Great news!! H2O Competition 2023 up and running!!
We have the pleasure to announce the 2023 edition of H2O, which includes this year an additional video category This year will be the 4th edition of the H2O Underwater Competition, organized by Sundivers Ltd and Gerald Rambert. The planned dates of the event will be from the 25th to the 29th November 2023. The 2023 edition of this annual competition will be sponsored by:
- Sundivers diving center - Seacam - The hotel La Pirogue - The hotel Sugar Beach - SUN life - SUPE underwater lights - Odysseo - The famous brand of diving accessories ScubaPro - Tou Korek Surf Shop - Backscatter - 101 shop - JPH Charters
We are counting on you to enter the competition this year and share your passion for the underwater world.
Below are the 3 different categories you will be able to attend:
- Category 1 / The competition dives: This first category was held on Saturday 25t and Sunday 26th of November in Flic-en-Flac. The participant will compete on only 2 dives. In the space of one day and two dives of a maximum of 30 meters, the participants have to find the rare pearl that would make them rise on the podium.
- Category 2 / The portfolio: The second category, better known as the Portfolio competition will allow you to submit their three best photos taken in Mauritian waters taken during the last 5 years.
- Category 3 / The video: The participant will have the opportunity to enter a video of 5 min maximum taken anytime during the last five years in Mauritius, showing the beauty of the underwater world. It can be also an artistic video, or music clip. The video can be taken anywhere in Mauritius, but cannot be taken outside of the Mauritian waters.
About the Judges
The panel of jury has truly been extraordinary over the last 3 editions of H2O. Ranging from World class photographers like Hughes Vitry to editors of the prestigious Diver magazine, Steve Weinman, without forgetting James Caratini from Reunion Island who has been with us from day 1. The Fair and rigorous judging process remains uncontested due to the high level of expertise of our Juries
This Year we will have the pleasure to Welcome a new president / member in the Jury, Laurent Ballesta!!
Laurent Ballesta
The president of the Jury
Award-winning underwater photographer, co- founder of Andromède Océanologie, and leader of the Gombessa project, Laurent Ballesta is
a marine scientist, explorer, award-winning underwater photographer, and pioneering deep diver.
Laurent has authored 14 photography books
on underwater wildlife. As co-founder of Andromède Océanologie, he has been leading major expeditions for 10 years. He illustrates
the underwater world as both a naturalist and
an artist – whether that be capturing the first pictures of a coelacanth taken by a diver at a depth of 120 meters, documenting 700 sharks off Fakarava hunting at night or photographing the deepest and longest dive in Antarctica. He also remained underwater for a continuous 24 hours, awarding him a world record.
Co-presenter with Nicolas Hulot on some of the famous Ushuaia documentaries, Laurent nowadays runs his own film productions, featuring some of the most dangerous and wild adventures known to the underwater explorer era.
He won many times the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award and will remain one of the most influential underwater photographers ever.
James Caratini
CMASS 2* diving instructor and audio-visual trainer for the Cultural Action Mission of the Rectorate, James teaches technology and photography (club) in college since 1981 respectively in Marseille, Zaire,and 24 years in Reunion Island. As President of the Images Océan association and co-author with his photographer diver friend Thierry Soriano, James publishes several underwater books on life in Reunion.
He also represented Reunion at the championships of France underwater photographs in 1993, 1997, 1999. For 5 years he organized the “Trophée Océana”, a sporting and cultural event. He was also awarded several times at the Antibes Festival and at the Strasbourg festival.
He was a guest of honor at the Antibes Festival in 1994, a member of the photo and video jury at the Subios festival in Seychelles in 2003, and a member of the jury for the H2o festival in Réunion in 2003.
President of the jury at the image festival in Mauritius in 2005. Member of the photo jury at the World Underwater Image Festival in Marseille in 2010. James has been filming for 20 years with Serge Marizy in reports for the program “Zone Australe” on Antenne Réunion. James is still currently winning multiple awards for his movies in different competitions worldwide.
Virginie Tennant
Born in Mauritius, Virginie made her passion and her art, her job as a photographer. Passionate about travel and the social universe, her photography is part of an artistic and refined approach, in search of a look, instantaneity, and authenticity.
Graduated from the Icart-Photo School (Paris School of Photography), she specializes in the world of luxury hotels, architecture, and cuisine. In 2004, she joined UNESCO in her first experience on African soil. A documentary report in Uganda entitled “The orphans of AIDS”. After Uganda, the DRC, Gabon, Madagascar, Cambodia, and many other countries will mark his photographic career in recent years. Through the Atelier Photo, she enthusiastically shares and transmits her view and her experience. These digital photo courses are for the young and old! The underwater world remains her favorite environment and she will be an organizing member of the first 2 editions of H20. Also, member of the Jury of the national championship of underwater photography in 2007 for the CMAS, it is with great honor that she will be part of the whole team of H20!
Hughes Vitry
Hugues Vitry has been one of the greatest Mauritian underwater photographers since 1979 when he bought his first Nikonos III. Hughes
has traveled the world to compete in more underwater photography competitions than any other Mauritian photographer. He won many international competitions and holds few photography distinctions. He joined the CMAS Photo-Films and Videos Commission in Rome from 1995 until 2000. He was also the international commissary (field judge- referee) of the 7th CMAS world underwater photo competition in Aalesund, Norway in 1998. President of the jury for the French National underwater photo competition
in Reunion in Island in 2000. Member of jury at
the 9th CMAS world underwater photography competition in Marseille, France in 2002.
Mathieu Meur
Mathieu has been shooting underwater for over
30 years, at first free-diving and subsequently
on scuba. A true pioneer, Mathieu was one of
the early adopters and promoters of digital technology for underwater photography, authoring the first digital underwater photography specialty course in the world in 2001.
Mathieu went on to contribute hundreds of magazine articles on photography techniques
to multiple publications. In 2004, Mathieu co-authored “An Essential Guide to Digital Underwater Photography” with Michael Aw.
This was the first book entirely dedicated
to the techniques associated with shooting digitally underwater. Following the success of
this introductory book, he went on to co-author “An Advanced Guide to Digital Underwater Photography” with Michael Aw in 2007.
Mathieu has also published a comprehensive
and interactive e-book on underwater digital photography, “Complete Digital Underwater Photography”, in 2013, and another titled “Everything on Underwater Photography” in 2014. Mathieu is a regular judge at photo competitions.
The competition Schedule
25th to the 29th November 2023
– Saturday 25th of November: Competition dives @ Sundivers / La Pirogue
-Sunday 26th of November: Competition dives @ Sundivers / La Pirogue
Monday 27th of November: Submission of the last retouched Pictures and Judging
Tuesday 28th of November: Conference by Laurent Ballesta
Wednesday 29th of November: Price-giving ceremony
Download area
Download the participant kit as well as the inscription form below! Send it back to Gerald Rambert on info@geraldrambert.com
We hope to see you soon!!
