We are so fortunate that for our final contest of the year, acclaimed photographer Martin Broen has agreed to be our guest judge. Martin is an award-winning photographer, accomplished technical diver, and underwater cave explorer. He merges his design sensibility with his passion for the natural world to craft compelling and immersive visual stories that reveal the exquisite beauty of our planet—and inspire action to protect it.

Originally from Argentina and currently based in New York, Martin works at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and storytelling. With a prolific career that spans the development of hundreds of breakthrough products—including X-ray diffractometers, dialysis systems, wind turbines, computers, reusable packaging, and even the classic Scotch tape dispenser—he holds over 130 innovation patents across multiple industries. His deep expertise in Systems Thinking enables him to identify patterns, interconnections, and leverage points across complex challenges, empowering him to design and develop custom tools for extreme underwater expeditions and gain access to hidden, otherworldly environments beneath the Earth’s surface.

His underwater imagery has been published globally by media agencies such as Caters and Solent, featured in major newspapers, and licensed for productions like Blue Whales: Return of the Giants. His photographs have appeared on the covers of leading diving magazines such as TAUCHEN and DUIKEN, and have been highlighted in Underwater Photography Magazine, Dive Photo Guide, and Dive Magazine. He is also an active contributor to conservation initiatives like Vital Impacts.

Martin’s work has been showcased in international exhibitions and honored with over 50 prestigious photography awards.

In 2024, Martin released his debut book, “Light in the Underworld – The Beauty and Secrets of the Mexican Cenotes”, with a foreword by Alex Mustard and an introduction by Paul Nicklen. The book was named one of the Top 10 Photography Books of 2024 by Smithsonian Magazine. This immersive body of work reveals more than 300 cenotes and underwater caves across Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula—illuminating their geological formation, ancient fossils, and cultural legacy as sacred sites in Maya mythology. Through years of expeditions, Broen documents a realm few divers have ever seen, unveiling its ecological fragility and cultural richness with vivid storytelling and technical mastery.

Martin is a member of The Explorers Club (New York), the National Speleological Society, the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Design Leadership Network.
He actively shares his work and knowledge through public talks and conferences on underwater exploration and conservation photography at venues such as: The Explorers Club (New York), The Royal Automobile Club (London), The British Society of Underwater Photographers, or his local club in NY Big Apple Divers.

Website: Martin Broen Photography

Instagram: @m.broen