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DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2025

DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2025
Deadline:
Entry Fee:
$10 per image/video
Age Limit:
No Age Restrictions
Experience:
Any Experience
Open to Entries:
Worldwide
Other Requirements:
Winners of photo and/or video contest before September 1st, 2025 not permitted
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Competition Details

The DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition is a long-established and highly respected contest celebrating the splendour of the oceans and the art of underwater photography and video. Known as the “World Championship” of international underwater imagery events, the contest invites underwater shooters of all levels, from novice to professional, to compete.

Prizes are valued at over $85,000 and include dive trips with top resorts and liveaboards, as well as the latest underwater photo/video gear. Entrants compete across 10 categories. The best entry among category winners is crowned “DPG Grand Master 2025,” who wins both a top trip and a top equipment prize.

The Competition consists of the following Photo categories:

  • Unrestricted
  • Traditional
  • Macro
  • Wide Angle
  • Over-Under
  • Conservation
  • Cold Water
  • Portfolio
  • Video category – Short Film

Entrants must submit entries that are associated with the theme of underwater, ocean, river, lakes, or other natural bodies of water.

The entry fees are US$10 per image or video entered. As with all Underwater Competition Series events, 15% of entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.

Winners Are:
Judged
Judging Process Published:
Yes
Judging Anonymous:
Not Stated
Winners Announced:
Early January 2026
Prize & Judging Details
Prizes worth over $85,000 include:
  • 10-day dive packages at Lembeh Resort and Murex Bangka, Sulawesi, Indonesia
  • 9-night liveaboard trip with MV Oceania, Papua New Guinea
  • 7-night dive package at Walindi Dive Resort, Papua New Guinea
  • 7-night packages with Eco Divers Lembeh, Indonesia
  • 7-day packages at Gulen Dive Resort, Norway
  • 7-night package at Solitude Acacia Resort, Anilao, Philippines
  • 7-night package at Solitude Lembeh Resort, Indonesia
  • 5-night packages at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, Philippines
  • 7-night liveaboard trip on the Philippine Siren
  • 7-night package at Atlantis Puerto Galera or Atlantis Dumaguete, Philippines
  • $3,000 voucher towards a trip to Wakatobi Dive Resort or on the Pelagian liveaboard
  • 7-night package at Silver Reef Dive Resort, Dumaguete, Philippines
  • Kraken Sports KR-S160 strobe
  • Kraken Sports KR-S80 strobe
  • Kraken Sports KR-S40 strobes with snoots
  • Kraken Sports Abyss 10000 video light
  • SUBNOX SUB10KEF wide-angle video lights (pair)
  • SUBNOX SUB400LEP torches
  • SUBNOX SUBLZT torches with BCD holders
  • Backscatter Hybrid Flash Package
  • Backscatter Mini Flash 2 Ultimate Package
  • Marelux Apollo S strobe
  • Marelux Artemis 4500 RMT and Artemis 1000 RMT video lights
  • Various lighting accessories from Dive Lantern
  • 5-day, 2-tank boat dive package with Sam’s Tours Palau
  • $1,500 towards the purchase of any Aquatica housing
  • Inon Z-XXX, soon-to-be-released strobe with accessories
  • €300 coupons for use in the Isotta online shop
  • One-year membership to The Underwater Club online underwater photography school and club
  • SPECIAL MENTOR PRIZES: One-on-one portfolio review sessions with the judges
Judging Process

Judging is a four-step process:

  • Round 1: DPG staff shortlist entries based on aesthetic and technical criteria, while discarding entries in clear breach of the rules or in incorrect categories.
  • Round 2: Each Jury member receives all the shortlisted entries and is tasked with selecting and ranking their top 20 in each category. (The higher the rank, the more points the entry receives.) Points from all Jury members are collated, and the 10–15 entries with the highest scores in each category make it to the next round; these are the semi-finalists.
  • Round 3: Each Jury member ranks the semi-finalist entries. Their rankings are combined, providing up to 10 finalist entries per category (ranked according to points). RAW file requests are sent for all finalists. RAW files are carefully examined to ensure any editing complies with the rules applicable in the relevant category. Any entries not in compliance are removed.
  • Round 4: The Jury selects the awarded entries, typically 4 to 6 per category, and the overall winner.
Retain Copyright:
Yes
Retain Moral Rights:
Credit Only
License Duration:
Perpetual
Photo Use Term:
Promotional Only
--- Learn about Fair Rights?
Usage Rights, Copyright & Moral Rights
Copyright Policy

Each entry must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party.

The entrant must either be the sole owner of the copyright in the entry submitted or have secured the written permission of the copyright owner or any joint owners of the copyright to submit the entry into the Competition. A copy of any such written permission must be supplied to the Owner on request.

In the event that an entrant is not the sole copyright owner of the entry, the entrant agrees to notify the Owner at the date of submission, providing the names of the copyright owner or any joint owners of the copyright.

Ownership of the copyright in any entry submitted to the Competition will remain with the copyright holder(s).

Usage License

The copyright holder(s) will be credited wherever an entry is reproduced, published, exhibited, and/or communicated to the public. In the event of inadvertent omission of the credit, the holder(s) agree(s) that the Owner will not be liable to the holder(s).

By entering the Competition, the entrant grants to the Owner a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to reproduce, publish, exhibit, and communicate to the public, by any means, and in all media throughout the world. This licence is granted for use in relation to current and future competitions, exhibitions, and/or touring exhibitions, which shall include (with the right to sublicence where necessary)—but will not be limited to—any of the following uses:

  • the process of judging the Competition (including any public vote);
  • display during any awards ceremony, exhibition, and/or touring exhibition (prints of entries made for an exhibition will be kept as a collection for possible exhibitions at other venues);
  • publication in magazines, e-magazines, media websites or print media which the Owner (or their official partners, supporters, or sponsors) may endorse;
  • publication on relevant parts of the Owner’s websites, including within interactive elements available for viewing or download;
  • publicity materials, including social media (awarded submissions may be used by the Owner for the purposes of promoting any competition, exhibition, and/or touring exhibition from the date of notification of awarded submissions until the end of the exhibition and/or touring exhibition, and thereafter the Owner may keep the awarded submissions within an archive);
  • publication in an awards book, featuring a selection of shortlisted and winning entries
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Disclaimer: Although we make every effort to provide accurate information, we advise a thorough review of the competitions rules and details to ensure your understanding and acceptance before proceeding with your entry.

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Report Rating Guide

Our goal is to help photographers make informed choices and to support organizers in building trust. This report details our assessment of this competition’s adherence to our Photo Competition Standards, highlighting its strengths and areas for potential enhancement.

★☆☆☆☆ 1.0 Stars ->: Significant Issues

★★☆☆☆ 2.5 Stars ->: Basic Compliance

★★★☆☆ 3.5 Stars ->: Meets Expectations Well

★★★★★ 5.0 Stars: Exemplary Standard

Key Principles of Fair Usage.

  • Respect for copyright: Organizers should acknowledge and respect the photographer’s ownership of their work.
  • Limited use: Usage rights should be limited to purposes directly related to the marketing/promotion of the competition, photos and photographers.
  • Specific Usage: Detailed information regarding where the images will be used for the promotion of the competition, this should include websites, social media, partners website, media outlets, books & calendars etc.
  • Moral Rights: Photographers should be credited whenever their images are used. This includes publication and Media not owned by the organiser. Editing and manipulation of the images should be kept to a minimum.
  • License Duration: The usage license should be limited in time with a maximum of 5 years, but ideally less.
  • Compensation: Photographers should be compensated for commercial use of their images beyond promotional purposes. This can be detailed in the terms or by a separate agreement.

In essence, fair usage in a photo competition balances the organiser’s need to promote the competition, its winning entries and photographers, with the photographer’s right to control their work and receive any appropriate compensation.

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