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Dance of the Sardines

In Moalboal, Philippines, the Sardine run is a mesmerizing phenomenon where millions of sardines move as one, creating powerful currents and fluid shapes. A freediver’s subtle gestures ripple through this living mass, revealing the fragile choreography between the individual and the collective

Awards

Color Photography Contest

2025

Silver

Underwater

Non Professional

Dance of the Sardines

In Moalboal, Philippines, the Sardine run is a mesmerizing phenomenon where millions of sardines move as one, creating powerful currents and fluid shapes. A freediver’s subtle gestures ripple through this living mass, revealing the fragile choreography between the individual and the collective

About Artist

Maryline Renault

I’m a French-born, certified underwater photographer based in Singapore, currently working in the optical and lenses industry. Over the last three decades, I’ve lived in eight countries and explored more than 100 around the globe - a borderless lifestyle that mirrors the way I dive and photograph: always seeking wonder in the unexpected and hidden corners of the ocean. My passion for both diving and photography began when I was 15, each offering a unique way of seeing the world. It wasn’t until later in life that I truly merged them - deep diving into a more creative form of expression through underwater photography. I'm especially drawn to the ocean’s hidden side: tiny, strange, often overlooked and rare critters camouflaged in silty, murky places. Using techniques like super macro, creative lighting, light painting, panning, snooting, and color work, I aim not just to witness or document these moments but to elevate them. To make the unseen unforgettable. For me, photography isn’t simply about capturing reality; it’s about highlighting the magic in the details and turning the underwater world into a canvas of color, shapes, emotion, and wonder. I believe that by revealing the hidden beauty of the less glamourous corners of our Ocean, we can inspire greater awareness, appreciation, respect .... and action to protect them. Because we only protect what we know, what we truly see - and love ;-)

Maryline Renault

Photographic Areas of Focus

Underwater

Location

Singapore

Explore Other Winners

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Nominee

JP

John Pfisterer

Underwater

People’s Vote Award
Honorable Mention
Maddison Woollard

Maddison Woollard

Underwater

Gold
People’s Vote Award
Honorable Mention
Maddison Woollard

Maddison Woollard

Underwater

Nominee
Kari B Lohne Knudsen

Kari B Lohne Knudsen

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