EUROPEAN FREEDIVING
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD®
International freediving photography contest.
First Edition 2026
Photo by Daan Verhoeven
Subject: Kateryna Sadurska
A breath, photographed forever
Born to celebrate the art of photography that portrays the freediver, the European Freediving Photography Award® brings together photographers from around the world around a single passion: telling the beauty of freediving, with respect for the sea and for those who live it.
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Freediving photography contest categories
Three categories, one passion
Club challenge. Where clubs compete together
A new European challenge for freediving clubs. For the first time, Clubs from across Europe are invited to compete by presenting their best photographic vision. This category celebrates teamwork, competitive spirit, creativity, and the spirit of the freediving community. The prize is awarded directly to the club to support its growth, activities, and future projects.
Cash prize for the club: €1,000
The clubs participate with a portfolio of three photographs. AI-generated images are not allowed.
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Wild blue. Open water & nature
Where light meets silence beneath the surface. WILD BLUE celebrates the beauty of freediving in its natural environment, a world shaped by water, light, and movement. This category invites photographers to reveal the silent strength and fragile balance of life in the open sea. Open to individual photographers, amateur and professional, worldwide. Capture the raw beauty of freediving in lakes, seas, and oceans.
Winner prize: € 800
Each photographer may submit up to 5 photographs. AI-generated images are not allowed.
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Photo by Laura Mommicchi
Title: Dream State
Indoor elegance. Pool & creative
Celebrates the art of freediving in controlled environments, a space where precision, symmetry, and creativity come together. From geometric compositions to expressive underwater performances, this category invites photographers to explore the beauty of movement, discipline, competitive spirit, and visual design beneath the surface. Open to individual photographers, amateur and professional, worldwide.
Winner prize: € 800
Each photographer may submit up to 5 photographs. AI-generated images are not allowed.
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Photo by Daan Verhoeven
Subject:Anette Rafen Ottzen
Meet the Judges
Our first edition brings together a small, dedicated Jury that combines professional photographic experience with the expertise of those who live freediving firsthand at a high competitive level. Together, the Judges will evaluate each entry through the lens of technique, emotion, storytelling, and respect for the underwater world.
THE 2026 JURY
A Dutch photographer and cameraman based in Cornwall, UK, Daan Verhoeven discovered underwater photography at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas, the first time he picked up a DSLR underwater, he says, was the moment he became a photographer. He has been freediving since 2004 and has chronicled the sport in photography and film since 2012: his work has been published in the New York Times, The Guardian, Das Bild and National Geographic, and he has filmed for TV, commercials and feature documentaries, including Netflix's "The Deepest Breath." For the European Freediving Photography Award®, he brings the eye of someone who lives freediving before ever photographing it.
“I reckon you’re only really in control of yourself once you can relinquish that control.”
A photographer and visual artist based in Nice, France, Laura Mommicchi explores the relationships between body, movement, water and perception. Her work moves between documentary observation, staged imagery and fine art, shaped by the demanding conditions of freediving, an experience that has sharpened her intuitive sense of composition, timing and the body's physical presence. She has served as official photographer for international freediving competitions, including AIDA World Championships and CMAS World Cup events. As a Jury member for the European Freediving Photography Award®, Laura brings an artist's eye trained by years spent reading the underwater world from within.
Her practice is guided by a simple question:
“How can an image make us experience something, rather than simply show it?”
Over the last decade, freediving has experienced extraordinary growth, thanks in part to athletes like Simona Auteri, who have pushed the boundaries of human performance while conveying a new dimension of this discipline. Holder of 4 CMAS world records, 5-time Italian national champion, and a leading figure in major international competitions, Simona has reached extraordinary depths, including a descent to -92 meters. As a Jury member for the European Freediving Photography Award®, she brings the unique perspective of someone who doesn't just observe the deep, but has lived it firsthand, in competition, before the eyes of the world.
“Freediving gave me what no sport ever had before: the silence needed to truly listen to myself.”
Primary Sponsors
A growing network of collaborators united by their passion for the sea and their support for our non-profit initiative.
“100% of the funds provided by our partners go directly toward event organization, platform management, and the prize pool.”
