2012-Shootout-results

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 SoCal Shootout!

Winning photos and videos are posted below

Winners will be awarded amazing prizes during the next week based on points and winners' ranked choices.

Shootout Judges

The SoCal Shootout will be judged by some of the top professional underwater photographers in Southern California: Andy Sallmon, Todd Winner, Mark Strickland, Roger Carlson, Jim Lyle, and Scott Gietler. Andy, Mark and Todd have all been published multiple times this past year in many of the world's best dive magazines, and are three of Southern California's best known underwater photographers. Jim is a former LAUPS photographer of the year, and Roger is a former LAUPS vice-president. Scott is the owner of Bluewater Photo and the Underwater Photography Guide, and a regular contributor to Sport Diver and Scuba Diving magazines.

Where did people dive

La Jolla shores, Catalina Island, Farnsworth Banks, Oil Rings, Malibu, Santa Monica Bay, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Anacapa islands

Not a photoshop contest

Cropping and photoshop edits other than global changes were not allowed in this competition, which means all the photos you see below are pretty much straight out of the camera, a rarity in these times. Backscatter removal was not allowed.

We look forward to having you participate in next year's shootout!

Special Thanks to our Sponsors

Winners will be selecting their prizes over the next week based on a point system, with more competitive categories awarding more points, and winners with the most total points getting first choice.

PACIFIC STAR SAND DOLLAR GIANT STRIDE THE MARISSA

So-Cal shootout winning underwater photos

"Best of Shootout"

SoCal Shootout Best of Shootout Mola Mola

Photo by Patrick Smith, Mola mola in the Santa Monica Bay

Winning Photos by Category

Wide-Angle

SoCal Shootout First Place Wide Angle
First Place Wide-angle, Nirupam Nigam, "Perch in Kelp Forest", Anacapa Island

SoCal Shootout Second Place Wide-Angle
Second Place Wide-Angle, Allison Vitsky, "Garibaldi Over Sea Fan"

SoCal Shootout Third Place Wide-Angle
Third Place Wide-Angle, Kelli Dickinson, "Pink Rigs", Oil Rigs

SoCal Shootout Fourth Place Wide-Angle
Fourth Place Wide-Angle, Ron Watkins, "Topsmelt at the surface"

SoCal Shootout Fifth Place Wide-Angle
Fifth Place Wide-Angle, Allison Vitsky, "Diver Over Cabezon"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Wide-Angle
Honorable Mention Wide-Angle, Brent Durand, "Harem of Sea Lions"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Wide-Angle
Honorable Mention Wide-Angle, Michael Zeigler, "Jellyburst"

Macro

SoCal Shootout First Place Macro
First Place Macro, Brian McHugh, "Goby with Mouth Open"

SoCal Shootout Second Place Macro
Second Place Macro, Bill Pottinger, "Anemone in Brittle Stars"

SoCal Shootout Third Place Macro
Third Place Macro, Ron Watkins, "Coonstripe Shrimp"

SoCal Shootout Fourth Place Macro
Fourth Place Macro, Nayan Savla, "Tritonia on Gorgonian"

SoCal Shootout Fifth Place Macro
Fifth Place Macro, Roeland Papen, "Spotted Kelpfish"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Macro
Honorable Mention Macro, Doug Klug, "Baby Garibaldi"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Macro
Honorable Mention Macro, Nirupam Nigam, "Orange Tube Anemone"

Marine Life Behavior

SoCal Shootout First Place Behavior
First Place Behavior, Allison Vitsky, "Garibaldi guarding eggs"

SoCal Shootout Second Place Behavior
Second Place Behavior, Mark Davidson, "Goby feeding"

SoCal Shootout Third Place Behavior
Third Place Behavior, Gerard Lorenzo, "Angel Shark Taking Off"

SoCal Shootout Fourth Place Behavior
Fourth Place Behavior, David Andrew, "Sealions Playing"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Behavior
Honorable Mention Behavior, Ron Watkins, "Top Snail and Barnacles"

Marine Life Portrait

SoCal Shootout First Place Portrait
First Place Portrait, Roeland Papen, "Cabezon in a window"

SoCal Shootout Second Place Portrait
Second Place Portrait, Ron Watkins, "Octopus"

SoCal Shootout Third Place Portrait
Third Place Portrait, Kelli Dickinson, "Lobster in kelp"

SoCal Shootout Fourth Place Portrait
Fourth Place Portrait, Michelle Hoalton, "Moray"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Portrait
Honorable Mention Portrait, Todd Bretl, "Sea Lion"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Portrait
Honorable Mention Portrait, John Ochs, "Sheephead Face-On"

Compact Wide-Angle

SoCal Shootout First Place Compact Wide-Angle
First Place Compact Wide-Angle, Patrick Smith, "Jelly & Diver"

SoCal Shootout Second Place Compact Wide-Angle
Second Place Compact Wide-Angle, Luz Martinez, "Rockfish in Kelp"

SoCal Shootout Third Place Compact Wide-Angle
Third Place Compact Wide-Angle, Ann Gebhart, "Starfish and Fan"

Compact Macro

SoCal Shootout First Place Compact Macro
First Place Compact Macro, David Thompson, "Goby"

SoCal Shootout Second Place Compact Macro
Second Place Compact Macro, Cindy Shaw, "Jelly"

SoCal Shootout Third Place Compact Macro
Third Place Compact Macro, Luz Martinez, "Tube Anemone"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Compact Macro
Honorable Mention Compact Macro, Patrick Smith, "Featherstars"

Compact Behavior

SoCal Shootout First Place Compact Behavior
First Place Compact Behavior, Cindy Shaw, "Garibaldi Eggs"

SoCal Shootout Second Place Compact Behavior
Second Place Compact Behavior, Patrick Smith, "Eel mouth and cleaner shrimp"

SoCal Shootout Third Place Compact Behavior
Third Place Compact Behavior, Nick Hedges, "Starfish and Brittle Stars"

Compact Portrait

SoCal Shootout First Place Compact Portrait
First Place Compact Portrait, Patrick Smith, "Mola Mola"

SoCal Shootout Second Place Compact Portrait
Second Place Compact Portrait, Stephan Zech, "Garibaldi"

SoCal Shootout Third Place Compact Portrait
Third Place Compact Portrait, Patrick Smith, "Eel and cleaner shrimp"

SoCal Shootout Honorable Mention Compact Portrait
Honorable Mention Compact Portrait, David Thompson, "Cabezon"

Video Clips

Videos were unedited, with up to be clips allowed to be stiched together, 60 seconds max length.

First Place Video, Roger Uzun, "Kelp Oddities"

Second Place Video, Walter Marti, "Octopus Eggs"

Third Place Video, Lawrence Wang, "Life on the Oil Rigs"

Honorable Mention Video, Roger Uzun, "Territorial "