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Ocean Art 2025 Underwater Photo Competition
Deadline:
Entry Fee:
From $10 per entry
Age Limit:
No Age Restrictions
Experience:
Any Experience
Open to Entries:
Worldwide
Opportunity Type:
Competition Details
The Underwater Photography Guide’s Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition 2025 is now open for entries, featuring a prize pool exceeding $60,000 in value from top liveaboard, resort, and photo gear sponsors. This is a virtual contest—simply upload your underwater photos taken anywhere, anytime. The competition is designed to accommodate a diverse range of imagery and photographers, with 14 categories including Blackwater, Conservation, and Nudibranchs. To ensure all skill levels and gear types are represented, some categories are split between an open category and a compact camera category. This structure ensures that every photographer can find the right place for their unique images.
Underwater Art categories are open to photos taken with any type of camera: dSLR, mirrorless or compact:
- Wide-Angle
- Macro
- Marine Life Behaviour
- Marine Life Portrait
- Cold Water / Temperate Water
- Nudibranchs (Winner of this category will be awarded the Villa Markisa Resort prize)
- Blackwater
- Black & White
- Underwater Conservation
Compact camera categories must be taken with a point-and-shoot camera (e.g., Canon G7 X, Canon G16, Canon s120, Sony RX-100 series, Olympus TG-6, SeaLife Micro 3.0, GoPro). A point-and-shoot camera does not have interchangeable lenses. Smartphones and action cameras will also be included in these categories:
- Compact Wide-Angle
- Compact Macro
- Compact Behavior
No post-processing restriction categories:
- Underwater Digital Art
- Underwater Fashion
Entry Fees:
$10 USD per photo. Enter 10 photos and get the 11th free (11 for $100), OR pay for 20 photos and get 2 free photos (22 for $200).
A single image may be submitted in multiple categories; however, each submission requires an individual entry fee. A single image may only be placed in one category.
File Specifications:
- JPEG/JPG images only
- At least 2500 pixels on the longest side
- Maximum file size 5MB. If you are having trouble uploading your photos, please check your internet and reduce your file size.
- sRGB colour space is recommended
- Watermarks NOT allowed. Watermarked images will be disqualified
- Scanned slides are acceptable
- Finalists will be asked to provide the original RAW file
- Any ‘advanced’ editing must be disclosed in the photo caption. ‘Story’ captions are not necessary unless notified of advancement to 2nd round of judging.
- Winners will be asked for high-res jpg files for contest coverage in dive media
Winners Are:
Judged
Judging Process Published:
Partially
Judging Anonymous:
Not Stated
Winners Announced:
Early to mid January, 2026
Prize & Judging Details
Over $60,000 in prizes to be won, including;
- A 4-night dive trip for 2 divers (4 dives each) at Atmosphere Resort & Spa in the Philippines
- 1x Marelux Apollo III 2.0 Strobe; 1x Marelux Apollo S Strobe, 1x Marelux Artemis 4500RMT Video Light; Marelux Spectrum 1000 Video Light; Marelux Artemis 1000 Macro Video light!
- Meridian Adventure Dive Resort is sponsoring an 8 day/7 7-night dive package (12 Dives) for 2 at Meridian Adventure Dive Resort in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Walindi Plantation Resort is sponsoring a 7-night liveaboard dive trip for 2 to the Walindi Plantation Resort
- Mermaid Liveaboard is sponsoring a 10-day / 9-night dive trip aboard the Mermaid I / Mermaid II in Raja Ampat or Komodo
- Coralia Liveaboard is sponsoring an 8-night dive cruise
- Spice Island Divers is sponsoring an 8-night dive trip (22 dives) to Ambon, Indonesia with Spice Island Divers!
- The SMY Ondina is sponsoring an Indonesian Dive Cruise for one + 50% off a companion aboard the SMY Ondina Liveaboard.
- Ikelite is sponsoring an Ikelite DS-232 Strobe
- Bluewater Photo is sponsoring gift certificates
- Bluewater Travel is sponsoring gift certificates for individual dive travel
- $1000 off any Mexico Liveaboards trip
- A $1000 voucher for use on the luxury Jardines Avalon fleet in Cuba
- A 7-night dive package with El Galleon/Asia Divers in Puerto Galera, Philippines
- A buy one get one free 10 dive package with Sea Saba
- $300 gift certificate from Ultralight Camera Solutions
Judging Process
All images are eligible regardless of past use. However, images that have not previously been placed into a major international contest and have not been widely published are favoured by our judges.
Retain Copyright:
Yes
Retain Moral Rights:
Credit Only
License Duration:
Not Stated
Photo Use Term:
Promotional Only
Usage Rights, Copyright & Moral Rights
Copyright Policy
All photo rights remain with the photographer.
Usage License
Entrants, by submitting images, grant permission to the Underwater Photography Guide to use winning entries for the direct promotion of the Underwater Photography Guide photo contests, including but not limited to Ocean Art.
Any images used for this purpose online will include a watermark with ‘Ocean Art Contest’ and the photographer’s name.
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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