PICOTY 2026 is open for entries. If you shoot underwater with a phone, pay attention: there's a dedicated smartphone category this year, and the winner gets a shot at the grand prize.
Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year (PICOTY) is the biggest underwater photography competition in the world. The Smartphone Pictures & Videos (SMP) category is specifically for images and video captured on phones in waterproof housings. Deadline: March 28, 2026.
What is PICOTY?
PICOTY is run by the Ocean Geographic Society. It draws entries from professional and amateur underwater photographers in over 80 countries, across 18 categories: wide-angle reefscapes, marine behavior, conservation, and now smartphone underwater photography.
Entries are judged by a panel of established underwater photographers. You can see who's judging on the PICOTY judges page.
The prizes
The total prize pool is over USD $100,000. The top award, Master of Competition, wins a polar expedition (Arctic or Antarctic) aboard the MV Sylvia Earle, sponsored by Aurora Expeditions.
Here's the part that matters for phone shooters: the SMP category winner automatically qualifies for Master of Competition. A photo you took on your phone, inside a waterproof housing, on a weekend dive trip, could literally win you a berth on an Antarctic expedition ship.
Smartphone category rules
The SMP category has straightforward requirements. All images and videos must be captured and edited on a smartphone. You need a waterproof housing for underwater shots. Here's what you submit:
- A portfolio of 5 images
- One 30–60 second portrait-format video
- All content captured after January 1, 2023
- Finalists must provide original files with intact EXIF data
The SMP awards are:
- Winner – Jennifer Hayes Award of Excellence (qualifies for Master of Competition)
- Runner-Up
- Honourable Mention
- Special Mention
On top of that, DIVEVOLK is sponsoring SMP prizes: a $1,800 voucher, an $800 voucher, and three $300 vouchers.
Why DIVEVOLK sponsors PICOTY
We've sponsored PICOTY since 2025. The reason is simple: we make underwater phone housings, and PICOTY now has a category built around underwater phone photography. It's a natural fit. Check out last year's PICOTY 2025 winners to see the caliber of work.
If you're entering the SMP category, our SeaTouch 4 Max gives you full touchscreen control underwater, works with iPhones and Android phones, and is rated to 60 meters. Add a dive light for color, or a macro or wide-angle lens for more compositional range.
How to enter
Go to the PICOTY registration page and pick your tier:
- Classic Entry – up to 20 pictures
- Premium Entry – up to 30 pictures plus a 30–60 second video
Either tier lets you enter an additional 15 images in other categories.
Before uploading, read the terms and conditions carefully. They cover image specs, editing rules, and what disqualifies an entry.
For SMP, pick your 5 strongest underwater photos and put together a short portrait-format video. Upload everything with original EXIF data intact. The judges care about storytelling as much as technical quality, so think about what ties your five images together. A set that follows a single dive, documents a specific behavior, or makes an environmental point will stand out more than five unrelated "good shots."
Practical tips for phone shooters
Phone cameras are genuinely good enough to compete now, but underwater shooting has its own challenges. A few things that make a real difference:
Shoot RAW or ProRAW. You'll have far more room to correct color and exposure in post. The UWACAM app has a PRO mode with manual controls built for underwater use, and its UWACOLOR feature does real-time color correction so you're not guessing at compositions through a blue-green filter.
Get physically close to your subject. Water kills contrast and sharpness fast. Two meters away looks muddy; half a meter away looks sharp. This is the single biggest upgrade most phone shooters can make.
Bring a light. Even a compact dive light like the SL20 brings back reds and oranges that water absorbs in the first few meters. The difference in your images will be obvious.
Don't delete your originals. Finalists must supply the unedited files with EXIF data. Edit copies, keep the originals somewhere safe.
PICOTY 2025 Recap: DIVEVOLK Brand Ambassador Takes Top Prize
At PICOTY 2025, DIVEVOLK brand ambassador PJ Aristorenas won the Smart Phone category using the SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum housing. His winning series featuring the Pikachu Nudibranch showcased the potential of smartphone underwater photography, earning jury praise for exceptional color and detail. The achievement validates DIVEVOLK's technology while inspiring more users to explore underwater creation.
Key dates and links
- Deadline: March 28, 2026
- Registration: ogpicoty.ogsociety.org/registration-page
- Terms & conditions: ogpicoty.ogsociety.org/terms-and-conditions
- Judges: ogpicoty.ogsociety.org/judges
- 2025 winners: ogpicoty.ogsociety.org/2025-winners
If you've been diving with a phone in a SeaTouch 4 Max kit and you've got shots you're proud of, there's no reason not to enter. The deadline is March 28, 2026.
