2018 CONTEST SUBJECTS

SHRIMP – ANY LENS – From anywhere in the world. No mantis or skeleton shrimp, they are not true shrimp.

LIONFISH – ANY LENS – From anywhere in the world. Main subject is one or more lionfish, from close macro to a wide angle scene.

TRANSPARENT – ANY LENS – A living subject you can see through. For example, a clear shrimp or jellyfish, certain gobies and juvenile fish. Photo must clearly show transparency by being able to see through the animal.

SEA SLUGS – MACRO – Must be an opisthobranch mollusk which includes headshield slugs, sapsucking slugs, sidegill slugs, seahares, bubble shells and nudibranchs. Does not include flatworms.

ONE COLOR – MACRO – The subject and background are the same color. The majority of the image must be one color giving a monochrome, color on color effect. It can be any one color. No black & white.

SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD – MACRO – Most interesting use of limited depth of field to emphasize part of a subject. Only part of the subject (eyes, mouth, face, etc.) is in focus. This does NOT mean a sharp subject against a blurry background. Effect should be produced in camera, not in post processing.

TRIGGERFISH & FILEFISH – ANY LENS – Any triggerfish or filefish from around the world as the main subject.

PIERS – WIDE ANGLE – Best underwater shot of a pier where the pier is the main subject. NO over/under shots.

THE UPSIDE DOWN – ANY LENS – (In honor of Netflix “Stranger Things”) Photo of an animal in an upside down position. Example: upside down jellyfish, filefish hovering with head pointed down, shrimp or crab hanging from the underside of a cave or ledge, etc. Must be clear in the photo that the animal is actually upside down and it is not just a flipped photo.

GREEN FLASH – ANY LENS – Main subject must be primarily green in color.

RAINBOW REEFS – WIDE ANGLE – Reef scene with lots of different colors.

TEETH – ANY LENS – Photo that is all about the teeth of a fish. Composition must emphasize the teeth. Examples: Lizardfish, Barracuda, Sharks, Fang Blennies, Parrotfish, etc.

LIGHT & SHADOW – ANY LENS – Creative use of side or back lighting.

COMMENSALISM – ANY LENS – Two different animals that normally live together where one or both benefit but neither is harmed. Example: clownfish & anemone, remora & fish, shrimp & urchin, blind shrimp & goby. NO cleaning stations.

FRAMED – ANY LENS – Best composition with a natural element or manmade structure framing your subject on at least three sides.

OUT OF THE DARKNESS – ANY LENS – Any subject against a black background. Can be shot in the day or night. Effect should be created in camera, not in post processing. NO Black Water images. Snoots are allowed.

BLUE BACKGROUND MACRO – MACRO – Macro subject with an open exposure to produce a blue background.

RULE OF THIRDS – ANY LENS – Best composition using the rule of thirds. Subject matter and lens choice are open. Compose in camera, not by cropping afterwards. No more than 10% cropping allowed.
You can learn about the Rule of Thirds HERE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds

SHIPWRECK IN THE ENVIRONMENT – WIDE ANGLE – Show a shipwreck in its environment, surrounded on all sides by water, sand, reef. In other words, not just a part of a wreck or interior of a shipwreck.

WIDE ANGLE FEATURING HARD CORALS – WIDE ANGLE – Wide angle scene with hard corals as the main subject. Can feature a single brain coral, a stand of Elkhorn or a vast hard coral garden.

DINNER TIME – ANY LENS – A predator catching and/or eating its prey. Prey must be clearly visible.

SHOOTING DOWN – ANY LENS – Best composition using a high viewpoint shooting straight down on a subject.