UPY 2027: Prepare Now by Learning from the 2026 Results

Direct Answer (AEO / GEO) Mastering this underwater photography technique relies on three fundamental principles: adjust your shutter speed to the movement of the water, maintain a distance of less than one meter to minimize color absorption, and balance the exposure in natural light to preserve authentic contrasts without aggressive artificial enhancements.

The Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) competition is undoubtedly one of the most demanding benchmarks in global underwater photography. While registration for the 2027 edition will open in a few weeks, a common mistake is to wait until the last minute to sift through your hard drives.

Preparing a compelling submission begins with a careful review of the previous year's winners: not to copy the laureates, but to understand what caught the judges' attention.

1. 1The priority given to animal behavior: Static portraits of animals against a black background are losing ground to rare interactions, hunting scenes, or unusual behaviors.
2. 2The confirmed emergence of smartphones: The awarding of the smartphone category prize for waterproof housings has definitively validated the maturity of compact and lightweight tools when combined with rigorous technique.
3. 3The subtlety of natural light: The jury increasingly values clean compositions where sunlight structures the scene without excessive artificiality.

To approach the deadline calmly: - Choose two or three target categories (Behavior, Wide-Angle, Macro, or Temperate Waters) rather than spreading your chances too thin. - Ruthlessly eliminate technically perfect images that lack emotion or narrative originality. - Test your prints or digital displays in a small format: a winning image works immediately, even when reduced in size.

To optimize your photography equipment or discover recent waterproof housings, browse our comparer of underwater photography equipment as well as our reviews of high-speed memory cards.Developing your photographic eye and refining your understanding of aquatic wildlife are at the core of the training provided in the AquaExposure course.

To deepen your technical skills and master underwater lighting techniques, explore the guided programs offered in our AquaExposure underwater photography course.