Underwater Images 2009 Competition Winners Announced

The winners of the 2009 Underwater Images Competition have been announced. Congratulations to DPG contributor Keri Wilk for taking Best of Show with his shot of a juvenile flying fish. Well deserved! Of course we also congratulate all the winners, which include many DPG members. A complete gallery of winning images should be posted online soon on the Underwater Images Competition website.

BEST OF SHOW

• Keri Wilk, Mississauga, Canada- Flying Fish
  

CONSERVATION CATEGORY

• First: Csaba Tokolyi, Budapest, Hungary- Death of a Shark
• Second: Jose Alvarez, Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic- Death of the Shark
• Third: Muljadi Pinneng Sulungbudi, Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia- We Live with the Nature
• Honorable Mention: Jose Alvarez, Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic- Killing the Future

VIDEO CATEGORY

• First: Nemeth Istvan, Szombathely, Hungary- Tempo-Formula Underwater
• Second: F. Allan Vogel, Manasquan, NJ- Blue Crab Blues
• Third: Barb Buchanan, Wilmington, NC- Visions of the Red Sea

VIDEO DOCUMENTARY CATEGORY

• First: Ng Englock, Singapore, Singapore- How A Mandarinfish Chooses Her Mate
• Second: Charlie Oldfield, Nottingham, England- Vigia
• Third: William Goodwin, Birmingham, AL- Scales and Feathers

WIDE ANGLE NOVICE CATEGORY

• First Place: Steffen Binke, Mooroobool Cairns, Australia- Minke Whale
• Second Place: Lazaro Ruda, Lake Park, FL- Alligator Split Shot
• Third Place: James T. McKnight, Leominster, MA- Manatee Mouth
• Honorable Mention:
  • Tobias Friedrich, Wiesbaden, Germany- History
  • Matt Grace, Eninitas, CA- Tahitian Reflections
  • Rockford K. Draper, Plano, TX- Mangrove Soft Coral

WIDE ANGLE OPEN CATEGORY

• First Place: Linda Cline, Forest Grove, OR- Sunladen
• Second Place: Mark Thomas, Cheshire, UK- Fish Overhead
• Third Place: Fredrik Ehrenstrom, Gunnilse, Sweden- Water Lilly Plant
• Honorable Mention:
  • Rogerio Silva, Leira, Protugal- Dondola Island
  • Keri Wilk, Mississauga, Canada- Pup
  • Jose Alvarez, Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic- In the Face

MACRO/CLOSE-UP NOVICE CATEGORY

• First Place: Rockford K. Draper, Plano, TX- Bon Appetite
• Second Place: Goos van der Heide, Gronigen, Netherland- Juvenile Squid
• Third Place: Andrew McCleod, Manilla, Philippines- Here’s Looking at You, Kid
• Honorable Mention: Claudio Zori, Portunaggiore, Italy- Trachinus

MACRO/CLOSE-UP OPEN CATEGORY

• First Place: Lazaro Ruda, Lake Park, FL- Seahorse Babies
• Second Place: Marchione Giacomo, La Loggia, Italy- Together
• Third Place: Joao Paulo Krajewski, Sao Paulo, Brazil- Pipefish
• Honorable Mention:
  • Goos van der Heide, Gronigen, Netherland- Yellow Boxfish
  • Jim Chambers, Tucker, GA- Jawfish

MAJESTIC CATEGORY

• First Place: Giordano Cipriani, Rome, Italy- Citizens of the Sea
• Second: Alexander Safanov, Tokyo, Japan- Diving Cape Gannet
• Third: Anatoly Beloschin, Moscow, Russia- Longimanus
• Honorable Mention:
  • Jose Alvarez, Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic- Whale Shark
  • Horace Galice, Gronigen, Netherlands
  • Alexander Safanov, Tokyo, Japan- Sailfish & Baitball
  • Lazaro Ruda, Lake Park, FL- Wild Dolphins

TOGETHERNESS CATEGORY

• First: Dany Weinberg, Eilat, Israel- Male Fight
• Second: Bruce Yates, Medina, WA- Mating Mandarinfish with Eggs
• Third: Amaury Cruz, Miami Beach, FL- Dolphins
• Honorable Mention:
  • Christine Kelbe, Kwazulu Natal, S. Africa- Roomates
  • Luc Rooman, Kieldrecht, Belgium- Sepia Love
  • Uwe Schmolke, Hessen, Germany- Is There Anyone More Out There, Dad?

DIVERS & MARINE LIFE

• First: Parvin Dabas, Mumbat, India- The Model
• Second: Viora Alessio, Borgomanero, Italy- Beauty & Beast
• Third: Marina Kochetova, Moscow, Russia- Acquaintance to the Giant
• Honorable Mention:
  • Daniel Selmeczi, Szolnok, Hungary- Around
  • Jean-Louis Danan, Palaiseau, France
  • Jose Alvarez, Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic- Whale Shark