Winners of the Underwater Festival 2011 - The Australasia Challenge
Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe
The Concept
We are all aware of the impact of digital photography, the internet
and especially social media on our daily lives. These 'advances' in
technology have really had a huge impact on diving as well. Underwater
Photography has became cheaper and easier to do and a lot easier to
share.
It was with that in mind that the 5th installment of the annual
Underwater Festival was taken to a new dimension. We gave participants
10 days to shoot, but they could participate anywhere in 25 countries
that we defined as the Australasia Region.
From the 2nd to the 11th of September 2011, hundreds of divers from
all around the world participated in this 'underwater snapshot of
Australasia' in all kinds of ways. They dived their way from Sydney to
Cairns in 10 days, circumnavigated Bali, showed off their favourite
'own backyard' dive sites, travelled long distances to participate in
one of the organised Fringe Events or created their own. The top 100
images and top 10 videos were exhibited in the Underwater Festival Hall
during ODEX.
Over $150,000 in prizes were won in 14 Photo Categories and 5 Video
Categories which makes this to our knowledge the richest event in
underwater imaging on the planet.
Not unlike an underwater 'Earth Hour' we want to help to highlight
the underwater beauty but also the underwater issues of this fantastic
bioregion and help to show the world what we've got to lose.
Underwater Festival Awards
Some of the worlds most recognised underwater photographers and film
makers namely Steven Wong & Takako Uno, Neville Coleman, Mathieu
Meur, Tony Wu, Gary Bell, Aaron Wong, Jason Heller and David Warth
devoted their time to judge the submitted entries.
It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm for this event from
different corners of Australasia and we hope the results reflect the
ambitious '2011 Underwater Snapshot of Australasia'
The winners were announced at the Underwater Festival Awards
ceremony during the ODEX & Underwater Festival Party on 8 October.
The prestigious Underwater Festival Trophies were awarded to the first
prize winners in all categories as well as the best of show Photography
and Video - of course in addition to the fabulous prizes.
First prize - Underwater Festival
Award winners and top prizes
WINNER - BEHAVIOUR - Pedro Carrillo-Montero - 7-day dive holiday to
Christmas Island
WINNER - SEX - Vanessa Mignon - 8 Days 7 nights Cocotinos Manado
Special Dive Package for ONE
WINNER - TEMPERATE WATERS - Ross Gudgeon - Ikelite video or photo
housing of choice
WINNER - CORAL TRIANGLE - Matthew Tworkowski - US$3,500 Nauticam voucher
WINNER - FRESHWATER - Liz Rogers - 7-night dive holiday at Lissenung
Island Resort
WINNER - ISSUES - Peter Hitchins - 1 Week holiday at MATAVA for TWO
WINNER - NUDIS - Jim Dodd - Olympus XZ-1 with housing
WINNER - NEVILLE COLEMAN AWARD - Matthew Tworkowski - 5 day dive
package at Lembeh Hills Resort for ONE
WINNER - SHARKS - Peter Hitchins - 7-night dive package at Tawali
Resort for ONE
WINNER - BIG STUFF - Vanessa Mignon - 11 day cruise on the Arenui
WINNER - HUMANS - Mazdak Radjainia - Atomic COBALT Diving Computer
WINNER - WRECKS - Dorian Borcherds - 6-night holiday for TWO with
ABWonderdive
WINNER - OVER-UNDER - Bob Halstead - MARES Dive
computer ICON HD
WINNER - SUPER MACRO - Tet Lara - 5 day holiday for TWO at Heron Island
Resort
and
BEST OF SHOW - PHOTO - Tet Lara - Trip for TWO on the Damai or the
Damai II
Humpback Whales - Power and
Grace
WINNER - ULTRA SHORT VIDEO - Sabine Frank - 7 days at Gangga Island
Resort & Spa for ONE
Secrets of the sea
WINNER - NARRATED VIDEO - Elisabeth
Lauwerys - 10 night holiday for TWO
at Manta Ray Bay Resort in Yap
and
BEST OF SHOW - VIDEO - Elisabeth Lauwerys - 14 day holiday for TWO at
Eco Divers Resort Lembeh and Eco Divers Manado
Trouble in Paradise
WINNER - ISSUES VIDEO - Chris
Paporakis - 4-night shark expedition with
Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions
Fish Tales
WINNER - CREATIVE VIDEO - Kieren Curry - MARES Regulator set - Carbon
42 with Mission 2 gauge
Rock
of Magic
WINNER - STILL CAMERA VIDEO - Mazdak
Radjainia - 10 day dive holiday on
the Ark Royal for ONE
For those that did not make it to the show or awards night, please
visit the full results, blogs and galleries on the extensive Underwater
Festival website at underwaterfestival.org
Underwater Festival 2012
Wheels are in motion for the Underwater Festival 2012. Following
from
the feedback we received, the format will stay much the same, except
you will have the whole month of September 2012 to shoot. So start
planning your trips and keep your eyes on the Underwater Festival
website.
Sponsorship enquiries - Feedback to info@underwaterfestival.org
or
tim@underwater.com.au -
+61-2-66809410