The 2011 Monterey Shootout has been announced. Running from September 9 through 11, the event will feature a film festival, educational seminars, demo gear for use, DUI DOG rally and a photo and video competition.

Wetpixel publisher Eric Cheng and Canon Explorer of Light Stephen Frink are listed among the speakers listed for the shootout’s seminars. The competition is a 32 hour shootout with video and still entries being accepted from beginner, intermediate and advanced shooters.

The Monterey Shootout & Film Festival September 9-11, 2011

ANNOUNCING THE MONTEREY SHOOTOUT:

August 16, 2011.The Monterey Shootout will be held September 9-11, 2011. On this weekend, scuba divers from all over the United States will converge on Monterey, California and compete for top prizes in one of the most unique underwater photo contests in the United States. This is a 32- hour competition open to underwater photographers and videographers of all experience levels, where all digital photos and video must be taken from dives that weekend along the Monterey coastline. The Monterey Shootout is sponsored by the Northern California Photographic Society (NCUPS), Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo, and Canon. Competition prizes have been supplied by more than 30 companies in the dive, travel, and underwater imaging industries.

FILM FESTIVAL.

Dive into the magic of underwater filmmaking and photography in this special evening showcase at the Golden State Theatre on Sunday, September 11th. Go behind the scenes with underwater filmmakers from Canon Explorers of Light, BBC, National Geographic, and independent filmmakers as they share clips and images of their life below the waves. Presenters include Rick Rosenthal, Stephen Frink, Chuck Davis, Eric Cheng, and Berkley White. Entry included with full weekend registrants. Film festival only tickets are available for $5 in advance or $10 at the door.

SEMINARS.

First time underwater shooters will enjoy our introductory seminars held on Friday. All skill levels will get inspired with our more advanced seminars held on Sunday. Come meet fellow enthusiasts and learn from our professional presenters. This year’s educators feature some of the world’s leading underwater photographers including the staff of Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo, Canon Explorer of Light Stephen Frink, and Wetpixel Publisher Eric Cheng.

DEMO GEAR.

The Monterey Shootout has pulled together the most advanced staff of underwater experts for a weekend of learning the latest in gear and shooting techniques. Our on-site staff includes the top level experts at Backscatter, Aquatica, Nauticam, Light & Motion, and Olympus. We’ll have a ton of demo gear available for check out, including everything from point and shoot systems to DSLRs and video lights. All demo gear is available free of charge for those registered for the shootout competition, and will available in the Backscatter showroom.

DUI DOG RALLY.

In addition, DUI is hosting one of their famous DOG Rallies offering you the chance to try out the latest in drysuit technology. For a nominal charge, participants can sign up to try out diving dry. The DOG Rally will take place at the San Carlos Beach Park right in front of Monterey’s Breakwater dive site.

COMPETITION.

You don’t need to be a pro to have fun and win big in this friendly competition. You just need to get in the water. This 32 hour photo and video competition has categories for beginner, intermediate, and advanced shooters with great prizes from a long list of sponsors. All competition entrants must register for a full weekend pass to enter. Weekend competition passes start at $85.

For more information and to register, please visit the Monterey Shootout website.