The Dahab Festival of Culture and Watersports has announced that it will be holding its underwater photography competition. The event will be held from 14 to 18 April in Dahab, Egypt, with the results being released on 20 April. Categories for entries include, macro, fish portrait, portfolio and creative and there is a one-off entry fee of €10 for the contest.

Full details are available from the Dahab Festival’s website.

Last year the Local Community and the Bedouin population of Dahab put together a Festival of Culture and Water Sports. 2012 brings the entire community together again to make it an even Bigger and Better Festival! Long thought of as the quieter, less polished alternative to the likes of Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada, the Dahab festival sets out to show the world just what it is missing out on.

Specifically for your interest the Underwater Photography Competition is up and running again. Revamped with more defined categories and with some rules in place to make you think about your submissions, the competition is set up to be a fun and challenging experience. Whether you are using an SLR or Compact Camera, the competition is sure to test your skills. There are some fantastic prizes to be won, so make sure you and your camera are ready!

The competition will open on the 14th of April at 7am and close on the 19th of April at 9pm. The judging will take place on the 20th and the results will be announced that evening. There is a one off entrance fee of €10 which is payable on entry. This will allow you to submit photos throughout the time the competition is run.

Categories.

Macro:

Any picture of a very small subject (eg. Nudibranch, Shrimp, Hard & Soft Corals, etc) or any close ups and details of larger subjects (eg. Fish eye/gills). Prize: INON S-2000 Strobe.

Fish Portrait:

A portrait displaying character of a fish. Prize: Fourth Element Proteus Wetsuit.

Portfolio:

A selection of 5 pictures collected in a portfolio to be judged together. These can cover any discipline of subject but must have a coherent theme (eg. Colour, Species, etc). Prize: 3 Day/2 Night Liveaboard on the M/Y Aeolus (Terms & Conditions apply*)

Creative:

Any picture showing artistic use of natural or artificial light, split levels, Snell’s window and motion blur, etc. Prize: 1 Week accommodation at Tangerine Dream Hotel Dahab (Incl. Airport Transfers), PADI Self Reliant Diver Course & PADI Nitrox Course (Terms & Conditions apply*)

For those of you who are more interested in Holiday Snaps, finding those rare species and documenting them, we have the perfect competition for you! New this year to the Dahab Festival is the Fish Hunt Competition. A competition where the photos only need to be recognisable. Points are awarded on the rarity of a species and based on the importance to the reef and on any interesting behaviours the species may possess.

The prize for the winner of the competition is a thorough compact camera course allowing you to take your photos to the next level! Prize: INON Compact Camera Course (Terms & Conditions apply*)

Head on over to the Dahab Festival site and have a look at the Diving Section for more info on the rules and regulations for the competitions.

• Terms & Conditions Flights not included for Prizes. Prizes may only be used from September through to December. Liveaboard Prize may be upgraded to a week-long liveaboard at 50% original price. Fish Hunt prize may only be collected through Black Rock Dive Centre, Dahab.