Announcing
The 2nd Annual Dive Shop
Underwater Photography Contest!
Multiple Categories!
What makes this contest special?
- We will award winners in still imagery AND the category of video; encouraging a variety of photographic talent.
- Your winning photograph will be featured on the annual Dive Shop calendar and prominently displayed in The Dive Shop. Winning videos will be featured in promotional videos used in the shop and at the annual Utah Travel Expo.
- You can enter your photo completely for free.
We've seen many new photographers blow the experienced divers away...
PHOTO IDEAS:
- Wide Angle
- Macro
- Divers
- Animal Portrait
- Reefscape
- Black & White
VIDEO IDEAS:
- Macro
- Wide Angle
Deadline for Submissions:
30 September 2024
Winners Announced:
1 December 2024
PRIZES
Images: Winning photos in each category will be featured in The Dive Shop calendar, winning participants will receive a copy of the published calendar. A printed copy of the credited image (16x20 in) will be displayed in The Dive Shop and another printed copy will be provided to the winner.
Videos: Winning videos in each category will be prominently used in the preparation of material for The Dive Shop booth at the Utah Travel Expo (January every year), and for promotional materials displayed in The Dive Shop. All videos will be fully credited to identify the winner.
Rules & Guidelines
General Rules
- The Dive Shop Underwater Photography competition is open to entrants of all skill levels.
- Dive Shop staff are allowed to enter the contest; however, judges are not allowed to enter.
- Each individual can only win one prize or prize package.
- Winners will be announced and published on The Dive Shop website (www.the-dive-shop.com) and Facebook (@DiveShopUT).
- Any image that, in the opinion of the judges, shows subject manipulation will not be awarded. We adhere to the conservation rules, marine life should never be stressed or endangered for the sake of a photo. Conservation rules will apply to all entries, and decisions will be final. Entries suspected of exhibiting the following behavior will be disqualified:
- Divers visibly damaging the environment (e.g. gear dragging or kicking up sand)
- Animals displaying signs of stress (e.g. puffed puffers, inking octopus)
- Images in which the subject has been moved into a position or environment in which they are not normally found
- Marine life being touched (e.g. coral polyps, seahorse tails)
- Divers exhibiting poor buoyancy control
- Images which have been captured in a manner that may cause distress or injury to the marine environment
Additional Rules for Image Entries
- All submitted images must have been taken by the entrant.
- Images or videos that have won, been placed or listed as a finalists in any other photo or video contest may not be submitted.
- Photographers retain all copyrights to their images. The Dive Shop, LLC retains the right to publish the contest entries in print or online to congratulate or feature the winners and their respective images, and to promote future events. Winning images will be included in the annual Dive Shop Calendar and used in publications in the context of congratulating and/or featuring the winners and winning images, and to promote future competitions. Photo credit will always be included with publication.
- All images need to have been taken underwater.
- Entries may have been taken from any camera, digital or film.
Additional Rules for Video Entries
- All videos must be limited to 5 minutes, including titles or credits where underwater footage is not used.
- A minimum of 50% of the footage must have been taken underwater.
- Videos should not show deliberate harassment of marine creatures unless this harassment is the ecological point of the video. Marine life must not be intentionally harassed or disturbed to obtain imagery - even if it is to make an ecological point.
- Please ensure that you have all rights to any media that is used in your video(s): music, visual footage, personal, copyright, or any other legal rights.
- Multiple videographers and editors are allowed, but only the submitter will be awarded the prize.
Photo Submission Guidelines
- Entries must be saved in JPG/JPEG format, sized to be between 2000 and 6000 pixels in the longest dimension, and have no watermarks. Please limit your images to a maximum file size of 5,000KB (5MB).
- Notify The Dive Shop of your submission by email to email@the-dive-shop.com, and in the body of the email include a download link to your photo submission on your file hosting service; you may attach your photo file to your email if your mail service will allow large attachments. Include the following information in your email (if all information is not provided, the submission will not be considered):
- Full Name
- Cell Phone #
- Photo filename
- Category for submission
Video Submission Process
- All video submissions will be registered online, but actual submissions must be made using a file hosting service such as Dropbox, WeTransfer, or Google Drive or delivered via thumb drive.
- After you register, please print-to-PDF the submission form provided in the link below.
- Notify The Dive Shop of your submission by email to email@the-dive-shop.com, and in the body of the email include a download link to your video submission on your file hosting service; DO NOT attach your video file to your email. Include the following information in your email (if all information is not provided, the submission will not be considered):
- Full Name
- Cell Phone #
- Video filename
- Title of Video
- Category for submission
Video Submission Guidelines
- Films must be no longer than five minutes in duration, and at least 50% of the footage must be shot underwater. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule, and entries over 5 minutes long will be disqualified.
- All videos must be submitted as an MP4, MPEG, or MOV file.
- If your video wins, we may ask for a file in the highest possible quality for public presentation.
