SEVENSEAS Marine Conservation & Travel Issue 10, March 2016 | Page 14

hotos from the 5th annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition have been earning much acclaim since release in early January. The collection of 100

winning images encapsulates the underwater world seen in 2015, with some very unique photos of rarely seen animals and behaviors.

The Ocean Art Contest attracts high-caliber photo entries from photographers around the world, and it’s no wonder with over $75,000 in international travel and gear prizes. The result is one of the largest and most prestigious underwater photo contests in the world.

The Best of Show was a spectacular photo of a larval stage eel photographed at night in 4,000 feet of water off the coast of Hawaii. This larval eel truly looks like an alien invader from outer space, and has only been photographed a handful of times before. Other outstanding images include some out-of-this-world fish and marine life shots, rarely seen underwater behavior, cute portraits, dreamy scenes in the conceptual category, sharks, whales and some dramatic moments between humans and marine life. Thousands of entries were viewed by the judges before the final set of amazing images were selected and deemed some of the best underwater photos in the world.

Ocean Art features 15 different categories for photo entries, including classic underwater categories like “Wide-angle” and “Macro” plus new creative categories like “Pool & Conceptual” and “Cold Water” alongside dedicated categories for compact and mirrorless cameras.

The Underwater Photography Guide has collected the story behind each winning photo, plus the camera gear used, settings and other info, so be sure to check out all of these incredible images. To view the winners visit tinyurl.com/OceanArt2015

The Underwater Photography Guide is the #1 destination for all things underwater photography. Featuring highly-regarded tutorials, technique tips, in-depth gear reviews, amazing international workshops and breaking u/w photo news, UWPG is here to help divers around the work achieve their photographic and video goals. For more information, please visit www.uwphotographyguide.com.

The Year’s Best Underwater Photos Rise to the Surface in Ocean Art Contest

By Brent Durand, Underwater Photography Guide (www.uwphotographyguide.com)

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