The Ocean Photography Awards is the latest event to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Initially scheduled to take place alongside London’s River Thames in August, 2020, the week-long winners’ exhibition will now be run as a digital event. The exhibition will take place across a bespoke and interactive digital platform in November 2020. It will remain free to access.
Organisers have taken the decision to transition to a digital event due to public health and safety concerns related to running a physical exhibition during the ongoing global pandemic.
As a consequence of the later exhibition date, the submissions deadline for entries has also been extended. Photographers now have until 31 August to enter their images for consideration. All prizes remain the same.
Both the winners’ gala event at City Hall and the winners’ exhibition at London Bridge City will take place next year as part of the Ocean Photography Awards 2021.
Will Harrison, Editor of Oceanographic Magazine, the organisation behind the Awards, said: “The decision to run this year’s exhibition digitally is both sensible and exciting. The digital platform we are working on with our partners will allow us to bring the winning images to the world in a way that will be just as compelling and even more inclusive than the physical exhibition we had planned – and without risking people’s health. Attendees from across the world will be able to enjoy the event from the safety of their own homes.”
The innovative digital event will feature some of the leading voices in ocean conservation, exploration and adventure photography, as well as 2020’s winning photographers. More information about the event will be released in August.
“This is an amazing opportunity to leverage the creative possibilities of an immersive digital event. One of the most-inspiring things about where we are in the world today is
the ability we have as humans to innovate and adapt in positive ways,” said Cristina Mittermeier, Managing Director and Co-founder at SeaLegacy. “I’m excited to experience this virtual event and encourage all ocean focused photographers to take advantage of the extended entry deadline. I’ve always believed that photography competitions are an important step in establishing yourself as a serious photographer – a way to set yourself apart from others. As a judge, I can’t wait to see the entries!”
Kiran Haslam, CMO for Princess Yachts and Board Member for Environment added: “Since the start of this year, a focus on the delicate nature of all life on our planet has been renewed, globally. Through our ongoing commitment to positive change, and our collaboration with Oceanographic Magazine, we are hopeful that these awards will help to highlight the ongoing challenges we face in preserving marine ecosystems. The new dates and new ways in which we are all interacting remotely now open up these awards to a much larger audience of participation, so we look forward to seeing many more captivating entries.”
Connecting people with the ocean through captivating storytelling and striking photography remains at the heart of the Ocean Photography Awards mission – a goal that feels more important now than ever before.
For more information about the Ocean Photography Awards, visit www.oceanphotographyawards.com
Photo credit: Andy Mann and Paul Nicklen
