Rules

See in the Sea

International Underwater Photocontest OrtonaMare 2026

17th Edition · 2026

The Contest is open to all underwater photographers and is free-themed. It is organised across the following sections.

On this page

Competition Sections

Categories

Five sections, each judged on its own merits. Pick where your images belong — the same photo cannot be entered in more than one section.

WA

Wide Angle (WA)

The colour image must depict the underwater environment or the species that inhabit it through the use of wide-angle lenses or add-ons. Wide shots and backlighting are allowed, and human presence may be included as a complementary element. The photographer is free to interpret the theme according to their own compositional taste, using any technique. Split-shot (over/under) images are also permitted, provided the underwater portion is no less than 50%.

MA

Macro

The colour image must capture entire aquatic subjects or details of subjects or underwater life that reveal the finest aesthetic taste through composition and colour. Images must be taken exclusively with macro lenses; fisheye lenses for close-focus macro are therefore excluded. Any technique is allowed, provided the main subject of the image represents the theme.

BW

Black & White

All free-themed black-and-white images taken with wide-angle or macro lenses are admitted.

AB

Animal Behaviour

Wide-angle, close-focus and macro images depicting a particular situation of underwater life are admitted. Split-shot (over/under) images are also permitted, provided the underwater portion is no less than 50%.

MP

Mediterranean Portfolio

One or two series of 3 colour or B/W images celebrating the environment and fauna typical of the Mediterranean Sea. Each portfolio must comprise one Macro, one Wide Angle and one of free choice. Macro or WA images identical or similar to those entered in the previous sections are not allowed (see ref. Art. 1). Authors submitting two series must indicate, with a title or another form of identification permitted by these Regulations, to which Portfolio each individual image belongs.

Macro
Wide Angle
Free choice

Technical Director

Giuseppe Pignataro

Jury Evaluation

January 2027

Essentials

At a Glance

Submission Window

1 Oct → 31 Dec 2026

No extensions to the deadline will be granted.

Entry Fee

€20 / €30

One category / multiple categories.

File Format

JPG · ≤ 5 MB

30Ă—40 or 30Ă—45 cm at 200 dpi.

Submission Limits

3 per section

Up to 2 Mediterranean Portfolio series.

Payment

Stripe

Secure checkout, after upload.

Jury & Awards

EUDI Show 2027

Judging in January 2027, awards in Bologna.

The Contest Journey

Dive Plan

  1. 1 Oct 2026 Submissions open
  2. 31 Dec 2026 Submissions close
  3. Jan 2027 Jury evaluation
  4. 2027 Awards · EUDI Show, Bologna

The Regulation

Rules & Articles

The full regulation, article by article.

01

Article 1

Submission of Files

Authors may submit a maximum of 3 files per section and 2 series for the Mediterranean Portfolio. The same photo may not be entered in more than one section. To take part, log in to the official contest page www.seeintheseauw.com from 1 October 2026 through 31 December 2026 and open the photo-submission section. No extensions to the submission deadline will be granted.

To submit your works you must register on the www.seeintheseauw.com portal using the “Enter the contest” button in the navigation bar. By registering on the platform, consent to data processing strictly related to the site’s functionality is considered implicit. Once registration is complete, access is automatic and you are redirected to the submissions section, where you can upload and manage your contest photos and pay the entry fee.

For each successfully uploaded file, the system automatically sends a confirmation email to the address provided at registration. For any technical or IT issue, contact Lucio D’Alessandro at lucio.dalessa@gmail.com.

Each work must:

  • Be in JPG format (the only accepted format).
  • Not exceed 5 MB in size.
  • Measure 30Ă—40 or 30Ă—45 cm at 200 dpi.
  • Have a title containing alphanumeric characters only — no apostrophes, commas, brackets, etc. — with no reference to initials or to the author’s name.
  • Contain EXIF data confirming the category entered. Any information that could identify the author must be removed. EXIF data will not be visible to the jury during evaluation, but only to the Organisation should verification be required.
02

Article 2

Digital Images

Faithful to the RAW. No photomontage. No AI.

Cropping is permitted and unrestricted, provided the final image fits within 30Ă—45 cm at 200 dpi. No post-production restriction applies, as long as the shot faithfully represents what is recorded in the original RAW file.

  • Photomontages and image overlays are not permitted.
  • Multiple exposures are allowed only if supported by the camera used and provided a single RAW file is generated.
  • Images processed with AI (Artificial Intelligence) are not admitted.

Images must be free of frames, mats, watermarks and any logo or signature that could identify the photographer. Underwater images taken through submerged portholes, aquariums or swimming pools are not admitted. Images that show damage to the seabed, or frightened, stressed or unnaturally posed animals, will not be admitted — except images intended to document or denounce negative human actions.

The Organisation, in agreement with the jury, reserves the right to exclude images that, on verification, do not comply with Art. 2. The RAW file will be required for every image selected by the jury. The jury’s decision is final.

03

Article 3

Entry Fee

As reimbursement of expenses, an entry fee is required:

  • €20.00 for entry in a single category.
  • €30.00 for entry in multiple categories.

Payment can be made via Stripe once your works have been uploaded to the categories entered. If you experience problems with Stripe payment, contact the organising secretariat at info@ortonasub.com or info@ortonamare.org, or Mr Fabrizio Pompilio at +39 380 391 9121.

04

Article 4

Awards

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed entries in each section of the Contest will be awarded. Each competitor may win only one prize offered by the sponsors. In the case of multiple wins by the same competitor, priority is given to the prize of greatest value.

Should an author be awarded in more than one section, they will receive the trophy for their best placement, with a plaque also noting the other results.

05

Article 5

Publication of Winners

During the Award Ceremony, the Organisation will present all winning photos, the mentioned ones, and any others that, at the jury’s sole discretion, stand out for particular technical and emotional interest.

Winning, mentioned and most significant photos will be published on the official website www.ortonamare.org and on the Contest’s Facebook and Instagram pages at the same time as the official rankings.

06

Article 6

Admission

Works are admitted to the Contest only and exclusively upon payment of the entry fee referred to in Art. 3.

The Event

Award Ceremony

The Contest awards will be presented at the 2027 EUDI Show in Bologna.

As the presence of authors at the Award Ceremony is especially valued, the Organisation will give all winners advance notice of the detailed programme of the event.

For competitors unable to attend the Award Ceremony, the Organisation will prepare a format (video clip) that allows the author to attend virtually and give a brief presentation of their awarded image. In compliance with the applicable regulations, the Organisation reserves the right to publish these videos on the Contest’s web and social channels.

Results

Rankings

The rankings will be published after prior notice via the mailing list on www.seeintheseauw.com. For any other information, contact the Contest secretariat at info@ortonasub.com.

What You Can Win

Prizes

Prize pool: trophy, diving trips, underwater photography equipment and accessories, scuba gear, and more.

Trophy
Diving Trips
Photo & Video Gear
Scuba Equipment

Get in Touch

Organising Secretariat

ORTONA SUB

C/o Sports Hall – Via Papa Giovanni XXIII66026 Ortona (CH), Italy
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