Two major underwater imagery contests launch at the start of November – the UK-based Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2025 and, from across the Atlantic, the DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2024, which places more store on big prizes and includes videography.
The UPY contest, which emphasises prestige and feedback, is open for entries from now until 4 January. “UPY is the most important contest for underwater photographers, and is always packed with astonishing images being revealed for the first time,” says chair of the judges Alex Mustard.
“2025 marks 60 years since Phil Smith was first awarded the title Underwater Photographer of the Year. Today the contest is truly international, with winning images coming from across the globe. Our last three overall winners were taken under ice in the Arctic Ocean, in the tannin-stained waters of the Amazon River, and at night close to the Equator in the Maldives.
“The contest is open to all styles of underwater photography; pictures taken in flooded mines to swimming pools have been awarded previously.”
A new addition is a Coral Reefs category, reflecting the habitat with arguably “the most colourful and highest concentrations of life on our planet, yet also existing on the knife-edge of the climate crisis”.
The other 12 categories are Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behaviour, Portrait, Black & White, Compact, Up & Coming and three British Waters sections, for Wide Angle, Macro and Living Together, along with Save Our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation.
The contest incorporates a bespoke results system, providing feedback to the photographers on how far through the contest every image has progressed, so that all entrants benefit from taking part. Detailed judges’ comments are also posted with the winning entries.
The judging panel consists as usual of photographers Mustard, Peter Rowlands and Tobias Friedrich, and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London’s Mayfair.
Entry fees are £20, £35 or £45 for up to three, 10 or or 20 images respectively across the categories (except Marine Conservation, which is free for up to five entries). Find details of how to enter here,
DPG Masters underwater imaging competition
Meanwhile the DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2024 has also opened for entries from underwater photographers and videographers at all levels – with a fund of dive-holiday and camera-gear prizes worth more than US $80,000.
Entrants in this contest can compete in nine categories: Traditional, Macro, Wide Angle, Over-Under, Conservation, Blackwater, Portfolio, Compact and Short Film.
The image-maker behind the top entry among the category winners will now be crowned DPG Grand Master 2024 (the award was previously for “Best Of Show”). This person wins both the top trip and top equipment prizes.
“The total prize pool is the largest we’ve had, with incredible dive-trips and imaging equipment up for grabs,” say competition organisers Joe Tepper and Ian Bongso-Seldrup. “And our record nine categories give amateurs and pros alike an opportunity to win, no matter their speciality or camera system.
“We’re also thrilled to bestow a new title on the overall winner – DPG Grand Master – and we have no doubt that our judges will have a tough time choosing him or her from all the talented entrants.”
For eagle-eyed divers who thought a photograph other than the one shown above had been the 2023 outright winner, that's because Marco Gargiulo turned out not to have complied with the competition rules. His image was later disqualified and the award rescinded, with Suliman Alatiqi and Wishing Well stepping into the breach.
As a result of this incident, for the latest competition DPG (DivePhotoGuide) has appointed a chair of the jury to join the judges in “scrutinising images more carefully than ever”.
As before, 15% of entry proceeds will be donated to marine-conservation efforts. Entries cost US $10 (£7.80) per image or video, and the competition closes for entries on 31 December, with full details on the DPG Masters 2024 site.
Also on Divernet: Sub-ice whale skeleton shot brings UPY triumph, UPY celebrates 10 years of photo competition, The Passenger strikes gold in DPG Masters, Planet Ocean: Tides Are Changing winners
