2024 Open Water winner: Massimo Giorgettta

Pictures are a powerful medium for conservation. Images reveal untold stories, stir emotion and change hearts. Ocean Geographic prioritizes the use of outstanding imagery to convey knowledge, thoughts and evoke compassion and desire within us to conserve and celebrate the beauty of our planet.

To encourage greater use of imagery for conservation and to celebrate the beauty of our planet, entries are now open for the 13th annual Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year competition. Participants will compete in 18 categories to share their experiences and special moments from the ocean.

Your pictures are imperative to promote better conservation of our natural world. As your work will influence change, we view the importance of awarding special recognition with prestigious awards for Outstanding Achievement, Merit of Excellence and Special Commendations.

Most of these awards are named in honor of some of THE MOST CELEBRATED IMAGE-MAKERS and SCIENTISTS OF OUR OCEAN.

The OCEAN GEOGRAPHIC PICTURES OF THE YEAR (OGPICOTY) is the Most Influential Ocean Conservation Imagery Competition.
PRIZES valued at over $USD 110,000 TO BE WON!

2024 winner: Reiko Takahashi

Categories include:

1. Endangered Animals Category – The Sylvia Earle 90th Birthday AWARD of Excellence
This OG PICOTY category raises awareness of endangered ocean animal species and rewards the Winner with the most distinguished award—Dr. Sylvia Earle’s 90th Birthday Award of Excellence and an Aurora Expeditions prize to the Antarctic or Arctic on the expedition ship the SYLVIA EARLE. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species – our planet’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species – at least 37% of sharks and rays, 33% of reef corals, 26% of marine mammals are threatened with extinction. Overfishing, habitat loss and degradation, pollution, as well as climate change, have beleaguered many ocean animals to the brink of extinction. Pictures or videos for this category should highlight the beauty of an endangered animal or the habitat of an endangered animal.

2. Animal Portraits – the Emory Kristof Award of Excellence
Pictures should feature the unique character or spirit of the marine animal or fish as well as express a sense of tenderness and intimacy. We encourage the photographer to push the boundary of standard portraiture.

3. Fish Behavior – the Dr GERRY ALLEN Award of Excellence
Picture must have the WOW factor – instantly capture attention. It may be a rare or fascinating behavior; simply ‘sitting’, ‘staring’ or ‘sleeping is not enough. While it is essential to show genuine behavior, we are looking for images of special interest, with aesthetic appeal and dramatic impact.

4. Animal Behavior – the DOUG PERRINE Award of Excellence
Picture must have the WOW factor – instantly capture attention. It may be a rare or fascinating behavior; simply ‘sitting’, ‘staring’ or ‘sleeping is not enough. While it is essential to show genuine behavior, we are looking for images of special interest, especially rarely or never seen before behavior, with aesthetic appeal and dramatic impact. Any other animals but fish.

5. Black & White Print – the ERNIE BROOKS II Award of Excellence
Pictures maybe around water or underwater; composition may be of animals or seascapes revealing details, contrast of black, white and grey. The picture should be aesthetically appealing.

6. Color Prints – the Valerie Taylor Award of Excellence
Pictures maybe around water or underwater; composition may be of animals or seascapes revealing details, shadows and contrast. The picture should be aesthetically appealing.

7. Coral Reefs of the World – the Dr CARDEN WALLACE Award of Excellence
This is a category to celebrate the beauty of coral reefs i.e. landscape composition of coral reefs. Composition must show hard coral or soft coral species – should portray a sense of wilderness, diversity or density of species and impressiveness of the environment/habitat. It should make use of creative lighting, and capture both a feeling of an underwater wilderness and a sense of awe.

8. Creative Vision – the Dr Pascal Lecocq Award of Excellence
We are looking for unique, surprising, artistic interpretations of the ocean. It may be inter-tidal, from the surface or underwater , abstract or ambiguous, but has to be executed to exacting photographic techniques. We will be looking for a distinct, well thought out process, originality and an attempt to convey a greater understanding of our watery planet. In-camera multiple exposures permitted.

9. Small Exotic Animals – the Neville Coleman Award of Excellence
This category is for the macro aficionado – portraits or behavior of small exotic animals – typically a 1:1 or magnified. Pictures should feature the unique character or spirit of the critters which expresses a sense of tenderness or intimacy with the creature. We encourage the photographer to push the boundary of standard close up images.

10. Human & Ocean – the Stephen Frink Award of Excellence
This is a category for a picture of a human in an underwater scene. The model must not be the focus of the image but seen as directional tool that helps to emphasize the beauty of the animal or scene. It should make use of creative lighting, and bring about greater awareness to the animal or environment.

11. Open Water (Pelagic Zone) – the Brian Skerry Award of Excellence
This is a category for pelagic animals that generally live in the open ocean or in deep water of over 100m. The picture must clearly reveal the species and the pelagic habitat. Clearly indicate location and depth in the file name.

12. Black & Blue Water Exploration – the Dr William Hamner Award of Excellence
This is a category for a picture of planktonic animals captured in open water in the day or night. Though not limited to, the special focus will be animals that have migrated from deep water into the pelagic realm and larvae stage of animals that thrive in the pelagic zone. The emphasis is on never seen before images and pictures that bring about greater awareness of the pelagic environment.

20214 winner: Sho Otani

13. Emerging Photographer of the Year – the Dr ALEX MUSTARD Award of Excellence
This category is for new photographers that demonstrate passion, desire and skill in capturing inspiring images; pictures must be shot after 1 Jan 2019. Pictures must show fish, marine animals, or marine birds, marine plants or seascapes. The judges will be looking for original, beautiful or striking shots rather than rare or exotic subjects. Submit three pictures for this category. Images may be either wide angle or macro/close up or combination of both.

14. Music & Pictures – the Michael AW Award of Excellence
This category calls for submission of a movie file made from a slideshow of pictures montaged to music. It should be thematic, focus on the marine environment or marine animals. Pictures must be shot entirely by the competitor; music should original or with license to use.

15. OG Master Portfolio – the DAVID DOUBILET Award of Excellence 
This is a prestigious award will be given for a set of images that raises awareness of the ocean environment through photographic excellence. It should consist of a series of 10 pictures that depict a pristine environment or animals that inspire love of our ocean, or an environment that is currently threatened by destruction and needs urgent conservation attention. Shock value may be useful, but we are looking for genuine photographic excellence. Messages may be positive or negative, pictures may be graphic or symbolic, but must be thought provoking, memorable and encourage concern for nature. The Portfolio maybe thematic or diverse in genre showing the skill of the photographer.

16. Emerging Ocean Geographic Photo-Journalist – Merit of Excellence
This category is open to all underwater photographers and writers. The essay must be written in first person, about encounters with ocean mammals, reef fish, and invertebrates. Primary focus should be about conservation, natural history or new discoveries.

17. Vision of the Sea Movie – the HOWARD HALL Award for Outstanding Achievement
60% of the video’s content must feature marine species or marine protected area(s) – the message may depict a pristine environment that inspired love of our ocean or an environment that is currently under the threat of destruction and needs urgent conservation attention. Messages conveyed may be positive or negative.

18. Smartphone pictures/video category – The Jennifer Hayes Award of Outstanding Achievement.
The Smart Phone Pictures & Videos category is open exclusively to photographs and videos captured and edited with any mobile phone. The primary focus of this category is to encourage everyone to share their experiences in the ocean with the masses, especially through social media platforms. The key point is to capture the beauty of our ocean realm extensively and share the experience with everyone.

Visit OG PICOTY’s website for more information and to submit your entry!