World Shootout

Type: Competition Frequency: Annual Location: Online (originated in Eilat, Israel) Founded: 2005 (as Eilat Red Sea Shootout); World Shootout component added 2011 Organizer: David “Pilo” Pilosof

Overview

The World Shootout (originally the “Epson Red Sea World Shoot-Out,” later “World Underwater Photo & Video Shootout”) is an international underwater photography and video competition that grew out of the Eilat Red Sea International Photography Competition. The competition has a distinctive format: participants register and submit images taken anywhere in the world during a defined shooting window, with results announced at a live ceremony — originally in Eilat, then at Boot Düsseldorf.

The World Shootout has awarded over $1 million in prizes (including $267,000 in cash) since its founding, and its organizer David Pilosof has called it the “Underwater Photography Olympics.” By 2021, the competition attracted 618 photographers from 54 countries across 12 categories.

History on Wetpixel

2011 — Launch as Epson Red Sea World Shoot-Out

The competition launched as a 6-day global event (August 1–6), where registered photographers could submit images taken in any natural water resource worldwide. Images were judged and winners announced at the Epson Red Sea Eilat event in November. Categories included Destination, Wide-Angle, Macro, Shipwreck, and Amateur. ([1])

2014 — Eilat Red Sea and World Shoot Out

The 10th Eilat Red Sea competition ran September 8–13, with 67 participants from 9 countries in the on-location shootout and a separate World Shootout accepting online entries year-round. The event included a Guinness World Record attempt for the world’s largest live-streamed underwater event, with 200 divers descending to a shipwreck. Eyal Cohen (Israel) won the main portfolio category ($10,000 prize). World Shootout category winners included Alfonso Exposito (Spain, Shipwrecks), Martin Strmiska (Slovakia, Wide-Angle and Best Dive Site), and Tobias Bernhard Raff (Germany, Sharks). ([2])

2017 — Results at Boot

The World Shootout announced results live on stage at the Boot Show in Düsseldorf. Virginia Salzedo won Best of Show, and the USA Team won the Global Championship. Evan Sherman won the video clip category. ([3])

2018 — Boot ceremony; Mike Bartick wins

Results were announced at Boot Düsseldorf. The competition attracted 641 photographers from 37 countries. Andy Schmid (Switzerland) won Best Picture of the Year (marine iguana). Wetpixel contributor Mike Bartick won the “5 Best Images” category with a series of creative blackwater images, taking home a $20,000 diving vacation in Papua New Guinea. An Italian team (Isabella Maffei, Alessandro Grasso, Flavio Vailati) won the Global Championship. Total prizes exceeded $70,000. The competition also ran a “FREE LONGI” conservation campaign to rescue a Red Sea oceanic whitetip shark entangled in rope, documented by participant Guillaume Bussiere. ([4])

2021 — Online format; 54 countries

The 2021 results were announced at a live online event. Hannah Le Leu won the overall prize with a half-and-half image of a turtle hatchling. 618 photographers from 54 countries submitted thousands of images across 12 categories. The competition used a “Pictures of Your Life” concept, allowing submissions of images captured anywhere, anytime. Petros Michelidakis, director of Boot Düsseldorf, served as final judge. Producer David Pilosof noted the competition had been running for 16 years and awarded over $1 million in total prizes. ([5])

Notable Winners

Significance

The World Shootout occupies a unique niche among underwater photography competitions by combining an on-location event heritage (Eilat) with a global online submission model. Its partnership with Boot Düsseldorf for the annual awards ceremony gave it prominent European visibility. The competition’s emphasis on team competition (Global Championship) and the substantial prize pool helped differentiate it from other UW photo contests.

References

Sources

  1. Wetpixel article, Jan 5, 2011: Epson Red Sea World Shoot Out ↩
  2. Wetpixel article, Sep 17, 2014: Results Eilat Red Sea And World Shoot Out 2014 ↩
  3. Wetpixel article, Feb 3, 2017: Results Of World Shoot Out Announced ↩
  4. Wetpixel article, Feb 1, 2019: 2018 World Shootout Results Announced ↩
  5. Wetpixel article, Feb 3, 2022: Results World Shootout 2021 ↩
  6. Epson Red Sea World Shoot-Out 2011 (article) ↩
  7. Eilat Red Sea and World Shoot Out 2014 (article) ↩
  8. World Shoot Out 2017 results (article) ↩
  9. World Shootout 2018 results (article) ↩
  10. World Shootout 2021 results (article) ↩