Is underwater photography difficult? Actually, no—at least, not to any significant degree when compared with any other discipline of photography. Each single stage of creating an underwater photograph, if seen in isolation from the rest, is not so tricky. It is the sum of all its parts, as well as mastering the whole, which can appear confusing at times.
The 2026 Blue Water Film Festival (BWFF) proudly announces its honorees and official film lineup for its 7th Annual Festival, taking place March 19–22, 2026, in La Jolla, California.
Presented by the Blue Water Institute, the four-day event will showcase a dynamic slate of features, shorts, and animated films, highlighting powerful storytelling at the intersection of water, environment, innovation, and human impact.
“Once their pups are weaned, elephant seal mothers abandon them ashore,” explained Smith. “I watched dozens clamber over one another in shallow rockpools, awkwardly learning to swim. On my very first evening, the sky ignited with colour and I captured a handful of frames before the light vanished. It was the defining moment of the long trip.”
Technological advances in photography have enabled photographers to document the extraordinary reproductive lives of tiny creatures found in the underwater world as never before, often leading to scientific discovery and understanding of little-known species. Underwater photographer Franco Tulli takes a closer look.
This international event continues to spotlight exceptional visual storytelling from beneath the sea by underwater imagers from around the world.
The Ocean Art Underwater Photography Competition, widely regarded as the world’s premier underwater photography contest, has announced its winners for 2025.
With thousands of entries submitted from photographers across more than 90 countries, this year’s competition highlights extraordinary moments from beneath the surface—from rare deep-sea encounters to powerful conservation stories.
The Cayman Islands-based organization made the announcement at the DEMA Show 2025 in Orlando, citing Nachoum’s numerous prestigious awards and significant contributions to exploration, underwater photography and the dive industry. As an internationally acclaimed photographer and renowned wildlife and underwater photographer specializing in photographing large marine species, Nachoum is the founder of Big Animals Expeditions, which, since 1988, has led over 7,000 explorers on safe and intimate wildlife encounters.
We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater images that showcase subjects on their bucket lists, including specific critters, wrecks or compositions, and they came back with an intriguing selection of macro to wide-angle shots featuring a range of subjects, from unique species to carefully composed cave and wreck shots, awaiting just the right moment.
The Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition remains the world’s most prestigious and respected underwater photography contest, offering over $60,000 in prizes. The competition attracts amateur to professional photographers across the globe.
Fourteen categories ensure all photo disciplines and cameras compete fairly, while the 50+ winning images create a portfolio of the best underwater photos of the year.
Ocean Art prizes are provided by some of the world’s top scuba diving resorts, liveaboard dive yachts, and underwater photo gear manufacturers.
The event, which was scheduled to include the 2025 Winners' Announcement Ceremony and the celebration of the competition's 20th anniversary, will now be deferred to January 2027.
A Proud History: Two Decades of Excellence
If there is a special critter on your bucket list that you have always wanted to photograph, some knowledge about its habitat, eating habits and behaviour may help you find it and capture better shots. Lawson Wood offers some pointers.
