Message #242498

[Christiana Hanaman]

First Place: Macro Photography

Photograph courtesy Todd Mintz, RSMAS

Two yellownose gobies peek out of a brain coral off the Caribbean island of Bonaire (map) in a macro, or close-up, picture.

"There's something really appealing at looking at the macro world," Schmale said. "All three of the [winning] macro photos made a huge impression on me."

Created in 2005 for South Florida photographers, the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science's Underwater Photography Contest has surprised organizers by catching on internationally. This year's competition saw 500 entries from around the world, Schmale noted.

(Get National Geographic's tips for photographing underwater.)

Published April 26, 2012