DPG and Dive into the Pink are thrilled to unveil the winners of the fifth Think Pink Photo Competition. Organized by Dive into the Pink and hosted by DPG, the contest asked shooters to submit their best photos featuring the color pink.
The judges had a tough time selecting winners from a large pool of stunning submissions in the Macro category, but they ultimately settled on Simon Theuma’s gorgeous clingfish portrait as the first place winner, scoring him a trip to Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines. Enrico Somogyi nabbed second place—and a Backscatter Mini Flash 2 and Optical Snoot combo package—with his unique “wide-angle macro” view of a blenny just below the ocean’s surface. Third place and a $175 gift certificate from Ultralight Camera Solutions was awarded to Daniel Sly for his heartwarming image of a pair of seahorses, one hugely pregnant. In fourth place was Massimo Giorgetta, whose pink-lit portrait of a mimic octopus won him a book by Dr. Alex Mustard. Luis Arpa’s lovely coconut octopus image was also highly commended by our judges, receiving an Honorable Mention.
From a spectacular collection of entries in the Wide Angle category, the judges selected Martin Stevens’ impressive shot of a group of rose-colored jellyfish at the surface as the first place winner, awarding him a trip to Lissenung Island Resort in Papua New Guinea. Jenny Stock came in at second place with her capture of a pair of mating Australian giant cuttlefish under a sunny sky, winning a Kraken Hydra 12000 light. Jules Casey’s haunting shot of a male weedy seadragon carrying eggs underneath a sun-drenched pier captured third place and a $175 gift certificate from Ultralight Camera Solutions. Honorable Mentions went to both Byron Conroy’s Raja reefscape and Dave Hicks’ giant Pacific octopus portrait.
Finally, we also decided to select a special image to commemorate Deanne’s sense of creativity. The judges unanimously selected a sublime, perfectly bokeh-ed goby image, captured by Rich Neely in California, for this honor—and a $500 cash prize.
This year's Think Pink competition was held in honor of Deanne King
Deanne, an oncology nurse who cared for thousands of cancer patients during her career, was an avid diver, a passionate and gifted underwater photographer, an active member of the Orange County Underwater Photographic Society, and a beloved member of the California diving community. She racked up an impressive number of imaging awards - most notably placing consistently, year after year, in the Monterey Shootout. Even during a brief move to Texas, she would show up on local dive boats, having traveled back to her beloved Pacific to get in a quick kelp fix.
In late July 2024, Deanne succumbed to an aggressive brain cancer, diagnosed only 3 months before.
Deanne, we love and miss you.
All funds that come in during the 5th annual Think Pink competition will be distributed to the UCLA Brain Cancer Research fund in Deanne's memory, with a special request that they be applied towards investigations into glioblastoma.