NOMINATIONS
The underwater world is vast and diverse, so we have identified key categories covering the most interesting and popular themes.
Photographer of the Year
Among all authors whose works have reached the final round, the jury selects one winner. The title "Photographer of the Year" is awarded based on the overall impression of the submitted works and the level of the author's skill.
Wide Angle
Photographs with a wide field of view, conveying the scale and depth of underwater space. This category accepts images taken with wide-angle lenses, including fisheye. The main focus is on the sense of space and the captivating perspective of the underwater world.
Allowed
– Underwater scenes shot with wide-angle lenses, including fisheye.
– Subjects conveying scale, depth, and expanse of underwater space: reefs, arches, canyons, large schools of fish, large animals.
– Use of natural or artificial light, provided it does not disrupt the sense of space.
Prohibited
– Photographs taken with macro, telephoto, or standard lenses, lacking the characteristic wide-angle effect.
– Shots lacking a sense of scale or depth, or where the composition does not imply a wide field of view.
– Images where the main focus is an isolated object or a large portrait without the surrounding environment.
Prize
Certificate for drysuit undergarment
Category Sponsor
Macro
Close-up shots of small underwater creatures and expressive details of the marine world. This category accepts images that reveal the beauty of small forms, textures, and nuances usually invisible to the naked eye.
Allowed
– Close-ups of small underwater organisms: invertebrates, small fish, larvae, nudibranchs, shrimp, crabs, and other micro-inhabitants.
– Detailed shots of structures, textures, and small elements of the underwater world: polyps, coral textures, eyes, patterns, tentacles.
– Macro photography using macro lenses or attachments that allow capturing small details at high magnification.
– Emphasis on nuances, colors, micro-forms that are difficult to see with the naked eye.
Prohibited
– Images of medium and large objects that do not require macro magnification.
– Frames where the subject is too small and lacks the feel of macro photography or a close-up.
Prize
Mares Cruise Backpack Roller 128 L bag
Category Sponsor
Underwater Inhabitants and Animal Behavior
Rare and expressive moments from the lives of underwater creatures. This category accepts photographs showcasing unique animal behavior: hunting, reproduction, interaction between species. Both macro shots and images taken with wide-angle optics are acceptable.
Allowed
– Photographs demonstrating underwater animal behavior: hunting, feeding, reproduction, territory defense, care for offspring.
– Shots of interaction between species: symbiosis, competition, predator-prey, cleaning stations, and other natural scenarios.
– Use of both macro and wide-angle optics, if animal behavior is the main content of the frame.
– Shooting of solitary or group scenes where the moment of action or interaction is clearly readable.
Prohibited
– Photographs of static animals without signs of behavior or interaction.
– Frames where the main focus is a portrait or general view of the animal, but not action.
– Images obtained by interfering with animal behavior: provocation, prodding, relocation, feeding, and any unethical methods.
– Photos where animals are shown in stressful situations due to the actions of the photographer or diver.
Prize
Diving day (2 dives) at any of the RuDIVE diving centers (excluding the North Pole)
Category Sponsor
On One Breath
We have great respect for freediving culture and know that within this community, people often and gladly photograph each other underwater — capturing the beauty of the body, the fluidity of movement, the work with breath and form. Such works resonate with us, and we are happy to accept them for participation.
At the same time, since this is a nature photography competition, the frame must clearly show a natural aquatic environment — an ocean, sea, lake, or other natural body of water.
Allowed
– Photographs taken exclusively on breath-hold: during snorkeling, freediving, or swimming near the surface.
– Shooting using natural light, reflections, glare, and dynamics characteristic of free diving.
– Scenes with bodily grace, water movement, interaction with space, and moments impossible when working with scuba gear.
– Any subjects (wide angle, macro, marine life), if shot on one breath and retain the characteristic lightness and vitality of the moment.
Prohibited
– Photographs taken using any breathing equipment: scuba, rebreather, mini-tanks, etc.
– Frames where, by obvious signs, shooting was done with a tank (bubbles, equipment elements, body position).
– Frames completely devoid of the dynamics and naturalness characteristic of freediving, even if formally shot without scuba.
– Close-up portraits where the natural environment does not play a significant role
– Photographs taken in swimming pools or other artificial conditions
Prize
Fiberglass bifins SPORT Bifins 3 Fiberglass
Category Sponsor
Art
Photographs where the underwater world becomes an artistic image. Unusual angles, reflections, light effects, multiple exposures, creative installations created by the photographer themselves — everything that allows one to see the ocean differently.
Allowed
– Creative underwater photographs using non-standard angles, optical effects, reflections, play of light and shadow.
– Multiple exposure, creative installations, elements of artificial composition created by the author themselves (provided they do not harm nature and living organisms).
– Experiments with abstraction, color, form, water movement, as well as artistic techniques that change the perception of familiar underwater scenes.
– Any underwater photography (macro, wide angle, behavior), if its key goal is artistic interpretation, not documentation.
Prohibited
– Photographs lacking a creative component, where the frame is a standard documentary recording of an underwater scene.
– Strong digital manipulations leading to unnatural alteration of objects, addition of elements not present in the frame, or distortion of the real underwater world to the level of fantasy.
– Installations or setups created with interference in nature: relocation of living organisms, damage to corals, influence on animal behavior.
– Images completely assembled from unrelated photographs without adhering to the principles of honest photography (composite scenes from different locations and times).
Prize
Underwater Dive Light 2000 lumen SL20 for Underwater Photography
Category Sponsor
Environment & Ecology
Shots that draw attention to the beauty and fragility of the aquatic environment, as well as to environmental problems. The frame may include examples of pollution as well as stories of ecosystem recovery. Both the visual power of the shot and its environmental message are evaluated.
Allowed
– Photographs showcasing the beauty, fragility, and vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems: reefs, kelp forests, seagrass beds, animal habitats.
– Scenes reflecting environmental issues: pollution, plastic, reef degradation, the consequences of human activity.
– Documentary stories of nature's restoration: artificial reefs, water cleanup, species recovery, successful conservation and ecosystem restoration projects.
– Photography of any scale (macro, wide-angle, behavior) where the environmental message of the shot is key.
Prohibited
– Photographs lacking environmental content or failing to convey an idea about the state or beauty of the aquatic environment.
– Shots where the environmental problem was artificially created by the photographer (e.g., intentionally placing trash in the frame).
– Scenes that involve intervention in nature, harm to animals, or destruction of the environment for the sake of a "spectacular" shot.
– Photos completely devoid of any visual or contextual connection to the aquatic ecosystem.
Prize
20% discount on any yacht tour in Kamchatka and commemorative souvenirs from the Russian conservation fund “Nature and People” (a bottle with a whale and a tote bag with an arctic fox)
Category Sponsor
Mobile Photography
Works taken with smartphones, GoPro, Insta360, and similar devices participate. In this category, we will highlight three best images.
Allowed
– Photographs taken with smartphones, action cameras, and compact mobile devices: GoPro, Insta360, DJI Osmo, and similar models.
– Use of standard mobile functions: wide-angle mode, RAW shooting, night mode, built-in stabilization, shooting through a mobile housing or underwater case.
– Moderate processing in mobile applications, provided it does not turn the frame into something unnatural or artificial.
Prohibited
– Photographs taken with professional cameras: DSLR, mirrorless, advanced compact models, and any devices with interchangeable lenses.
– Photos completely assembled from multiple images or excessively processed, where the mobile origin of the frame is not evident.
– Shots taken on devices not intended for mobile photography and not belonging to the category of compact action cameras.
Prize
SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum Underwater Touchscreen Housing for Smartphone
SeaTouch 4 MAX PLUS Underwater Advance Macro kit for iPhone and most Android, macro photography dive housing
SeaTouch 4 Max Plus Underwater housing Ocean Kit for iPhone and most Android samrtphone, dive housing, waterproof phonecase
Category Sponsor
Russia
Underwater landscapes of Russia in all their grandeur. Shots with wide perspective, taken in the seas, lakes, and rivers of our country. Frames conveying the depth, space, and atmosphere of Russian waters are allowed.
Allowed
– Underwater landscapes shot exclusively within the territory of Russia: seas, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, natural springs.
– Shots with wide perspective, conveying the scale, depth, space, and character of Russian waters.
– Photographs where the atmosphere of the place is evident: water clarity, density, color, landscape features.
– Subjects with natural elements: topography, algae, driftwood, stones, ice, underwater slopes, and other forms characteristic of Russian water bodies.
Prohibited
– Photographs taken outside of Russia, even if visually they might look similar.
– Frames without a pronounced landscape focus: close-ups of animals, macro photography, portraits without connection to the landscape. Such frames should be placed in general categories.
– Images lacking a sense of space or scale, and the frame does not convey the specific features of Russian underwater locations.
– Excessively processed photographs where the natural appearance and character of the water body are lost.
Prize
Certificate for drysuit undergarment
Category Sponsor
