Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 exhibition opens at the Maritime Museum

The Australian National Maritime Museum is thrilled to once again be presenting the world premiere exhibition of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024. The competition, an initiative of Oceanographic Magazine returns to the Museum for the second time following extraordinary success last year. 

Opening on November 28, this exhibition features 118 images that highlight the beauty and majesty of the ocean, while also drawing attention to the traumas faced by our marine environments and the importance of ocean conservation.

This exhibition features the winning image of Ocean Photographer of the Year, Spanish photographer Rafael Fernandez Caballero, which depicts a Bryde’s whale feeding on a baitball and was selected from more than 15,000 ocean images across all disciplines including underwater, surf, and drone.

 

The museum is delighted to welcome the winner of the Blancpain Female Fifty Fathoms award, Malaysian photographer Ipah Uid Lynn, who is in Sydney for the exhibition launch. The Female Fifty Fathoms award is designed to celebrate pioneering and boundary-pushing women in ocean photography.

Lynn is the first Malaysian and Asian woman to win this coveted prize, and her spectacular portfolio of images is displayed as part of the exhibition.

Ms Daryl Karp AM, Director and CEO of the Museum said, ‘Following an extraordinary response to the exhibition last year, we are thrilled to once again showcase the extraordinary talent of the Ocean Photographer of the Year photographers. This exhibition features the very best ocean photography around the world and shines a spotlight on our ocean’s majesty and frailty.’ 

This exhibition is on at the Australian National Maritime Museum from November 28 and until April 27 2025.

For further information go to https://www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/exhibitions/ocean-photographer-of-the-year 

The Ocean Photographer of the Year, presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain, has a simple mission: to shine a light on the wonder and fragility of our blue planet, and to celebrate the photographers giving it a voice. The competition is a cornerstone of the Blancpain Ocean Commitment, which unites all the brand’s efforts to protect the ocean. The program is composed of three interconnected pillars: raising awareness of the ocean’s beauty, supporting scientific research on ecosystems and underwater phenomena, and taking concrete conservation actions, such as helping to create marine protected areas around the world.

The Awards see ocean photographers of all disciplines and experience levels, amateurs and professionals alike, invited to submit their most impactful imagery to be judged by a panel of some of the world's leading ocean photographers.

There are 10 categories, with the overall winner crowned the Ocean Photographer of the Year.

The categories are:

• Ocean Conservation Photographer the Year (Hope)
• Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact)
• Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year
• Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year
• Ocean Fine Art Photographer the Year
• Ocean Portfolio Award
• Young Ocean Photographer of the Year
• Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean
• Female Fifty Fathoms Award