After unveiling the winners and runners-up of the DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2024, DPG is thrilled to announce the six winners of the contest’s inaugural “mentor prizes.” Each of the photo pros on our illustrious judging panel selected one of the finalists to receive the special prize—an hour-long one-on-one video chat session to review their portfolio and give them handy tips and advice to help make their underwater photography even better.

Jury chair and Nauticam ambassador Nicolas Remy selected Dawn Strohmeyer for her finalist photo in the Macro category, a creative shot of a cardinal soldierfish inside a sponge. The mentor prize from Ikelite ambassador Steven Kovacs goes to Mark Chang for his beautifully captured pair of whip coral gobies, a finalist in the Traditional category, while Marelux ambassador Shane Gross chose Macro category finalist Simon Biddie for his wonderful image of a ghost goby blending in with the coral.

For Isotta ambassador Tanya Houppermans, it was Guillermo Viveros’ atmospheric shot of a diver in a Mexican cenote, a Wide Angle category finalist, that was most deserving of her mentor prize, while Seacam ambassador Imran Ahmad picked Kat Zhou to receive his mentor prize for her incredible capture of a female blanket octopus reflected at the surface, which was a finalist in the Blackwater category. Finally, Fabi Fregonesi was selected by Sea&Sea ambassador Andy Sallmon for her finalist entry in the Conservation category, a poignant image of a sargassum fish inside a discarded plastic cup.

Hearty congratulations to all six talented winners, who will soon be video-chatting with their “mentors” to talk about all things underwater photography, and special thanks to our judges for generously offering their time. If you haven’t already enjoyed the winning images and videos in this year’s DPG Masters, head over to UnderwaterCompetition.com.
 

DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2024
MENTOR PRIZE WINNERS

Macro – “Swim Shady” by Dawn Strohmeyer (USA)
 

MENTOR

Nicolas Remy

Shooting Location: Curaçao

Equipment and Settings: Sony a7R Mark IV, Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro, Nauticam housing, 2x Backscatter Hybrid Flash strobes, vortex effect filter (f/22, 1/250s, ISO 200)

Photographer’s Comment: “I hadn’t planned on capturing anything extraordinary that afternoon in Curaçao—the midday sun was high, and I was simply exploring the reef with my camera in tow playing with a vortex lens that I had recently added to my camera rig. As I drifted past a towering barrel sponge, a flicker of movement caught my eye. Peering inside, I saw a cardinal soldierfish. Its vivid scales and large, curious eyes popped against the sponge’s interior, creating a natural frame I couldn’t resist. That brief moment felt like a privileged glimpse into the reef’s hidden world, reminding me of the wonder that still thrives beneath the waves. Encounters like this inspire me to keep exploring and to advocate for the ocean’s protection—because once you’ve been part of such magic, you’re hooked for life.”

Traditional – “Expectant Parents” by Mark Chang (Philippines)
 

MENTOR

Steven Kovacs

Shooting Location: Anilao, Batangas, Philippines

Equipment and Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro, Nauticam housing, Nauticam CMC-1, Backscatter Mini Flash and Optical Snoot (f/18, 1/200s, ISO 320)

Photographer’s Comment: “We observed this pair of whip coral gobies moving back and forth over their eggs, possibly to aerate them. After doing this continuously for quite some time, they briefly stopped. They seemed to rest for a while in a loving embrace, as if they were looking forward to becoming parents.”

Macro – “Ghost of the Reef” by Simon Biddie (UK)
 

MENTOR

Shane Gross

Shooting Location: Marsa Alam, Egypt

Equipment and Settings: Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 Macro, Nauticam housing, 2x Retra Flash Pro Max strobes (f/20, 1/200s, ISO 160)

Photographer’s Comment: “Small reef fish, unassuming and often unseen, contribute to 70% of the fish biomass, making them a critical part of reef food chains. Like many of their land-based insect equivalents, small fish evade predators by being experts in hiding. These small reef fish are also known as ‘cryptobenthic’ fish—‘crypto,’ as they hide in crevices or use camouflage. As part of the food chain, they are important in supporting larger fish found in these reefs. Of these class of fish, the gobies are thought to be the most important. This photograph of a ghost goby shows how adept at hiding these small fish can be. Growing to about 2cm long, they are well adapted to camouflage among coral. With their transparent bodies, fins with suction for firm grip, and low-set gills to hide any movement, they try to evade their predators. In the meantime, their large, angled eyes are on the lookout for plankton.”

Wide Angle – “CCR Diver in Cenote” by Guillermo Viveros (Mexico)
 

MENTOR

Tanya Houppermans

Shooting Location: Tulum, Mexico

Equipment and Settings: Nikon D850, Nikon 16mm f/2.8, Isotta housing, 2x Sea&Sea YS-D2J strobes, Bigblue 30,000-lumen video light (f/5, 1/100s, ISO 8000)

Photographer’s Comment: “Cave diving requires a lot of training and well-developed skills. Cenote Jailhouse, where this shot was captured, is a wonderful example of the caves found within the Yucatán Peninsula’s vast underground river system, with lots of beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, and columns surrounded by crystal-clear water. At the surface, the cenote’s green water color doesn’t invite you to jump in, and there are lots of plants, leaves and other fallen objects to negotiate. But at around three meters deep, a wide, beautiful chamber opens up, while the clear underground river water allows you to enjoy the dive. After around 50 minutes penetrating the cave, the scenery is perfect for pictures. My model, Venetia Woo, is a CCR diver, so the lack of air bubbles made for a nice, clean subject for photography.”

Blackwater – “Blanket Reflection” by Kat Zhou (USA)
 

MENTOR

Imran Ahmad

Shooting Location: Anilao, Batangas, Philippines

Equipment and Settings: Nikon D850, Nikon AF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro, Nauticam housing, 2x Inon Z-330 strobes (f/29, 1/250s, ISO 400)

Photographer’s Comment: “I spent a week diving in Anilao, hoping to get the chance to photograph an adult female blanket octopus. On one of my final nights, we ended up finding two! One of them swam away when we got close, but this one stayed around for quite some time. Of course, we found her at the very end of the dive, and I had exactly zero air left in my tank when she fully unfurled her cape. Luckily, she was right at the surface. I keep a snorkel in my pocket when I dive, and this was the first time I’ve actually had to use it! Since it was calm on the surface, I was able to take a few reflection shots, and this one was my favorite.”

Conservation – “S.O.S. (Sargassum Out of the Sargassum)” by Fabi Fregonesi (Brazil)
 

MENTOR

Andy Sallmon

Shooting Location: Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Equipment and Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro, Nauticam, 2x, Inon strobes (f/16, 1/125s, ISO 160)

Photographer’s Comment: “We were on our way back to our hotel after a dive when our guide spotted a sargassum fish in the shallows. As I began videoing the frogfish with my phone from the boat, it swam into a plastic cup that was floating at the surface. Observing this sad scene, I realized it was an opportunity to take a photo to raise awareness. I fetched my camera and got into the water to take some shots. Soon afterwards, the dive guide gently moved the plastic cup close to some sargassum so that the animal could return to its natural environment. I always have mixed feelings when shooting photos like this one, but I believe we have an important role, as photographers, to help raise awareness about environmental issues through our work. With trillions of pieces of plastic and microplastic in the oceans, making up around 80% of all marine pollution, it is imperative that we work harder to address our plastic addiction.”