The Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026 has made history. For the first time in the competition's 61-year legacy, a dedicated Smartphone category stood alongside traditional underwater photography disciplines — and the results silenced every skeptic in the room. DIVEVOLK proudly served as the exclusive sponsor of this inaugural category, and the winning image was captured using a SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2 housing.
The Winning Shot: "The Roar" by Jack Ho
Chinese photographer Jack Ho won the category's first-ever gold award with "The Roar," a striking macro photograph of a hairy frogfish captured in Indonesia's Lembeh Strait — one of the world's premier muck diving destinations — at a depth of 15 meters.
After spotting the camouflaged predator on the seafloor, Ho spent 15 minutes carefully observing its behavior. He positioned a macro light toward its head and waited. The decisive moment came when the frogfish opened its enormous mouth in a dramatic yawn — a split-second event that most underwater photographers never witness, let alone capture.
The result is a portrait of remarkable clarity and impact: every hair-like dermal appendage rendered in fine detail, the cavernous mouth filling the frame, dramatic lighting isolating the subject against a pure black background. His setup? A vivo X100 Ultra smartphone inside the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2 underwater housing. No mirrorless body. No optical viewfinder. Just a phone, a housing, and exceptional patience. Watch Jack Ho discuss the story behind the shot.
Judge Tobias Friedrich, one of three UPY judges and a renowned underwater photographer, left no doubt about the image's quality:
"The focus, the image quality, the composition, the light and the moment are just perfect! Very well done by the photographer and an impressive showcase of the potential of the smartphone category. The clear and well deserved winner of this category."
Second Place: "The Curious Gaze of Grey Shark" by Clotxa
Spanish photographer Clotxa earned the runner-up position with a powerful portrait of a grey reef shark, shot during a drift dive through the notorious currents of Fakarava's South Pass in French Polynesia. Surrounded by hundreds of sharks and carried by a strong current, Clotxa had no opportunity for careful composition — the image was captured instinctively using a SeaTouch 4 Max Plus housing and iPhone 14 Pro Max, demonstrating the spontaneity that smartphone shooting enables underwater.
Judge Peter Rowlands described the image as proof of concept for the entire category:
"If ever proof was needed that Smartphone cameras can produce top quality results, this is it. Pin sharp where it matters, delicate depth of field and vibrant colours combine to great effect."
Third Place: "Intertidal World" by Martin Stevens
UK-based marine biologist Martin Stevens claimed third place with a split-shot (over-under) image of a snakelocks anemone among kelp and seaweed on a Cornish rocky shore. Stevens used a dome port attachment on his SeaTouch 4 Max Plus housing paired with an iPhone 17 Pro to achieve the half-submerged perspective — demonstrating how modular accessories expand the creative range of phone-based underwater systems.
Rowlands noted the broader implications:
"As optional extras become available for Smartphone housings, so too does their capability. Move over cameras, Smartphone cameras are here."
A New Chapter in Underwater Photography
The Underwater Photographer of the Year competition was established in 1965, when British photographer Phil Smith was honored as the first UPY. Over six decades, the contest has grown into the definitive global showcase for imagery of the underwater world, attracting entries from every continent and publishing winning images in major media worldwide.
The introduction of a dedicated Smartphone category in 2026 represents the most significant expansion of the competition in recent memory. For the first time, phone-based underwater photography stands alongside traditional disciplines including Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behaviour, Portrait, Coral Reefs, Black & White, and Compact — signaling that the underwater photography establishment recognizes smartphone imaging as a legitimate and rapidly advancing art form.
The inaugural category attracted 78 photographers from 21 countries, a strong debut that exceeded organizer expectations and confirmed the global appetite for accessible underwater imaging tools.
UPY 2026 by the Numbers
The 2026 edition of UPY set new records across the board:
- 7,934 entries submitted — the highest in the competition's 61-year history
- 700+ photographers representing 74 countries
- 78 smartphone photographers from 21 countries entered the inaugural Smartphone category
- 12 competition categories, including the new Smartphone division
- An increase of approximately 1,200 entries over UPY 2025
Australian photographer Matty Smith was named the overall Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 for "Rockpool Rookies" in the Portrait category. The full list of category winners spans Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behaviour, Portrait, Coral Reefs, Black & White, Compact, Smartphone, and three British Waters divisions. All winning images are published in the official UPY 2026 Yearbook.
The competition was judged by Alex Mustard, Peter Rowlands, and Tobias Friedrich — three of the most respected names in global underwater photography.
DIVEVOLK at the Awards Ceremony
At the UPY 2026 awards ceremony in London, DIVEVOLK's brand was displayed alongside industry leaders including PADI, Nauticam, Backscatter, Sea&Sea, Fourth Element, The Crown Estate, and the Save Our Seas Foundation. As the exclusive Smartphone category sponsor, DIVEVOLK representatives took the stage to present awards to all three winners and addressed the audience on the future of smartphone underwater photography.
The Technology Behind the Win
Jack Ho's victory underscores a fundamental shift in underwater imaging technology. The DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum V2 housing that protected his vivo X100 Ultra is engineered for serious underwater photography:
- Depth rating: 60 meters (197 feet)
- Full touchscreen control: Divers operate the phone's native camera interface underwater, exactly as they would on the surface
- Universal compatibility: Supports a wide range of flagship smartphones
- Modular accessory system: Compatible with macro lenses, wide-angle lenses, dome ports, and dive lights
- Compact form factor: Significantly smaller and lighter than traditional camera housings, reducing drag and simplifying underwater handling
Modern flagship smartphones combine computational photography engines — including AI-driven noise reduction, HDR stacking, and real-time color correction — with sensors that increasingly rival dedicated cameras in close-focus and macro scenarios. Paired with a purpose-built housing, these devices offer a combination of image quality, usability, and portability that is reshaping who can participate in underwater photography and at what level.
Get Started with Smartphone Underwater Photography
For divers looking to follow in Jack Ho's footsteps, the setup is more accessible than you might think:
- Housing: SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum or SeaTouch 4 Max Plus — rated to 60m, full touchscreen operation
- Lighting: A dive light for macro subjects in low-visibility conditions
- Lens attachments: Macro and wide-angle lenses for specialized shots
- Accessories: Browse complete SeaTouch 4 Max kits for ready-to-dive bundles
Looking Ahead
UPY 2026 proved that the smartphone belongs in competitive underwater photography. With 78 photographers from 21 countries entering the first year alone, the category is primed for rapid growth. As phone cameras continue to advance — and as housings like the SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum evolve alongside them — the line between "phone photo" and "professional photo" will only keep fading.
DIVEVOLK is proud to have sponsored this milestone category and looks forward to continuing its support of the UPY competition. Want to see all the winning images? Visit the official UPY 2026 Winners Gallery. And for the latest DIVEVOLK news, events, and product updates, follow us on our blog or reach out at contact us.
