Anilao Shootout Winners - Part I

The best photos taken on the first leg of our 2012 workshop to Anilao, Philippines, in dSLR and compact.

By Scott Gietler

The second annual UWPG / Bluewater Photo Anilao 2012 Photo Workshop took place in two parts, one trip after another, at the Crystal Blue Resort in The Philippines. We dove four times a day in the incredible warm waters, searching for unique critters, and we were not disappointed. Rare and beautiful macro subjects lurked around every corner, and needless to say we got some great shots.

Photo pro and trip organizer Scott Gietler and trip co-leaders Mike Bartick and Matthew Meier gave daily presentations on underwater photography technique, marine life and post-processing.

Take a look at the best photos from our first trip! Here we have the winners for both dSLR and compact; macro, wide-angle, behavior and portrait. 

To read a few stories from the workshop, check out our trip testimonials. Also, be sure to sign up now for our Third Annual Anilao Photo Workshop, taking place in May of 2013!

You can now see Part II of our Anilao shootout with more winning photos, here!

Critter Sightings

The question is not what we saw, it is what didn't we see? We were met with blue-rings, mimic & wonderpus octopus, multiple Rhinopias, multiple hairy frogfish, dozens of non-hairy frogfish, dozens of seahorses, pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish, mandarin fish, pregnant seahorses giving birth, mating flamboyant cuttlefish, bobbit worms, more than 1 mantis shrimp with eggs, a hundred species of nudibranchs, and endless varieties of shrimps & crabs.

DSLR: Macro Winners

First Place, Colmani shrimp, taken by Suzan Meldonian

Second Place, taken by Nayan Savla

Third Place, Starfish, taken by Sydney Hoerler

Fourth Place, taken by Peter Cave

DSLR: Wide-Angle Winners

First Place, taken by Peter Cave

Second Place, taken by Kathy Cave

Third Place, taken by Chris Nursey

Fourth Place, taken by Lani Timbrell

DSLR: Behavior Winners

First Place, taken by Debby Wright

Second Place, Flamboyant Cuttlefish, taken by Bruce Shafer

Third Place, Mimic Octopus, taken by Peter Cave

Fourth Place, taken by Eric Leibscher

DSLR: Portrait Winners

First Place, Ribbon Eel, taken by Charles Wright

Second Place, Frogfish, taken by Charles Wright

Third Place, Phyllodesmium nudibranch, taken by Bruce Shafer

Fourth Place, taken by Lani Timbrell

Compact: Macro Winners

First Place, Mushroom coral pipefish, taken by David Thompson

Second Place, taken by Caetllonn Seadjwyc

Third Place, taken by Ken Rosen

Compact: Wide-Angle Winners

First Place, taken by Michael Strole

Second Place, taken by David Thompson

Third Place, taken by Michael Strole

Compact: Behavior Winners

First Place,  fighting Octopus, taken by Michael Strole

Second Place, Mantis shrimp with eggs, taken by David Thompson

Third Place, Chuck Dreyfus

Compact: Portrait Winners

First Place, taken by Chuck Dreyfus

Second Place, taken by David Thompson

Third Place, taken by Caetllonn Seadjwyc

Photos taken by Scott Gietler

Even though Anilao is famous for macro, it also has some great wide-angle opportunities. I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite wide-angle shots with everyone, taken with my new Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes. - Scott

Lionfish and sunball. F22, 1/250th, ISO 100

Trumpfish on a wreck

Beautiful reef at Beatrice, with lots of Anthias

Further Reading

• Join our 2013 Anilao Photo Workshop
• Anilao Shootout Winners Part II
• Diving in Anilao

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