The Ones That Stuck With Us: Byron and Andy’s Top Picks from the 2026 Season

All photo competitions are subjective; they represent the collective opinions of a handful of experts, each with their own unique tastes and preferences. Because of this, it is almost impossible for any single person to love every chosen winner. On results day, everyone’s favorite pastime is playing "armchair judge." Many people focus on the images they don’t like, rather than sitting back and enjoying the collection as a whole.

Often, when we view the results, our personal favorites are found among the awarded runners-up rather than the gold medalists. Once you learn to look past the top spots and explore the Highly Commended and Commended images, you realize they usually represent a fair, balanced, and thought-provoking portfolio of work.

For this year’s "Big Three" underwater competitions—Ocean Art, DPG, and UPY—we (Andy and Byron) decided to look across every awarded image to pick our personal top five favorites and explain exactly why they appeal to us.

Andy’s Selections

This slow-shutter shot of a juvenile pinnate batfish, taken by Luis Arpa Toribio, immediately caught my eye. It took 2nd place in the macro category of Ocean Art 2025. I love how the motion blur trailing from the fins resembles orange flames flickering behind the fish, providing a striking contrast against the deep blue background.

Because these fish are constantly in motion and typically seek shelter in dark overhangs, they are notoriously difficult to photograph. Knowing how much patience was required to execute this technique under such challenging conditions truly elevates the shot for me.

James Ferrara took first place in the Cold Water category of Ocean Art with this stunning shot of a freediver beneath the ice in Tobermory, Ontario. I’m fascinated by the texture of the ice in this image; it draws the eye in, inviting you to scan for the various frozen shapes and patterns.

The inclusion of the freediver with those long, elegant fins adds a sense of scale, and I particularly love the reflection in the mask as they gaze back toward the exit hole. Having recently dived in Antarctica myself, I have a deep appreciation for exactly what it takes to produce work of this caliber in such frigid conditions.

Mirko Zanni received an Honorable Mention in the DPG Masters competition for this striking over-under of Sockeye salmon. Captured during their spawning phase, the image beautifully showcases their brilliant red bodies and olive-green heads.

I particularly enjoy the "triple" eye contact with the three primary subjects, and as you explore the scene, you discover additional fish lingering in the background. While the image is a fantastic technical achievement, I feel it could have been further elevated with a more pristine top-side scene, as the trees on the left appear slightly past their peak. Regardless, it remains a truly lovely and well-executed shot.

This stunning image by James Ferrara earned a well-deserved 2nd place in the Cold Water category of the DPG Masters. While killer whale photography has become increasingly popular, this particular shot from Norway stands out as truly exceptional.

What elevates this image above the standard orca portrait for me is the masterful use of dappled light. The way the sunbeams penetrate the surface creates a dramatic, ethereal "god ray" effect that perfectly frames the whale's dorsal fin. This natural spotlight contrasts beautifully with the deep blue of the Norwegian fjords, adding a layer of atmosphere that is often missing in simpler encounters.

My last—but certainly not least—favorite image from this year’s competitions is the winner of the Behavior category from UPY. This shot by Kazushige Horiguchi of Japan captures a clownfish watching intently as its eggs begin to hatch.

I personally love observing and photographing clownfish; however, while I’ve seen many parents tending to their eggs, I have never been lucky enough to witness the actual hatching. Capturing this specific moment must have required an immense amount of patience, especially considering the parent is in constant motion, darting back and forth to aerate and protect the clutch. It is a masterful capture of a fleeting biological event.

Byron’s Selections

My favorite photo across all competitions this year was this incredible shot by Shunsuke. It represents a complete departure from my personal style, which tends toward bright, colorful, and technically lit imagery. As a result, I find this image truly inspiring; its simplicity—presented in black and white with an incredibly powerful graphic message—is exceptional.

While the presentation appears minimalist, it hides the immense skill required to capture such a perfect, fleeting moment. It offers a flawless blend of nature and human influence, framed perfectly by the square geometry of the shipwreck window. Ultimately, this photo is a masterclass in artistic restraint.

This image by Luis Arpa has been decorated across several competitions this year, yet despite its frequent appearances, it remains one of my personal favorites. It offers a fresh, unique perspective on a common subject, achieved through the use of an EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens) optic. This specialized relay lens allows a photographer to capture a wide-angle perspective within a macro scene, creating a sense of scale that is usually impossible to achieve.

The EMWL is notoriously difficult to master, and consistent results are hard to come by. To me, this represents one of the first truly great and original frames produced with this glass—a perfect marriage of difficult technology and creative vision.

This photo won Gold in the Macro category of DPG Masters, and I simply adore it. It perfectly captures the character and behavior of a Blue-fanged Blenny as it clears sand from its burrow within a coral home.

This image is a split second in time that accomplishes exactly what great photography should: it tells a story. It is far more powerful than a standard blenny portrait, and I particularly enjoy the natural background created by the wide-open aperture—a choice that makes an already difficult shot even harder to execute. I also love the way the soft background colors beautifully complement the blue of the fish.

This photo appeals to me personally as it was captured in a location that sits at the very top of my bucket list. I have wanted to dive the kelp forests of California for years, having long found the imagery from that region utterly captivating.

This particular image is about as good as it gets; it is technically superb. The subject is full of character, and the photographer used the perfect depth of field and perspective to make it pop against that incredible, towering background. The balance between the ambient light in the distance and the strobe work on the subject is masterful—it’s so natural that you almost can’t tell it has been artificially lit."

When we are so frequently exposed to the incredible creatures of the ocean, it is wonderful to be reminded that freshwater is also home to some truly awesome species. Often overlooked in favor of more exotic destinations, it’s refreshing to see a cold-water lake image take a win. I love the vibrant colors, the crisp reflection, and the partial Snell’s Window in this shot; the balance of light and the overall composition make it a truly fabulous piece of freshwater imagery.