfish"
3rd Place - Marchione Giacomo
"The Labyrinth" Shot in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia with Nikon D800E
4th Place - Anthony Berberian
"Dancing Hunter" Shot in Tahiti with Nikon D800E
5th Place - Digant Desai
"The Harp Maestro" Shot in Tulamben, Bali with Canon 7D
Honorable Mention - Annika Persson
"Bug" Shot in Tromsø, Norway with Nikon D300
Honorable Mention - Filip Staes
"The Guardian" Shot in Raja Ampat, Indonesia with Nikon D7100
Cold Water Category
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1st Place - Lill Haugen
"Bigmouth" Shot in Ørsta, Norway with Nikon D300
2st Place - David Salvatori
"Towards the Light" Shot in Ticino, Switzerland with Nikon D800E
3rd Place - Nirupam Nigam
"Postmeridian Sockeye" Shot in Lake Lliamna, Alaska with Olympus E-PM1
4th Place - Kaido Haagen
"Perfect Silence" Shot in Estonia with Canon 600D
Honorable Mention - Michael Weberberger
"Sun Dancer" Shot in Styria, Austria with Nikon D800
Honorable Mention - Gang Song
"Altitude 1890M" Shot in Lake Lioson, Switzerland with Canon 5D Mark III
Portrait Category
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1st Place - Nonna Pokras
"Electric Spider Crab" Shot in Tulamben, Bali with Canon 5D Mark II
2nd Place - Mario Odorisio
"Fly" Shot in the Azores, Portugal with Canon 550D
3rd Place - Steven Kovacs
"Scallop Portrait" Shot in Florida, USA with Nikon D7000
4th Place - Christine Shepard
"A Shot in the Dark" Shot in Bimini, Bahamas with Canon 7D
5th Place - Lill Haugen
"Welcome to the Shark Side" Shot in Reve, Norway with Nikon D300
Honorable Mention - Uwe Schmolke
"Eyes"
Honorable Mention - David Salvatori
"Last Stop" Shot in the Magra River, Italy with Nikon D800E
Read the story of the shot to find out what this rare subject is!
Honorable Mention - Luc Rooman
"Turtle" Shot in a lake near Antwerp, Belgium with Nikon D300s
Marine Life Behavior Category
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1st Place - Ilan Ben Tov
"Lionfish Staring at its Lunch" Shot in Eliat, Israel with Nikon D300
2nd Place - Steven Kovacs
"Pike Blenny Fight" Shot in Florida, USA with Nikon D7000
3rd Place - Jerry Tang
"Flamboyant Mates" Shot in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia with Olympus OM-D E-M5
4th Place - Roland Bach
"O Sole Mio" Shot in Minorca, Spain with Nikon D300
Honorable Mention - Steven Kovacs
"New Generation" Shot in Florida, USA with Nikon D7000
Novice DSLR Category
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1st Place - So Yat Wai
"Laomenes Rests on Crinoid" Shot in Tulamben, Bali with Canon 5D Mark III
2nd Place - Carolyn Wang
"Silvertip in the Sun" Shot in Rangiroa, French Polynesia with Olympus E-M1
3rd Place - Collin Wu
"Rangiroa Dolphin" Shot in Rangiroa, French Polynesia with Canon 5D Mark III
4th Place - Renee Capozzola
"Honu Heaven" Shot in Maui, Hawaii with Sony A5000
Honorable Mention - So Yat Wai
"Skeleton Shrimp Face-on Portrait" Shot Anilao, Philippines with Canon 5D Mark III
Honorable Mention - Renee Capozzola
"Blacktip Reflection" Shot Fakarava, French Polynesia with Sony A5000
Compact Macro Category
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1st Place - Giacomo Giovannini
"Angry Sepiola" Shot in Trieste, Italy with Canon G12
2nd Place - Kiyoung Jang
"Unbeliebubble" Shot at Jeju Island, South Korea with Olympus TG-3
3rd Place - Fabio Galbiati
"One Way!" Shot in Tulamben, Bali with Sony RX100
4th Place - Elisabeth Lauwerys
"Bubble Coral Shrimp" Shot in Sipadan, Malaysia with Canon G15
Honorable Mention - Dusan Zencak
"Psychedelic Spiral" Shot in Reggio Calabria, Italy with Canon G12
Honorable Mention - Chandy de Wit
"Nudi Art" Shot in Padang Bai, Bali with Canon G12
Compact Marine Life Behavior
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1st Place - Jack Berthomier
"Eyes Bigger than the Stomach" Shot in Noumea, New Caledonia with Sony RX100
2nd Place - Jack Berthomier
"Impressive Jaws" Shot in Noumea, New Caledonia with Sony RX100
3rd Place - Alexander Bublitz
"My Home is my Castle" Shot at Giglio Island, Italy with SeaLife DC1000
4th Place - Igor Pereverzev
"Arguing Lovers" Shot in Myanmar with Olympus C-5050
Honorable Mention - Michal Ross
"Two Spot Octopus Guarding Eggs" Shot at Catalina Island, USA with Olympus TG-2
Compact Wide-Angle
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1st Place - Arek Mszyca
"Attention Seeker" Shot on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia with Canon G16
2nd Place - Marc Casanovas
"Trio" Shot in Vilassar de Mar, Spain with Sony RX100II
3rd Place - Stephen Holinski
"Hoodie Noodles" Shot in British Columbia, Canada with Sony RX100
4th Place - Stephen Holinski
"Little Red Devil" Shot in British Columbia, Canada with Sony RX100
Honorable Mention - Marc Casanovas
"Under the Bridge" Shot in Badalona, Spain with Sony RX100II
Nudibranchs
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1st Place - Eduardo Acevedo Fernandez
"Glaucus Atlanticus" Shot in the Canary Islands, Spain with Canon 5D Mark II
2nd Place - Jackie Hildering
"Just Below the Surface" Shot in British Columbia, Canada with Olympus E-PL2
3rd Place - Diana Paboojian
"Peep's Lil Sheep" Shot in Tulamben, Bali with Nikon D7100
4th Place - Luc Rooman
"Flabelina Nobilis" Shot in Gulen, Norway with Nikon D300s
Honorable Mention - So Yat Wai
"Doto sp. with Eggs" Shot in Tulamben, Indonesia with Canon 5D Mark III
Honorable Mention - Yury Ivanov
"Carmen" Shot in Tulamben, Bali with Nikon D80
Super Macro Category
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1st Place - Filippo Borghi
"Fat Pygmy" Shot in Raja Ampat, Indonesia with Nikon D800E
2nd Place - Raffaele Livornese
"Perfect Eyes" Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Nikon D90
3rd Place - Qing Lin
"Home" Shot in Tulamben, Bali with Canon 5D Mark III
4th Place - Robert Roy
"Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker on Kelp" Shot in British Columbia, Canada with Canon EOS M
Honorable Mention - Jeffrey de Guzman
"Shaggy Baby" Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Nikon D800E
Divers & Fashion
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1st Place - Lucie Drlikova
"Underwater Circus" Shot at a pool in Prague, Czech Republic with Nikon D700
2nd Place - Steffen Binke
"Heroes" Shot at a pool in Queensland, Australia with Nikon D800
3rd Place - Nina Baxa
"Meander" Shot in the Cayman Islands with Olympus E-M5
4th Place - Jim Catlin
"Sarah and the Starfish" Shot in Grand Cayman with Panasonic GX1
Honorable Mention - Massimo Giorgetta
"Maira the Mirror" Shot at a pool in Latina, Italy with Nikon D700
Honorable Mention - Rui Guerra
"Intense Look into the Future" Shot at a pool in Coina, Portugal with Nikon D800
Complete List of Winners
Best of Show
Ray Collins
Wide-Angle
2nd Place: Gang Song
3rd Place: Shane Gross
4th Place: Montse Grillo
HM: Eiko Jones
2nd Place: Uwe Schmolke
3rd Place: Marchione Giacomo
4th Place: Anthony Berberian
HM: Filip Staes
2nd Place: David Salvatori
3rd Place: Nirupam Nigam
4th Place: Kaido Haagen
HM: Gang Song
2nd Place: Mario Odorisio
3rd Place: Steven Kovacs
4th Place: Christine Shepard
2nd Place: Steven Kovacs
3rd Place: Jerry Tang
HM: Steven Kovacs
2nd Place: Carolyn Wang
3rd Place: Collin Wu
4th Place: Renee Capozzola
HM: Renee Capozzola
2nd Place: Kiyoung Jang
3rd Place: Fabio Galbiati
4th Place: Elisabeth Lauwerys
HM: Chandy de Wit
2nd Place: Jack Berthomier
3rd Place: Alexander Bublitz
4th Place: Igor Pereverzev
2nd Place: Marc Casanovas
3rd Place: Stephen Holinski
2nd Place: Jackie Hildering
3rd Place: Diana Paboojian
4th Place: Luc Rooman
HM: Yury Ivanov
2nd Place: Raffaele Livornese
3rd Place: Qing Lin
4th Place: Robert Roy
2nd Place: Steffen Binke
3rd Place: Nina Baxa
4th Place: Jim Catlin
HM: Rui Guerra
Special thanks to Tony Wu, Martin Edge, Marty Snyderman and Scott Gietler for judging the competition. Read the judges' comments.
2014 Ocean Art Sponsors:
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS FOR PROVIDING OVER $70,000 IN PRIZES!
SMY Ondina, a romantic and modern wooden schooner, runs fantastic Indonesia liveaboard adventure safaris to dive Komodo, Fak Fak, Flores, Sulawesi and the Raja Ampat area - some of the most amazing waters in the world. Eight air-conditioned double cabins with en suite bathroom guarantee a level of comfort you’ll appreciate. The SMY Ondina is sponsoring an 11-day trip on their liveaboard for ANY of their scheduled cruises + 50% off your companion!
Paradise Taveuni is a secluded and remote boutique Resort offering some of the best soft coral dive sites in the South Pacific. This is a place where divers find true hospitality and while experiencing the culture of a mystical land. Paradise Taveuni is sponsoring a 7-night dive package that includes unlimited beach dives!
Divers are spoiled from the moment they arrive on the Manthiri. The luxury liveaboard experience is made even better by Manthiri's crew, who have expert knowledge of Maldives marine life and the most remote and pristine dive sites across the 1000 island chain. Manthiri is sponsoring a 7-night liveaboard cruise in the Maldives!
Bilikiki offers liveaboard dive trips in the Solomon islands, from ships consistently rated among the best live-aboards in the world, with some of the best diving in the world. You'll have a good opportunity to see sharks, mantas, dolphins, and turtles, barracuda, and more varieties of coral than almost anywhere. Bilikiki is sponsoring a 7-night trip on any of their Solomon Islands liveaboards!
Some consider Lissenung Island Resort the ultimate paradise. Imagine a small tropical island covered in palm trees, surrounded by a white sandy beach, a beautiful house reef and some of the best diving in the world. Lissenung Island is located just off Kavieng, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. Nestled amongst natural surrounds, traditionally built bungalows accommodate a max. of 14 guests. Forget your high heels, tropical attire is our dress code. At Lissenung Island Resort, personal service is guaranteed and a visit here is truly exclusive! Lissenung is sponsoring a 10-night stay + diving!
Bluewater Photo is the premier online and retail shop for underwater photography gear as well as international photo trips. Offering years of experience and expert advice on cameras, housings, strobes and accessories, Bluewater Photo is known for excellent customer service during and after sale. Bluewater Photo is sponsoring gift certificates for several contest winners!
Villa Markisa is an exclusive resort located on the north east coast of Bali. Nestled at the foot of Bali’s most famous volcano “Gunung Agung”, the private bungalows offer individual service and great attention to detail. Bali's famous Liberty Wreck is minutes away, and the house reef has hundreds of nudibranch species. Villa Markisa is sponsoring a 7-night stay in the deluxe bungalow, full board, and diving for the 1st place winner of the Nudibranch category!
The Discovery Fleet offers full diving and non-diving cruises through the Philippines Islands. Avid divers & u/w photographers can expect a full day of diving spectacular coral reefs, wrecks and incredible marine life while non-diving companions can snorkel, visit remote islands and even kayak. Discovery Fleet is sponsoring a 7-night spring 2015 Tubbataha cruise for one with companion 50% off!
Known for Red Sea diving, Emperor Divers has expanded its fleet with the MV Emperor Voyager, offering divers several itineraries through the Maldives. Dive with schools of fish, sharks, mantas and rays in the comfort of the remodeled boat. Emperor Divers is sponsoring a 7-night Best of the Maldives liveaboard for one with companion 50% off!
Dive into the heart of Fiji at VoliVoli Beach Resort. World-class reefs and marine life during the dive day are paired with a relaxing and friendly resort atmosphere for the ultimate Fiji dive vacation. For those with more time, the Fiji Siren is also based at VoliVoli, presenting a great opportunity to combine a liveaboard and resort trip. VoliVoli is sponsoring a 7-night, 10-dive package with twin-share accommodation!
Atmosphere Resort & Spa delivers a luxurious retreat and dining experience with incredible diving in one of the world's most famous dive regions - Dumaguete, Philippines. Atmosphere is sponsoring a 7-night, 10-dive package with free nitrox and airport transfers!
Kosrae Island is truly a hidden treasure, tucked away in the Federated States of Micronesia on top of some of the most lush and healthy coral reefs in the world. Kosrae Nautilus Resort caters to divers who are looking for remote, uncrowded, pristine reefs. They offer complete dive, accommodations and meals packages. Kosrae Nautilus resort is sponsoring a 7-night twin-share with 5-day dive package for two people!
Atlantis Dive Resorts offer one of the most outstanding values for a first class dive vacation in the world today. Experience Atlantis' luxury liveaboard (Atlantis Azores) or visit resorts in Dumaguette and Puerto Galera, Philppines. Atlantis Dive Resorts is sponsoring a 7-night dive package at either Atlantis Puerto Galera or Atlantis Dumaguete!
Wananavu. Combine the awe-inspiring diving of the famous bligh waters, the soft coral capital of the world, the only land-based dive operation. in Fiji that is able to offer dive guests onsite on-demand nitrox and you have... Wananavu. Wananavu is sponsoring a 7-night, 10-dive package with unlimited shore diving & free bure upgrade!
Palau Dive Adventures specializes in week-long group diving excursions in the epic waters of Palau. Offering personalized attention, service and safety the team gets underwater photographers to where the action is. Palau Dive Adventures is sponsoring a week-long dive package for one lucky Ocean Art winner!
Since 1969 Mike Ball has been setting standards in the Australian dive industry with exceptional liveaboard expeditions to the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Mike Ball is sponsoring a 3-night Fly Dive Cod Hole expedition!
Alor Divers is situated on a large white sand beach just minutes from world-class Indonesian diving. Slopes and walls full of coral, fish and seasonal whales await divers, as well unlimited house reef diving in front of the intimate resort. Alor Divers is sponsoring a 9-night dive and stay package!
Manta Ray Bay Resort is known for incredible manta ray dives. The islands also have an abundant reef shark population, soft corals and mating mandarin fish to keep underwater photographers shooting nonstop. Manta Ray Bay is sponsoring a buy 1 get 1 free 7-night, 5-day dive package!
El Galleon Beach Resort is a favorite among divers and underwater photographers visiting Puerto Galera. Situated in the middle of the marine park, the diving is excellent while the resort features a 5-star restaurant, spa services and much more. El Galleon is sponsoring a 7-night dive package!
The Maluku Divers Resort in Laha is one of the must visit locations in any diver’s Indonesian dive list. The only dedicated dive resort in Ambon, the facility was built specifically with divers in mind and boasts the most unique and comfortable accommodations in the whole of Maluku. Maluku Divers Resort is sponsoring a 4-night, 12-dive package with twin-share accommodation!
Juliana's Hotel paired with Sea Saba Dive Center is your paradise in the Caribbean. Sea Saba offers unspoiled diving with no cruise ships along with a variety of accomodations (including cottages) at Juliana's. They pride themselves on the highest levels of service. Juliana's and Sea Saba are sponsoring a 3-night stay and dive package for an Ocean Art winner!
Eco Divers is the only Indonesia resort offering liveaboard diving by day with a resort stay by evening for a truly unique Lembeh Strait dive experience. Catering to underwater photographers, Eco Divers visits some of the best macro sites in the world. Eco Divers Lembeh is sponsoring a 5-night all-inclusive dive package!
Blackbeard's Cruises offers liveaboard scuba vacation packages to the outer Bahamas islands, along with a huge variety of diving - sharks, walls, reefs and more. Blackbeard's is sponsoring a week-long liveaboard scuba adventure!
Scuba Seraya is a beautiful resort in Tulamben that truly embraces the lifestyle of Bali. A blend of incredible macro and wide-angle diving awaits, with a relaxed schedule and friendly resort staff. Scuba Seraya is sponsoring a 4-night dive package for two!
Bluewater Travel is a full service dive travel agency covering over 100 of the top resorts and liveaboards worldwide. Run by divers for divers, Bluewater Travel specializes in photo excursions and sets divers up to capture their best photos. Bluewater Travel is sponsoring gift certificates for u/w photo workshops, group & individual dive travel!
Quick Links to all Categories
Note that you can click photos to view full size
Wide-Angle | Macro | Cold Water | Portrait | Marine Life Behavior
Novice dSLR | Compact Macro | Compact Behavior | Compact Wide-Angle
Nudibranchs | SuperMacro | Divers/ Fashion
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