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Let’s be honest: Underwater photography isn’t the easiest of pursuits. With many of us doing one or two dive trips a year, it can sometimes seem like progress is painfully slow. So, how do you supercharge your learning experience? How do you find out the tips and tricks that the pros use? How do you take your images to the next level in just a handful of days? The Digital Shootout—that’s how!

Last month, the prestigious event was back in Bonaire, and 60 participants from all over the world joined the pros from the worlds of diving and underwater imaging for another intense week of dives, seminars, and competition. Guests stayed at the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino, with some spectacular shore dives on the Calabas Reef on the doorstep, with many enjoying the extra Warm-Up Week before the full-on Event Week kicked in.
 

Naturally, our equipment partner, Backscatter, were in the thick of the action, introducing participants to the hottest underwater imaging gear around. Here’s just some of the cool equipment that shooters got to have a play with:

• Panasonic Lumix GH-5
• Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
• Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
• Panasonic Lumix LX-10
• Olympus Tough TG-5
• GoPro HERO5 Black
• FLIP5 Filters for GoPro
• Nikon 8–15mm Fisheye Lens

Of course, for many, the icing on the cake was the (friendly) competition at the end of the Event Week, with a very fine selection of prizes going to the photographers and videographers who captured the most mind-blowing images and video from the island. This year’s judges—Berkley White, Dan Baldocchi, Hergen Spalink, Erin Quigley, Joel Penner and Steffan Schulz—picked some deserving winners, including the following:
 

Winner: Jim Watt Award – Philip Seys (Nikon D800)
 

Winner: Wide Angle Traditional – Karen Smith (Olympus OM-D E-M1)
 

Winner: Wide Angle Unrestricted – Steve Ratts (Canon EOS 5D Mark III)
 

Winner: Macro Traditional – Marteyne van Well (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV)
 

Winner: Macro Unrestricted – Jim Decker (Nikon D500)
 

Winner: Point & Shoot – Rob Smith (Olympus Tough TG-5)
 

Winner: Nightsea – Steve Ratts (Canon EOS 5D Mark III)
 

Winner: Video – Jeff Reasol (Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II)
 

We know what you’re thinking… Why wasn’t I there?! Well, fret not—there’s always a next time! If you fancy joining in the party, The Digital Shootout will be back in 2018, this time at Coco View Resort in Roatán. You can reserve your spot now.