JANUARY
MASTERS
SKIN AND SCALES PATTERN – MACRO – An abstract close-up of a fish’s skin or scales that fills the frame, showing no outline of the subject. Examples might be the skin of a nurse shark, the skin of a flounder, the scales of a parrot fish, etc.
Submission deadline: December 30th
CHALLENGERS
SHIPWRECK INTERIOR – WIDE ANGLE – Capture the inside of a shipwreck. This could be the engine room, the bridge, or any other interesting part of a ship. Creative lighting should be used to emphasize areas of interest inside the ship such as colorful corals inside the bridge or an enormous engine inside the engine room. One could also attempt to capture the interplay of sunlight into a ship’s interior if it is close enough to the surface, or sea life inside a ship such as Goliath groupers or grunts. The photo must be taken inside the wreck, not from the outside looking in.
Submission deadline: December 30th
VIDEO
FLORIDA WRECKS – WIDE ANGLE – Take us on a tour of one or more of Florida’s fantastic wrecks and depict the life they sustain. 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: December 30th
FEBRUARY
MASTERS
BACKLIT SUBJECT – ANY LENS – Using strobes or torches, backlight a subject highlighting its profile – “hair,” translucent eyes, odd fin shape, etc. Some front lighting is allowed if necessary to draw out the face of the subject, but the backlighting must be obvious. Subject must be a creature, not a wreck, cave, or man-made structure.
Submission deadline: January 27th
CHALLENGERS
FANGTASTIC – ANY LENS – Shots of any size subject’s teeth, for example parrotfish teeth, shark teeth, sea lion teeth, even blenny teeth if you’re close enough to get them. Let’s see the shiniest pearly whites that you can produce. The teeth must be the main subject and focus of the shot!
Submission deadline: January 27th
VIDEO
CAMOUFLAGE – ANY LENS – Show how subjects use their coloring, texture, patterning, or shape to mimic or blend into their environment. Ideally, this will show a camouflaging behavior in action, such as an octopus or cuttlefish visibly changing color/texture to blend in with its surroundings, or an octopus covering itself in shells. It can also include subjects whose appearance mimics their surroundings within that environment, for example a flounder on a sandy bottom or a decorator crab on a sponge. 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: January 27th
PRINTABLE .PDF
For a printable version of this years contest subjects, click here:
VIDEO CONTEST RULES
Click here to view or print the video contest instructions:
PHOTO CONTEST RULES & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Photos must be taken underwater by the entrant. No aquarium or pool shots.
Each month the contest is divided into two categories – Masters and Challengers, each with different subjects to promote participation by all SFUPS members of all skill levels.
A maximum of 2 images per person may be submitted per meeting.
NOTE:
If you are uncertain about what qualifies in a category, please consult a reputable guidebook such as Humann/DeLoach’s reef set. If still in doubt, contact Eleanor Hornberger well before the contest. She will be happy to clarify a potential submission to confirm if it fits the category.
MARCH
MASTERS
SHOT IN BAD VISIBILIITY – WIDE ANGLE – Make the best use of low light/limited visibility to create a wide-angle shot in difficult conditions. For example, creating atmospheric shots with soft light, or making foreground shots pop against green water or a hazy background. No black backgrounds.
Submission deadline: March 2nd
CHALLENGERS
SHOOTING TOP DOWN – WIDE ANGLE – In past contests, we’ve angled the camera upwards to shoot toward the surface. This time let’s turn the camera around and focus on an object directly beneath us. For example, the top of a huge brain coral. The photographer would hover over the coral to take the picture straight down and create an interesting image of the brain coral and the reef surrounding it. Or perhaps take a picture of a baitball, shark, or shipwreck looking straight down at it. Use your imagination to create an interesting top-down image.
Submission deadline: March 2nd
VIDEO
MANATEES – WIDE ANGLE – Depict the behavior of Florida’s gentle giants. 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: March 2nd
APRIL
MASTERS
BEAUTIFUL BEHINDS – ANY LENS – Show us your best shot of the “back end” of a creature. Can be any creature, but the shot must be taken of the rear of the subject. For example, manatees, whales, nudibranch gills, etc.
Submission deadline: March 30th
CHALLENGERS
HIDING/SHYNESS – ANY LENS – Capture a shy subject hiding/peeking out. We’re looking for behavior that makes the subject appear bashful. The subject may be partially hidden and looking at the camera. It could be a fish hiding in cave or hole, a shy seahorse, puffers hiding in gorgonians, or marine life hiding in barrel sponges.
Submission deadline: March 30th
VIDEO
SEAHORSES – ANY LENS – – Make the best possible use of ambient light ONLY to capture the behaviors of one of our favorite local subjects. Can be a single subject or a mating pair. Any entry using video lights will be disqualified. 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: March 30th
MAY
MASTERS
LONG EXPOSURE – ANY LENS – Shoot a long exposure (1/10 to 1 second) of a moving creature(s) with panning or rear curtain sync techniques which shows obvious movement but keeps the eye in focus.
Submission deadline: May 4th
CHALLENGERS
BLACK AND WHITE – ANY LENS – Produce a black & white (BW) shot with any type of lens. A great shot will have dramatic contrast between the darks and lights. Can be processed in-camera or in post-processing. Consider scenes like shipwrecks, close-ups of corals for light and dark textures, or high dynamic range shots of marine life/seascapes.
Submission deadline: May 4th
VIDEO
ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM! – ANY LENS – This video will start with the critter zoomed as far out as possible. The goal of this video will be to showcase the dramatic effect of zooming in very close. The effect from large to small is what we are looking for, starting by placing a subject in its environment, then focusing on its distinctive features. This video may be made up of several examples of this effect. 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: May 4th
JUNE
MASTERS
STRUGGLING CORALS – ANY LENS – Recent warm waters have caused damaging coral bleaching. To highlight conservation and environmental awareness, show us your best shot documenting coral bleaching or SCTLD (stony coral tissue loss disease).
Submission deadline: June 1st
CHALLENGERS
UNDERWATER MODELS – WIDE ANGLE – An image with a model as the dominant subject (tiny divers in the negative space do not count). This includes a diver, a free diver, a snorkeler with sea life nearby, or someone dressed as a mermaid or in a fashionable outfit. The subject must be a well-thought-out focus of the image and not a random person swimming by. Fashion shots in a pool are acceptable for this category.
Submission deadline: June 1st
VIDEO
UNDERWATER FLOWERS – MACRO – Create a video showing subjects that appear flowerlike underwater, such as corals, anemones, and tube worms. Demonstrate them actively “blooming” – as a flower would open – as their polyps, plumes, or tentacles extend outwards. The use of either slo-mo or timelapse video is encouraged in portions of the video, in order to create the effect of flowers blooming. 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: June 1st
JULY
MASTERS
MASTERING SUNLIGHT – WIDE ANGLE – An image with a tasteful sunburst, not just a white blob, or dappled sunlight. The image should also include coral, marine life or a wreck. Do not overly “burn”/ bring down the highlights in post processing, it will be noticeable, and your image will be disqualified!
Submission deadline: June 29th
CHALLENGERS
EGGS – ANY LENS – Shoot the eggs of any species. This could be a close-up which really magnifies the eggs, or one which shows the partial face of the parent “grooming” the eggs. It could also be shot further out showing the parents tending to the eggs or protecting them from being eaten by other species.
Submission deadline: June 29th
VIDEO
SHARKS IN THE SUNLIGHT – WIDE ANGLE – Capture the movement of sharks amongst the sun’s rays – near the surface or from below. Try and capture the interplay of the movement of the shark(s) and the light, whether that be rays or dappled light. (Whale sharks are included). 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: June 29th
AUGUST
MASTERS
BLACKWATER CREATURES – ANY LENS – Any living subject found on a blackwater dive. This includes fish larvae, mollusks, crustaceans, gelatinous zooplankton, etc. This requires that the image is shot on a blackwater dive, in the water column, over a deep bottom, at night. This is not the same as a night dive on the reef, or a bonfire dive!
Submission deadline: August 3rd
CHALLENGERS
EYE SEE YOU – MACRO – A macro or super macro close up shot of a single eye. Capture the incredible complexity, texture, or iridescence commonly found in the eyes of many underwater creatures. Think about creatures that have radiant eyes or patterns around the eyes. The subject should be a close-up of a single eye, but if the other is visible in the background that is acceptable. Examples: the eyes of mantis shrimps, burrfish, barb fish, crocodile fish, etc.
Submission deadline: August 3rd
VIDEO
BLACKWATER VIDEO – ANY LENS – Make a video of any living blackwater subject or subjects. This requires that the video is shot on a blackwater dive, in the water column, over a deep bottom, at night. This is not the same as a night dive on the reef, or a bonfire dive! 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: August 3rd
SEPTEMBER
MASTERS
BEAUTIFUL BACKSCATTER – ANY LENS – Yes, that’s right. Contrary to popular belief, backscatter can create a nice effect sometimes. A good example is a dark background with backscatter creating the appearance of stars in the night, or a stingray stirring up the sand as it swims off, etc. However, this can be a daytime or night-time shot.
Submission deadline: August 31st
CHALLENGERS
BLENNIES THAT MAKE US LAUGH – MACRO – Blennies are expressive little creatures and do many wonky things underwater. Take a shot that makes us laugh like when they do funny things with their eyes, or when they pose upside down. Even catching two in one hole could give us a good chuckle.
Submission deadline: August 31st
VIDEO
MINISTRY OF FUNNY WALKS – ANY LENS – Some creatures have a curious and awkward gait, for example frogfish, batfish, and certain species of crab. Show some of the most bizarre in motion and include some of their other characteristic behaviors. Catching a yawn is a bonus! 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: August 31st
OCTOBER
MASTERS
SURFACE REFLECTIONS – ANY LENS – An image which has a detailed surface reflection, night or day. Can be a reef or a creature. No divers or man-made structures
Submission deadline: September 28th
CHALLENGERS
THINK PINK – ANY LENS – Submit an image where pink is the dominant color. This could be wide-angle or macro, and the pink could be the color of the subject or the background. For example, a fish sitting on a pinkish coral, or a close-up of a pink nudibranch. Perhaps a pink anemone. You can also use artificial pink backgrounds so long as pink is the dominant color.
Submission deadline: September 28th
VIDEO
TURTLES OR RAYS IN FLIGHT – WIDE ANGLE – Capture the graceful movement of turtles or rays soaring through the water as if in flight. The object is to capture motion that resembles flight. The subject must be filmed predominantly in open water, although it may be on the bottom for a short time prior to “taking off.” 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: September 28th
NOVEMBER
MASTERS
WIDE-OPEN APERTURE – MACRO – A wide-open aperture (low f-stop) macro shot of a creature with at least part of the subject in sharp focus and with the background a creamy complementary color and out of focus. Must be done in camera with a natural background – no man-made tools to produce the background. No solid black or open water blue backgrounds.
Submission deadline: November 2nd
CHALLENGERS
GOLIATH GROUPERS AND BAITFISH – WIDE ANGLE – Goliath grouper mating season is arguably one of the most exciting times in South Florida for photography. Here we are looking for an image of one or more Goliath groupers surrounded by the small silvery fish. Ideally the image would contain a background largely obscured by the baitfish with a grouper(s) emerging from the mass. Or the grouper may be totally enveloped by the mass, but the presence of the grouper must be obvious.
Submission deadline: November 2nd
VIDEO
SUPER MACRO VIDEO – MACRO – Make a video of tiny subjects (1 inch or smaller) and their behaviors, highlighting details that are hard to see with the naked eye, such as eggs, eyes, gills, and rhinophores. Selecting slow moving or static subjects is recommended. These might include nudibranchs, roughhead blennies, and bumblebee shrimps – to name a few. (Using diopters or teleconverters to magnify past a 1:1 image ratio is called super macro photography.) 1 minute maximum.
Submission deadline: November 2nd
PRINTABLE .PDF
For a printable version of this years contest subjects, click here:
VIDEO CONTEST RULES
Click here to view or print the video contest instructions:
PHOTO CONTEST RULES & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Photos must be taken underwater by the entrant. No aquarium or pool shots.
Each month the contest is divided into two categories – Masters and Challengers, each with different subjects to promote participation by all SFUPS members of all skill levels.
A maximum of 2 images per person may be submitted per meeting.
NOTE:
If you are uncertain about what qualifies in a category, please consult a reputable guidebook such as Humann/DeLoach’s reef set. If still in doubt, contact Eleanor Hornberger well before the contest. She will be happy to clarify a potential submission to confirm if it fits the category.