The prestigious Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition, organized by the Underwater Photography Guide, has announced its 2018 winners. The 7th annual competition attracted very high caliber photos from waters around the world and showcased the best underwater photographs of the year. The judges evaluated thousands of entries from 70 countries before selecting the final set of images as Ocean Art winners. 2018 was the most competitive year to date.
The Best of Show is a graceful photo of three giant Devil Rays, aka Mobula Rays, performing a “ballet”, which uses soft, ambient light to accentuate the movements of elegant giants, shot by Duncan Murrell. Other winning images include some astonishing fish and marine life shots, rarely seen animal behavior, innovative shooting techniques, stunning portraits, seals, ocean adventures, whales and some dramatic moments between humans and marine life.
The four Ocean Art 2018 judges included prestigious underwater photographers Tony Wu, Martin Edge, and Marty Snyderman, accompanied by Underwater Photography Guide publisher Scott Gietler.
Winning Images
Sixteen different categories ensure a competitive contest for all levels and disciplines of underwater photography, including compact, mirrorless, and open categories. There is also a new category called “Underwater Art.”
Stories Behind the Shots
If you are interested in how our contestants produced these stunning images, make sure you click on the “story behind the shot” pages when viewing all category winners. These stories put you in the shoes of the photographers by taking you through their experiences, camera set ups, settings, locations, and more…
Best of Show
Wide-Angle
Macro
“Ancistrocheirus” by Jeff Milisen
Marine Life Behavior
Portrait
