The winners of the World ShootOut 2023 underwater photography competition have been announced, with the Best of the Year award going to Spanish photographer Eduardo Acevedo for his freediver in baitball shot (above).
A total of 964 photographers based in 54 countries sent in 11,680 online entries across the nine categories, lured by the diving holidays, equipment and 5,000 euros in cash prizes up for grabs.
One photographer, Dennis Corpuz from the Philippines, succeeded in coming top in two categories: Macro and Blackwater, winning both 1,000 euros and a week-long dive-trip in his home country.
The international judging panel for the Israel-based competition, now coming up to its 19th year, consisted of Imran Ahmad, Alberto Muro Pelliconi, Renee Capozzola, Roni Sofer, Ariel Fuchs and Alex Kassler, with the video-clip category judged by Christian Petron, Phil Simha and Andrés Clarós.
As usual with this contest – though unusually among photography competitions – no image background stories or technical details are issued. Below are the first-placed exponents in each category:
Best 5 Images Portfolio: Luc Rooman, Belgium
Amateur Photographer: Alexandra Ceurvorst, USA
Wide Angle: Alessandro Raho, Italy
Macro: Dennis Corpuz, Philippines
Underwater Fashion: Thomas Heckmann
Environmental & Conservation: Pasquale Vassallo, Italy
Blackwater: Dennis Corpuz, Philippines
Video Clip: Alfred Schaschl, Austria, The Magic Triangle
The winning entries were announced at the recent Boot Dusseldorf water sports exhibition in Germany, and a digital album containing all the competition entries and prize details can be dowloaded from the World ShootOut competition website.
Registration is not yet open for the next competition, but the organisers have decided that for 2024 the Environmental & Conservation category will focus on the impact of plastic on the oceans, and embrace the potential of AI or other editing software “as a tool to amplify the conservation message”.
Entrants will be invited to submit three original underwater photographs dealing with plastic pollution, along with their final AI-assisted processing.
Also on Divernet: Divers hit form at World ShootOut, World ShootOut photo winners surface, Be The Champ!: Shooting Schools, The New Black, Critter Fiddling, Fisheye
