Photo inspiration – Discover the winning images of the Ocean Art Photo Competition 2022

This photo is all the more touching when you know that female octopuses succumb after hatching from the eggs. Indeed, throughout the gestation period of the young, the female takes care of her eggs without feeding, drawing on her ultimate strength until the birth of the offspring.

Lieu Blue Heron Bridge, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Material Nikon D850, Nikon 105mm Macro Lens, Nauticam Housing, Dual Inon Z330 Strobes, BigBlue Dive Light
Settings ISO 250, F29, 1/250 s

Wide-Angle : The Blue Abyss Martin Broen

The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is famous for its cenotes, caves or caves filled with fresh water or sea. It was during a dive lasting more than an hour that the photographer wanted to highlight the cave and the network of tunnels in a single image.

Lieu In-Cave Sinkhole, Cenote Pet Cemetery, Riviera Maya, Yucatan, Mexico
Material Sony A1, Canon 8-15mm Lens, Nauticam Housing, Big Blue Lights
Settings ISO 6400, F5.0, 1/8 s

Wide-Angle, mention honorable : Mobula Munkiana d’Adam Martin

Every year, pygmy devil rays (Mobula Munkiana) gather in a large procession to give birth off the California coast. The photographer located this flock of stingrays during a week-long jaunt by observing some popping out of the water on the horizon.

Lieu Sea of Cortez, Mexico
Material Canon 5D Mark III Camera, Canon 8-15mm F4L Fisheye, Sea & Sea Housing
Settings ISO 250, F8, 1/125 s

Marine Life Behavior : Coral Spawning they Tom Shlesinger

This photo from a documentary project on the nocturnal life of corals, which are animals, clearly shows their mode of reproduction. The photographer managed to immortalize this scene after spending more than 300 nights in the water to capture this moment which only happens once a year.

Lieu Coral Beach Nature Reserve, Eilat, Gulf of Aqaba and Eilat, Israel
Material Sony A7R III, Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G Lens, Nauticam Housing, Dual Retra Flash Pro Strobes
Settings ISO 200, F16, 1/160 s

Portrait : Mirror Reflection de Kuo-Wei Kao

Lieu Pinglin, Taiwan
Material Olympus EM1 Mark II, Olympus 30mm Macro Lens, Inon Z330, Retra LSD Snoot
Settings ISO 400, F13, 1/250 s

Nudibrachs, mention honorable : Drifter of Talia Greis

The glaucaus is an animal of the nudibranch family that lets itself be carried by the wind and the currents. It is often found on Australian beaches after a storm. Seeing this photo, we understand where his nickname “blue dragon” comes from.

Lieu Maroubra Beach Rock Pools, Sydney, Australia
Material Nikon D850 Camera, Nikon 60mm Macro Lens, Isotta Housing
Settings ISO 400, F18, 1/200 s

Underwater Conservation : A Sad Catch de Lawrence Alex Wu

Abandoned fishing nets are a scourge for marine animals. Although they represent only 10% of the plastics discharged into the sea, their deadly nature makes them extremely dangerous for the ecosystem, whether it is fish or birds as is the case here. Once imprisoned, they cannot free themselves and die of exhaustion, suffocation or drowning.

Lieu Tuscany Serra River, Italy
Material Nikon D850 Camera, Nikkor 8-15mm Lens, Isotta Housing, Subtronic Alpha Pro Flash
Settings ISO 320, F6.3, 1/100 s

Underwater Art : A Happy Bunch the Sarah Teveldal

The photographer worked with four-time synchronized swimming world champion Kristina Makushenko to create this original image. The main challenge? Fill the balloons with the correct water/air ratio so that they do not rise to the surface and remain in suspension.

Lieu Private Residential Pool, Miami, USA
Material Canon 5D Mark IV, Sea & Sea Housing, Canon 16-35mm Lens
Settings ISO 400, F13, 1/250 s

Underwater Art : Dandelion de Lilian Koh

With the help of fractal generation software, the photographer used his imagination to transform this Solenostomus Paradoxus (Ghost Pipefish) into a dandelion.

Lieu Lembeh Straits, Manado, Indonesia
Material Canon 5D Mark IV, Nauticam Housing, Dual Minigear MS-03 Snoot Torch
Settings ISO 125, F13, 1/160 s

Black & White : Cruising in the Sand Patch de Brooke Pyke

Lieu Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Material Canon R6, Canon 15mm Fisheye Lens
Settings ISO 200, F8, 1/200 s

Photographing shrimp is a real challenge as the small crustaceans are fearful and lively. It took the photographer a lot of patience and delicacy to get close without scaring away his subjects.

Lieu Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Material Olympus TG-6 Camera, Olympus PT-059 Housing, Weefine SmartFocus 1000FR, INON UCL-67 M67 Close Up Lens
Settings ISO 100, F3.9, 1/500 s

Compact Behavior : A Male Weedy Seadragon Carries Pink Eggs On Its Tail PT Hirschfield

Lieu Flinders Pier, Victoria, Australia
Material Canon G12, Single YS-D3 Strobe, Fix Neo 1500 Light
Settings ISO 100, F8, 1/80 s

Mobile Phone : Cassiopea in the Blue by Alessandro Buzzichelli

With this new category dedicated to smartphones, Alessandro Buzzichelli proves to us that it is not necessary to invest in the best photophones to obtain beautiful underwater shots.

Material iPhone 7