Welcome to CompetitionsSDW.com - The Photo Competition Website for Scubadive West

Scubadive West - 2010 Photography Competition

This year participants can compete in Three categories:

The Best of Ireland Underwater: Macro (close-up) Category

The Best of Ireland Underwater: Wide Angle Category

The Best of the West: Connemara Overwater Category

Scubadive West’s 2010 Photo Competition celebrates the best in Irish amateur photography. Our 2009 winner in the Wide Angle Category, Darragh Norton, has since gone on to be published in ‘Sport Diver’ magazine. So our competition is a really good stepping stone for anyone looking to work as a professional photographer.

How to Enter

The deadline for submission of pictures is midnight on Wednesday 8th September 2010. All entries are via this website so go to our Register page for more details.

Please note that this is an amateur photo competition. Anyone who currently sells or has in the past sold their photos is not eligible to enter.
Enforcement of this condition is strictly at the discretion of the competition organisers.

This Year’s Prizes

This year’s prize fund is in excess of €3,000 and has been very kindly sponsored by Scubapro, Suunto, Fourth Element, Oonas Divers, Renvyle House Hotel, Portwest adventure store and Scubadive West. Exact details of the prizes are available on our prizes page.

Gala Dinner

Scubadive West’s 2010 Photography Competition will culminate in a prize-giving ceremony and gala dinner in the Maol Reidh Hotel, Tullycross on Saturday 18th September 2010 starting at 8pm. This evening will be a general celebration of all things good about this island of ours and there will be a multimedia presentation of all photo entries. We would be delighted to welcome anyone to this dinner, divers and non divers alike. Tickets cost €35 per person for a 3 course meal and are available directly from Scubadive West. Please note that €5 from each ticket sale will be donated to the very worthy Project Aware Foundation; the diving industry’s leading nonprofit marine conservation and awareness organisation.

The Maol Reidh Hotel is offering a special rate of €79 per person sharing for two night’s B&B for the weekend of 17/18th September. The price for a single letting is €100. Call the hotel directly on 095 43844 to avail of this rate and mention Scubadive West.
Those of you planning to stay elsewhere can avail of our complementary taxi service on the night to transport you back to your lodgings. So no excuse not to stay for the disco!

2009 Winning Pictures

Macro Photography

1st place Martin Kiely (Getting personal, Cliffes of Moher) – This pin-sharp shot of two nudibranchs ‘getting friendly’ is a worthy macro winner. It is extremely well composed, perfectly lit and captures all the minute details of the nudis.

2nd place Darragh Norton (Hermit crab, Killary) – The vivid colors on this hermit crab’s body contrast well with the dark shell and surroundings, making you focus on the legs, claws and eyes. Sharp, nicely composed and well lit. (Darragh’s tompot blenny is also very nice).

3rd place Deirdre Greer (Donegal Smile) – Tompot blennies are always ready to pose for a photograph, but trying to capture their cheeky face on camera is not always easy. This shot has the blenny front and centre, nicely lit and with surroundings to make it stand out.

Wide Angle Photography

1st place Darragh Norton (The Monk, Inish Boffin) – This would make a perfect cover shot for Sport Diver! The main focus of the photograph is the monkfish, but with the addition of the photographer shooting the monkfish, it goes from being a ‘fish portrait’ to an ‘action shot’. The dark background serves to emphasize the monkfish and the photographer. Perfectly composed, well thought out.

2nd place Ivan Donoghue (Fabrizio on Girl Arlene) – What attracted me to this shot was the rich contrast between the colourful wall smothered in anemones and the deep green background water. The diver is nice and sharp, and looking at the anemones. Well composed and well lit.

3rd place Ciaran O Murchu (Love at First Sight, Inish Boffin) – Another well-composed shot of a diver interacting with marine life. I like the fact that the photograph ‘tells a story’, and you have the diver intently looking at the lobster nestled in the crevice. Nicely lit and thought out.

Scubadivewest.com | Email Scubadive West

Site Design & Hosting by Visual Dealer.com