2024 Photo Contest Rules
OCUPS Contest Categories and Rules
Updated October 2023 for 2024 Contest
Contest Categories
Entrants must select a category and stay in that category for the year. Entrants may change categories each year. If a member chooses to change mid-year, they forfeit any points they accumulated in the other category.
EnthusiastAny member may choose to be in this category. Only global changes are allowed in this category. Any member may choose to be in this category. This category is for people who may be better photographers than computer experts or do not want to spend time on a computer and are not considered an expert by our definition. Global modifications are those that affect the entire image, such as cropping, saturation, white balance, levels, sharpening, and contrast. Prohibited modifications include the use of layers or tools that are applied to specific areas such as brushes, healing, cloning, masking, etc.
Master
Any member may choose to be in this category. Digital manipulation is allowed except for composite imaging (adding to an image). This category includes members that wish to do more than global manipulation to their images and are not considered an expert by our definition.
Expert
Digital manipulation is allowed except for composite imaging (adding to an image). This category includes members who are thought of as experts or who present themselves as an expert in photography which would include professionals; semi-professionals; members making money from photography, giving seminars, workshops or blogs on underwater photography; or winning multiple international photo competitions. It also includes any member who wishes to compete in this category. Digital manipulation is allowed except for composite imaging (adding to an image).
Contest Rules
1 Monthly competitions are open to OCUPS Members ONLY.
2 Up to two entries are accepted per person for stills and video. Members may enter in both the video and the still competition each month.
3 Anyone winning first place twice out of the last three years is restricted to only one entry the following year if they stay in that category. If they decide to change categories, they can send in two entries. The following year the rule would be applied again. If they have not won two out of three years, they could go back to two entries.
4 Enthusiast, Master, and Expert categories are open to still images. Frames from video are not accepted.
5 Digital Submission Guidelines:
Please name your files in the following format: category abbreviation, a dash, first name initial, last name, image number.
For example: if your name is Babe Nemo and you are submitting three photos in the Master category the file names should be: MAS-BNemo1, MAS-BNemo2, and MAS-BNemo3.
Category Abbreviation Key: Enthusiast = ENT; Master= MAS; Expert= EXP
File Format & Size: Please use JPG sized at 1920 x 1080 (or 1920 maximum, on the longest side) at 72 pixels/inch.
6 Submission Deadline: Photos should be submitted no later than Friday evening prior to the club meeting. The Club is not responsible if the digital images will not project.
7 In the event of a challenge, the original image file or slide must be made available to the Club officers at the next meeting.
8 The entrant must have captured all images underwater, unless the contest category is specified as being "topside". Aquarium, pool and tank shots are not permitted. Unless specified all images are to be of living organisms.
9 No entry or copy of image that has previously won in the past three years in an OCUPS competition may be re-entered in a subsequent contest.
10 The contest theme or subject must be the focal point of the image.
11 The Contest Directors may disqualify any entry for rule stretching, marine conservation issues, or out of theme or incorrect level entries . They will attempt to inform the contestant of the Board’s decision before voting begins. It is the member’s responsibility to read, understand and clarify any questions regarding the categories, themes, and or rules before entering.
12 . Video Contest Rules:
a. Videos can be up to 30 seconds. Clips may be a continuous clip or edited but must be of the same individual subject taken in the same time frame to tell a story. No sound and no titles.
b. As with stills, global changes are allowed.
Global modifications are those that affect the entire image, such as cropping, saturation, white balance, levels, sharpening, and contrast. Prohibited modifications include the use of layers or tools that are applied to specific areas such as brushes, healing, cloning, masking, etc.
c. Contest themes will be the same as the still contest for the month unless specified.
Everyone will compete at the same skill level.
d. Videos may be taken on a video camera or with the video function of a digital still camera. A series of still shots is not permitted.
e. Up to two entries per month, per person. Anyone winning first place for the year twice out of the last three years is restricted to only one entry the following year if they stay in that category. The following year the rule would be applied again. If they have not won two out of three years, they could go back to two entries.
f Video file naming: VID_JSmith_01.mov
g. Do not email video files, as they are too large. Video clips can be submitted via http://wetransfer.comto ocups1@gmail.com. Please use 1080p format or just select the Vimeo/YouTube 1080p preset format.
13 Permission to reproduce any entry for purposes of OCUPS publicity is assumed, unless otherwise specified. All ownership and rights remain with the photographer.
14 Attendance is Required: Entrants must be present at the meeting to participate in the photo contest. However, if you leave prior to the contest conclusion you may still participate, as long as you were present sometime a substantial period of time during the meeting. If you do not plan on attending the meeting, please do not enter photos. Exception to attendance for up to two months is permitted with notification in advance to the contest coordinators.
2024 & 2025 Contest Categories
OCUPS MONTHLY PHOTO CONTEST 2024 CONTEST THEMES
| Month | Subject | |
| January | Sea Hermit crab: The image must be of a hermit crab(s). Hermit crabs belong to the superfamily Paguroidea and most occupy empty scavenged mollusk shells to protect their fragile abdominal exoskeleton. | |
| February | Purple: An image where the subject is predominantly purple, the color purple must be prominent in the image. | |
| March | Schools: A group of fish that swim together in a synchronized fashion, moving in the same direction, at the same speed and turning simultaneously. | |
| April | Sea anemones and tube anemones: An image of a sea anemone(s) (or tube anemone). This subject belongs to the phylum Cnidaria, order Actiniaria, in which adults have a stalk and a ring of tentacles surrounding the mouth. They are armed with cnidocytes (stinging cells). | |
| May | Symmetrical composition: The image must show symmetry in its composition. In symmetrical composition the two halves of the image are mirror images of each other. Video: TBD | |
| June | Black background: An Image with the subject on a black background. The black background must be created in camera. This can be a blackwater image, snooted image, or created with creative strobe work. You may use global adjustments, but no masks to create the black background in all categories. | |
| July | Eye contact: A subject that has obvious interaction with the viewer through eye contact. | |
| August | Three Points of Interest: The image should have three points of interest that lead the eye through the image adding interest to the overall story. Examples might be a sea lion with kelp behind it and sun rays in the background, or an eel being cleaned by a shrimp with a crab or other animal in the corner. Each subject should contribute to the composition and create an image that is more interesting than if there were only one or two subjects. | |
| September | Sea horses and relatives: The image must be of a sea horse or relative. This subject includes fish of the family Syngnathidae, the seahorses, pipefishes, pipe horses, and sea dragons. They are characterized by their elongated snouts, fused jaws, the absence of pelvic fins, and by thick plates of bony armor covering their bodies. | |
| October | Diver as a secondary subject: An image with a diver acting as a model, or observing or interacting with a main subject. | |
| November | Camouflage: The subject must show the use of camouflage. Camouflage, also called cryptic coloration, is a defense or tactic that organisms use to disguise their appearance, usually to blend in with their surroundings. | |
| December | Awards banquet |
OCUPS MONTHLY PHOTO CONTEST 2025 CONTEST THEMES
- Wrasses - The wrassesare a family, Labridae, of marine fish that swim primarily with their pectoral fins and are generally very colorful. Other features include thick lips, smooth scales, long dorsal and anal fins, and large, often protruding canine teeth in the front of the jaw. Ex. Sheephead, Cleaner wrasse
- Cute face - Any marine animal with "cute" or "adorable" facial features.
- Contrasting colors - Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. Warm and cool colors contrast with each other, (red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple) are complementary colors.
- Animals that create their own habitat - EX, Jawfish, Gobies with their shrimp, Sleeping Parrot Fish, tube dwelling anemones
- Parasite or commensal symbionts on their host; Symbionts that have either a negative effect on their host (parasite) or where only the symbiont gets a positive affect and the host is not affected (communalism)
- Human Interaction: "Any image that shows human use or impact in the ocean positive or negative, such as ghost nets, coral planting, reef damage, tagged animals, divers or swimmers.
- Brooding or protecting young – Taking care of eggs or young
- "Beautiful Reefs" which would include rocky reefs, coral reef, and artificial reefs.
- Backlighting - Positioning the main light source for a picture behind the primary subject
- High key - Images characterized by an abundance of light tones, lack of most shadows, and minimized contrast. They are often set against over-exposed backdrops . TBD video theme
- Mammals underwater – Wild marine mammals taken in their natural environment, no aquarium, or captive settings.
2023 Contest Categories
OCUPS MONTHLY PHOTO CONTEST 2023 CONTEST THEMES
| Month | Subject | |
| January | Sea Shells: The shell of mollusks must be the main subject, can be a critter in a shell or just the shell by itself, but again the shell must be the focus. | |
| February | Orange: Any subject with the color orange as the predominant/main color. | |
| March | Man-made: Any subject, underwater, that is man-made – wreck, pier structure, oil rigs, discarded objects (ie, tires, toilet, etc.). The main subject IS the man-made object, not a fish around or within the object. | |
| April | Lobster: Subject must be a lobster(s) | |
| May | Patterns: An abstract image using patterns as the subject. | |
| June | Silhouette: The subject would be backlit, so as to be solid black. Usually an ambient shot, but could be created with a torch/strobe to backlight the subject. The subject would NOT be lit. | |
| July | Bubbles: The subject must be about bubbles - O-rings, exhaust bubbles, bubbles on something | |
| August | Turtle: Subject must be a turtle(s) | |
| September | Slow shutter speed: A subject shot with a slow shutter speed, showing the effect of motion (ie. blurred) Video category: Slow-motion video |
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| October | Predation/Predators: Subject must be a predator and or showing predation. | |
| November | Reflections: The subject may be the reflection itself and or the subject and its reflection. Use of mirrors is not allowed, as that can stress the subject. We are looking for natural reflections. | |
| December | Awards banquet |
2022 Contest Categories
OCUPS MONTHLY PHOTO CONTEST 2022 CONTEST THEMES
| Month | Subject | |
| January | Face to face: Any image that shows two faces facing each other. vIt can be two different species or the same species. | |
| February | Yellow: An image where the subject is predominantly yellow. The color yellow should be prominent in the image. | |
| March | Eels: Any ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, freshwater or saltwater fulfills this month’s theme . | |
| April | Very hairy: Show us your best hairy aquatic animal. Subject must have the appearance of a hair, whether it is skin protrusions, algae resembling hair or covered in small spines. i.e. Hairy frogfish, hairy squat lobster, orangutan crab, hairy shrimp, etc. No sea urchins. No hairy humans permitted | |
| May | Juveniles or younger: Any organism, flora or fauna, presented in its distinct lifecycle phase after birth (no eggs) and before maturity. (think larvae, pelagic planktonic, etc.) Organisms that are mere miniature replicas of the adults (i.e. juvenile whale, turtle, etc.) are not acceptable subjects and do not count | |
| June | June Gloom: photo with predominant dark tones, can be silhouette, Monochrome, black & white image, grayscale. | |
| July | SUPER Macro: Any subject that has been magnified in camera to produce an image. In other words, the subject must project on the camera sensor greater than 1:1. No cropping allowed. | |
| August | Big and Little: Two subjects in the same frame, one large and one small. This could be a diver and a whale, or two animals of the same species that are much different sizes. | |
| September | Snooting: A subject lit with a snoot, light shaping device, or snoot torch. The snoot can be used to isolate the subject, backlight the subject and highlight certain aspects of the subject (such as the eye). Colored snoots are acceptable. No lighting effects may be applied in post-processing. | |
| October | Life inside: Living inside a natural or manmade structure. This theme is looking for a creative use of a life within. Examples: subject in wreck, goby or eel in a hole, fish swimming inside of a cave entrance, subject in a bottle or can or shell- be creative. | |
| November | Snell’s Window: Your image must properly showcase Snell’s window. | |
| December | Awards banquet |
Linda Blanchard - Featured Member
I was certified in 1975 and joined the Sea Sabre dive club to find dive buddies. That is where I met Allan and Barb Jones and many of my life long friends.
I have a degree in biology and worked at the Ocean Institute for 34 years teaching children marine and other sciences. I have since retired. I think being a diver added something to my excitement about teaching the children about the ocean. Working there also gave me many ocean experiences I would not have had with most jobs.
I got my first underwater camera system in 1978, a Cannon F1 in an Ikelite housing. I later changed to Nikon film cameras when a full rig became available at a good price. I did not change to digital until 2006 with a Nikon D100. I now shoot a Nikon D500 in a Sea n Sea housing and strobes.
I joined OCUPS about 1995 and became president in 1998. The club has a great board that works well together and we all seem to keep our jobs for years.
I like so many different dive locations that I do not have a favorite. I have dived all over California and Florida when I visited my parents. I have also dived in many travel destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, and recently a number of trips to the Philippines.
Jennifer Hopper - Featured Member
As an outdoor educator, I help university students build life skills, good judgment, and resilience through outdoor adventures – just as I have built in my travels.
In 2006, my sister and I planned a trip to Tahiti. We got dive certified just before, and on my 4th ocean dive, I found myself surrounded by 10’ lemon sharks and 6’ black tip reef sharks. Although I used up my gas before anyone else on site, I was hooked.
In 2011, I met Fofo Gonzalez, an avid diver - and we started diving together in California and Cozumel. In 2013 I bought a used DSLR camera and housing system with the goal of learning about photography and precision diving to control task loading.
So I took GUE Fundamentals, and brought my diving to the next level to control my buoyancy and positioning. I practiced a lot and in 2015, I felt ready to add the photo rig to my dive trips.
My first photo trip was with Fofo to Bohol, Philippines and I was so impressed with the capabilities of a DSLR that I have rarely done a dive since without my camera. Today, I use the same system I bought in 2013, a Nikon D90 with an Aquatica Housing and dual Sea & Sea Y110a strobes. My favorite format is macro, so I use a Nikon 105mm or 60mm lens and a +10 Subsea diopter. Now my goals are to perfect the creative use of light with macro, and work on wide-angle techniques if the site lends itself more to that.
I love to make diving an excuse to travel to new places, meet new friends, and learn about other cultures. Two of my favorite areas for underwater diversity are the Philippines and Bali. Regardless of the location, I know I’ll never run out of ideas and enthusiasm for exploration.
You can follow Jen on Instagram and Facebook