Winners Gallery
2nd place Adventure Photographer of the Year
Ben Thouard French Polynesia
The wave of Teahupoo, as seen from below. “I’ve dedicated my time to shooting exclusively underwater these last five to six years,” says photographer Ben Thouard. “I’m so amazed by what is happening below this wave – a different world! I call this image ‘Underwater world’ as I felt everything was there in the image and it really describes how I feel down there, in another world.”
BEHIND THE LENS
Ben Thouard France
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Captured in the morning
- Shot while freediving
- Sunny conditions
- Site accessed by boat
Originally from the south-east of France, Ben´s passion for the ocean and photography brought him around the world. He discovered Tahiti 20 years ago and decided to call it home. After shooting watersports for magazines and brands for over a decade he decided to slowly take a turn in his career and shoot water in a more personal style. His goal is to capture what really inspires him. The beauty of nature, the element of water, the waves and more particularly the underwater world. That photographic quest draws a whole new perspective in his photography career. It inspired Ben to create three art books : Surface, Turbulences and Aqua Obscura and it opened doors to art galleries allowing him to pursue his own projects and to shoot what he really loves: water.
MORE IMAGES BY Ben Thouard
AdventurePhotographer of the Year
2026 French Polynesia
Fine ArtPhotographer of the Year
2022 French Polynesia
AdventurePhotographer of the Year
2021 French Polynesia
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.