ENTER 2023

STEP 01

Photograph by 2022 Fine Art finalist, Ben Thouard

2023 entry window closed

Thank you for your interest in entering the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023! The entry period closed on June 30, 2023 at 23:59 GMT. If you have any questions regarding your submission - or if you had any issues with your uploads as the window closed - please email us at submissions@ocean.photo. Finalists and winners will be announced in August and September 2023 respectively. Good luck!

3-Step Entry

  • Basket Icon Basket Active Icon
    Choose which categories you would like to enter
  • Camera Icon Camera Active Icon
    Submit your photographs
  • Pen Icon Pen Active Icon
    Enter your details and pay entry donation
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Step 1

Choose your categories

Select your categories by clicking ENTER. Submission to each category costs £10, 100% of which is

donated to our charity partner SeaLegacy to aid their ocean conservation work.

Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope)

OPY conservation hope scaled
£10 DONATION
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Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope)

Awarded to the photographer who most powerfully communicates stories of hope and recovery. This could focus on a particular species, a wider ecosystem or human endeavour in finding solutions to the problems we face. What does ocean conservation hope mean to you? And how have you effectively captured that through imagery?

Category photograph by Female Fifty Fathoms 2021 winner, Renee Capozzola

Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact)

£10 DONATION
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Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact)

Awarded to the photographer who most powerfully communicates any of the many perils facing the ocean today. This could focus on the plight of a particular animal, species or wider ecosystem. What does ocean conservation impact mean to you? And how have you effectively captured that through imagery?

Category image by Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year 2022, Simon Lorenz.

Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year

OPY Adventure
£10 DONATION
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Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year

Awarded to the photographer who most successfully translates our species’ love and fascination of life in, on and around the ocean. The ocean is full of adventure, whether you’re sailing across vast expanses of it, surfing in tight barrels on remote reefs or diving on pristine drop-offs. What does ocean adventure mean to you? And how have you effectively captured that through imagery?

Category photograph by Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year, Ben Thouard

Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year

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£10 DONATION
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Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Awarded to the photographer who most successfully translates the story and beauty of a particular animal, species or ecosystem. Submissions should be full of colour and wonder, bringing the magic of life below the waterline to life.

Category image by Ocean Photographer of the Year 2020 finalist, Hannes Klostermann.

Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year

OPY fineart scaled
£10 DONATION
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Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year

Awarded to the photographer who creates imagery of particular aesthetic power. Beautiful, imaginative, creative, elegant. Colour and black and white submissions are both encouraged.

Photograph by 2021 finalist, Scott Portelli

The Ocean Portfolio Award

The Ocean Portfolio Award
£10 DONATION
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The Ocean Portfolio Award

Awarded to the photographer who most convincingly showcases a long-held commitment to ocean conservation through a striking body of work – strong enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the judges. A total of ten images must be submitted, taken at any time during the photographer’s working life. Award-winning images can be submitted. 

Photograph by 2021 Ocean Portfolio Award winner, Stefan Christmann

Young Ocean Photographer of the Year

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£10 DONATION
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Young Ocean Photographer of the Year

Open to all photographers 25 years of age or under on June 30, 2022, this award will be given to a young photographer who shows photographic ability beyond their years as well as clear ocean literacy – an understanding of what their subject matter is, why their photograph is important and the message the images is trying to convey.

Photograph by 2021 Young Ocean Photographer of the Year, Hannah Le Leu.

The Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean

£10 DONATION
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The Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean

The Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean is a celebration of our species being a part of nature, not apart from nature.

Submissions should highlight an individual's connection with the ocean (photographer or subject), whether that be an image of a marine biologist hard at work in the field, an image of an Indigenous person fighting for the protection of their ancestral coastline or any other instance of a person connecting with our blue planet.

We can't wait to see your images of beautiful ocean connection!

Category photograph by 2022's Human Connection Award winner, Steve Woods.

 

The Female Fifty Fathoms Award

Free to nominate
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The Female Fifty Fathoms Award

Celebrating inspirational women in ocean photography. Here’s to the boundary-pushers and innovators; the pioneering spirits and the resolute; the forward-thinkers and the cause-committed. Here’s to femininity, without compromise. Which female photographer most inspires you? Local or international, amateur or professional, famous or not. Let’s raise them up. Let’s inspire the next generation of ocean women through their example. Let’s push for parity.

Photograph by 2022 Female Fifty Fathoms Award winner, Brooke Pyke.

Step 2

Upload Your Photographs & captions

Click on each category you've entered below to upload files (5MB per image).

If you are entering multiple images into a single category, please use Ctrl (PC) or Shift (Mac) to upload your images as a single bundle (including a single caption sheet with all captions) 

If you change your mind on entering a category, you can remove it in Step 3.

If you are nominating in the Female Fifty Fathoms Award, you'll complete this on the final page. 

For a reminder of file specifications, read here.

Step 3

Confirm details and pay

Entry costs £10 per category, 100% of which is donated to our charity partner, SeaLegacy, in support of their ocean conservation work.

IN YOUR CART FILES PRICE
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Thank you for entering.

100% of your entry fee goes to SeaLegacy to support their ocean conservation work.

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Before payment can be processed and your photographs accepted, please confirm you

have read and agree to the Terms & Conditions of the competition*.

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