Winners Gallery
Finalist Conservation Photographer of the Year
Henley Spiers Philippines
Anemone fish seemingly gaze up at the horrors of a ghost fishing net that has covered their entire reef. “In this image, you see the inhabitants of the reef looking at this human destruction which would quite quickly stifle and destroy their entre existence,” says photographer Henley Spiers. A fleet of dive operators removed the net shortly after this image was taken.
BEHIND THE LENS
Henley Spiers United Kingdom (UK)
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Camera: Nikon D850
- Nauticam housing and Inon Z330 strobes
- Site accessed by boat
- Taken while scuba diving
Henley Spiers is an award-winning underwater photographer, storyteller, and expedition leader, widely recognised as one of the leading voices in contemporary ocean photojournalism. Henley combines technical skill with a storyteller’s eye to create images that reflect both the wonder and vulnerability of the natural world. In recognition of his narrative approach, he was named the first-ever Storyteller in Residence for Oceanographic Magazine. He was named Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year (2024) and awarded the Grand Prize at HIPA (2022). His portfolio also includes major honours from the Nature Photographer of the Year, Environmental Photography Award, European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, as well as the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year. His photography has been widely published, including in National Geographic, The Sunday Times, Der Spiegel, The Economist, BBC Wildlife Magazine, and The Guardian.
MORE IMAGES BY Henley Spiers
Conservation (Impact)Photographer of the Year
2026 South China Sea
Conservation (Impact)Photographer of the Year
2025 Mexico
Conservation (Hope)Photographer of the Year
2024 The Maldives
Fine ArtPhotographer of the Year
2024 Baja California Sur, Mexico
Fine ArtPhotographer of the Year
2024 Devon, England
WildlifePhotographer of the Year
2023 Baja California Sur, Mexico
Fine ArtPhotographer of the Year
2023 Isle of Noss, Scotland
Conservation (Hope)Photographer of the Year
2023 Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Collective Portfolio Award
2020 Philippines
Reconnect. Immerse yourself. Be inspired.
Enjoy the vibrancy, beauty and impact of each year's finalist photography, celebrated in our Ocean Photographer of the Year coffee table book collection.