SoCal Shootout

2018 WINNERS

Congratulations to all of our winners of this years SoCal Shootout, and thank you to all who participated! This year marked our 8th annual shootout, with a record breaking number of prizes and dollar values!  After hearing reports from our various contestants, conditions were quite mixed depending on where you went out, making some divesites much more challenging to shoot than others, but overall there were some great marinelife sightings and some stunning photos submitted! Thank you again to all those who participated, we hope you had a great time and look forward to seeing you next year!  The 9th annual SoCal Shootout will be September 13th - 15th, 2019.

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Who is the Host?

Bluewater Photo is an underwater photography company, offering photo equipment and support for all your photography/videography needs.  It is also the founder of the SoCal Shootout competition. Over the past 8 years, this shootout has become an exciting event, inviting divers from all accross Southern California to dive and photograph with the opportunity to win great prizes.

Bluewater Travel is the sister company to Bluewater Photo.  While the photo store offers gear for underwater photographers & videographers, the Travel company is a full service dive travel agency.  They can arrange your scuba diving trips to anywhere in the world, oftentimes finding better rates for you than you would booking direct! They also arrange our Underwater Photography Workshops which are a popular option for beginners and advanced photographers alike to improve their photo skills.

The Underwater Photography Guide is the 3rd branch of the "Bluewater Family".  it is the #1 visited resource worldwide for underwater photographers and scuba divers to learn and improve their underwater photography. It publishes highly-regarded tutorials, technique tips, in-depth gear reviews, and underwater photo news.

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Special Thanks to our Sponsors!

The winners have been awarded their prizes based on a point system, with more competitive categories awarding more points, and winners with the most points getting first choice of prizes available. Winners were allowed to rank their prize choice prior to selection from our prize pool of over $25,000. 

Sponsor and prize information are included with each winning photo.

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Thank you to our great judges!

The 2018 SoCal Shootout was judged by professional photographers Andy Sallmon, Renee Capozzola, and Scott Gietler. To learn more about each judge, please click here. 

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Winning Photos:

Click on the link below to jump directly to a specific category, or scroll through all photos below

Best In Show • Open Wide Angle • Open Macro • Open Behavior • Open Portrait

Mirrorless Wide Angle • Mirrorless Macro • Compact Mid to Wide Angle • Compact Macro

Edited Video • UnEdited Video

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BEST IN SHOW

Best in Show - Josh Musselwhite

Octopus with Sunball

John won a free stay with Cayman Beach Resorts, at either  Cobalt Coast, Cayman Brac, or Little Cayman Resorts

 

Honorable Mention Best in Show - Desmond Ho

Janolus

Desmond won an Aquatica GH5 Housing with TLC Arm Sets

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Open Wide Angle

First Place - Davis Huber

Tope Shark in Kelp

Davis won a YS-D2 Strobe from Sea & Sea

Second Place - Jon Anderson

Cabezon on the Rigs

Jon won a Sea of Cortez trip on the Quino el Guardian Liveaboard

Third Place - Curtis Wee

Horn Shark

Curtis won a Kraken Sports Hydra 2500 Light

Fourth Place - Tiffany Poon

Lobster & Ray

Tiffany won a YS-D2 Strobe from Sea & Sea

Fifth Place - Jon Anderson

Sheephead in Rigs

Jon won a Sea of Cortez trip on the Quino el Guardian Liveaboard

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Open Macro

First Place - Desmond Ho

Janolus

Desmond won an Aquatica GH5 Housing with TLC Arm Sets

Second Place - Michael Edward Francisco

Barnacle

Michael won a Kraken Sports Hyrda 3500 Video Light

Third Place - Desmond Ho

Sculpin Eye

Desmond won an Aquatica GH5 Housing with TLC Arm Sets

Fourth Place - Devon Fox

Blenny

Devon won a free single day boat trip with Channel Island Dive Adventures

Fifth Place - Jon Anderson

California Two Spot Octopus

Jon won a Sea of Cortez trip on the Quino el Guardian Liveaboard

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Open Behavior

First Place - John Ericksen

Orange Throated Pike Blenny

John won a trip to Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort in Anilao, Philippines

Second Place - Tiffany Poon

Lizardfish Feeding

Tiffany won a YS-D2 Strobe from Sea & Sea

 

Third Place - Brook Peterson

Garibaldi Defending it's Nest

Brook won a ThinkTank Photo Airport Advantage Plus Camera Bag

 

Fourth Place - Jim Agronick

Chromodorids

Jim won a free two day boat trip with Channel Island Dive Adventures

 

Fifth Place - Davis Huber

Battling Sheephead

Davis won a YS-D2 Strobe from Sea & Sea

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Open Portrait

First Place - Josh Musselwhite

Octopus with Sunball

John won a free stay with Cayman Beach Resorts, at either  Cobalt Coast, Cayman Brac, or Little Cayman Resorts

Second Place - Jon Anderson

Scythe Butterfly Fish

Jon won a Sea of Cortez trip on the Quino el Guardian Liveaboard

Third Place - Jon Anderson

Moray Eel

Jon won a Sea of Cortez trip on the Quino el Guardian Liveaboard

Fourth Place - Desmond Ho

Janolus

Desmond won an Aquatica GH5 Housing with TLC Arm Sets

Fifth Place - Craig Hoover

Fringehead

Craig won a Light & Motion Sola 2000 Flood Video Light

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Mirrorless Wide Angle

First Place - Andre Labuda

Copper Rockfish on Oil Rigs

Andre won a stay with Atmosphere Resort in Dumaguete, Philippines

Second Place - Tyler Schiffman

Tope Shark

Tyler won a Kraken Sports WeeFine Ring Light

Third Place - Andre Labuda

Wolf Eel Swimming on Rigs

Andre won a stay with Atmosphere Resort in Dumaguete, Philippines

Fourth Place - John Ericksen

Garibaldi on wall

John won a trip to Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort in Anilao, Philippines

 

Fifth Place - Bruce Sudweeks

Sheephead in kelp

Bruce won a $150 Gift Certificate from Bluewater Photo

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Mirrorless Macro

First Place - John Ericksen

Fringehead

John won a trip to Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort in Anilao, Philippines

Second Place - Desmond Ho

Goby

Desmond won an Aquatica GH5 Housing with TLC Arm Sets

Third Place - Desmond Ho

Octopus Eye

Desmond won an Aquatica GH5 Housing with TLC Arm Sets

Fourth Place - Desmond Ho

Spanish shawl

Desmond won an Aquatica GH5 Housing with TLC Arm Sets

 

 

Panasonic Gx-1, 80mm Olympus Lens, Nauticam housing, Ds-1 strobes 

Fifth Place - Julie Gordon

Octopus in Crevice

Julie won a single day boat trip from Truth Aquatics.

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Compact Mid to Wide Angle

First Place - Bruce Olinder

Kelp with Sunbeams

Craig won a Light & Motion Sola 2000 Flood Video Light

Second Place - Jason O'Rourke

Garibaldi

Jason won a ThinkTank Photo Video Transport 18 Camera Bag

Third Place - George Moakley

Horn Shark

George won a $400 Ikelite gift certificate

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Compact Macro

First Place - Michal Ross

Goby

Michal won an Olympus TG-5 Camera with PT-058 Housing

Second Place - Michael Ross

Simnia Snail

Michal won an Olympus TG-5 Camera with PT-058 Housing

Third Place - Michael Edward Francisco

Barnacle

Michael won a Kraken Sports Hyrda 3500 Video Light

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Edited Video

 

"California Dreaming"

Todd won a free stay at Volivoli Dive Resort in Fiji

 

"Under the Moonlight"

Weiwei won a free stay at El Galleon Dive Resort in Puerto Galera, Philippines

"A Rigs Adventure"

Dan won a Kraken Sports Hyrda 5000 Video Light

 

"A Glimpse of La Jolla Canyons"

Weiwei won a free stay at El Galleon Dive Resort in Puerto Galera, Philippines

 

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UnEdited Video

 

Sea Lion Circling

Dan won a Kraken Sports Hyrda 5000 Video Light

 

Bat Ray Swimming at Night

Weiwei won a free stay at El Galleon Dive Resort in Puerto Galera, Philippines

 

Mola Mola swimming

Todd won a free stay at Volivoli Dive Resort in Fiji

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Interested in improving your own photography? Check out all of these photography workshops, run during dive trips all over the world!
Photography Workshops

Want to step it up with your camera gear? Reach out to our sales team and mention the SoCal Shootout for some extra discounting on your next purchase!
sales@bluewaterphotostore.com
310-633-5052
 

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Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to all winners! We hope you will join us again next year. 

 

The 9th annual SoCal Shootout will take place on September 13-15th, 2019.

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