LAUPS 2011 International Underwater Photo Competition

Winners announced, stunning octopus shot gets best of show

By Scott Gietler

The 49th annual LAUPS international underwater photo & video competition produced some stunning winners. Congratulations to all the winners! The competition was limited to non-professional underwater photographers, except for the open category. Judging the competition was Erin Quigley, Jason Bradley, and Chris Gug.
 

Best of Show, Octopus over/under shot, "View from the Gulf"

Open Category winner, "Sargassum"

First place Wide-angle, False killer whales & dolphin

First place macro, Lionfish

First place behavior, "Hungry worm". Editors note - a fire worm on top appears to be grabbing the starfish

First place coldwater, "Sunstar"

First place photo essay, "Doublet"

BEST OF SHOW

Pasquale Vassallo
Napoli, Italy
"View from the Gulf"

OPEN

Keri Wilk
Mississauga, Ontario, CANADA
"Sargassum"

Category - WIDE-ANGLE

1st Place: Clark Miller
"False Killer Whales & Dolphin"
2nd Place: Eduardo Acevedo
"Sky Lion"
3rd Place: Francis Perez
"Odontaspis Ferox"

4th Place: Francis Perez
"Castle of Basalt"
5th Place: Allison Vitsky
"Anemone"
Honorable Mention: David Antoja
"Jellyfish"

Category - MACRO

1st Place: Phil Sokol
"Lionfish"
2nd Place: Rand McMeins
"Sea Pen with a Flea"
3rd Place: Domenico Roscigno
"In the Shade"

4th Place: Denis Palbiani
"Magic"
5th Place: Tony Cherbas
"Quicksilver"
Honorable Mention: Maxim Tomashevich
"From The Darkness"

Honorable Mention: Eduardo Acevedo
"Visitor"
   

Category - BEHAVIOR

1st Place: Borut Furlan
"Hungry Worm"
2nd Place: Denis Palbiani
"Cleaning"
3rd Place: Tony Frank
"Two Nudis with Eggs"

4th Place: Borut Furlan
"Big Meal"
5th Place: Uwe Schmolke
"Dental Service"
 
Honorable Mention: Denis Palbiani
"Large Vacuum"
Honorable Mention: Denis Palbiani
"Collectors"
 

Category - COLD WATER

5th Place: Luc Rooman
"Lumpsucker with Eggs"

Category - PHOTO ESSAY

1st Place: Francis Perez
"Doublet"
2nd Place: Jose Alejandro Alvarez
"Sperm Whale Encounters"

3rd Place: Tony Cherbas
"Partners in Crime"
Honorable Mention: Jeremy Kozman
"Scenes from the Solomon Islands"

VIDEO OPEN

1st Place: Nannette Van Antwerp
"Pacific Drifters"
2nd Place: Walter Marti
"Ocean Worms"

3rd Place: Anastasia Laity
"The Philippines: Beauties & Beasts"
4th Place: Walter Marti
"The Removal"

VIDEO RAW FOOTAGE

1st Place: Kenneth Ward
"Octopus Catches a Fish"
2nd Place: Matthew Berry
"Snake Eel Spinning"
3rd Place: Anastasia Laity
"Guadalupe Fur Sea Chasing Great White"

4th Place: Walter Marti
"Cuttlefish"
Honorable Mention: Xavier Michalet
"Torpedo Ray"
  

Complete set of winning photos & videos can be seen here.

Keep an eye on the Underwater Photography Guide website! The Ocean Art 2011 winners will be announced very very soon. Here are last year's winners.