{"id":734930,"date":"2026-06-30T13:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T13:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/734930\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T13:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T13:58:11","slug":"14-year-old-underwater-photographer-scoops-top-prize-in-prestigious-professional-competition-illuminating-a-world-rarely-seen-with-slow-shutter-speeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/734930\/","title":{"rendered":"14-year-old underwater photographer scoops top prize in prestigious professional competition \u2013 illuminating a world rarely seen with slow shutter speeds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Young photographer Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya just won the top honor in the Project\/\/21 category at the Hasselblad Masters 2026 with the underwater series, Dwellers of the Night.<\/p>\n

The rising talent from Thailand, who is just 14 years old, stood out against a field of exceptional entries in one of the world’s most prestigious professional photographic competitions, which also offers emerging photographers the opportunity to showcase their talent.<\/p>\n

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In the waters of Anilao, The Philippines, Panitbhand skillfully used a slow shutter speed and colored lighting to reveal a world that remains hidden for most \u2013 but this wasn’t his first victory.<\/p>\n

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Previously, Panitbhand earned the title Young Shark Photographer of the Year 2025<\/a> and was commended<\/a> in the Siena International Photo Awards 2026.<\/p>\n

Winner Project\/\/21: Dwellers of the Night <\/p>\n

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For the ribbon eel, a diffused warm light conjures a subtle sunset behind the subject \u2013 crowning it as a master of the night (Image credit: Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya)<\/p>\n

Panitbhand’s work is rooted in a quiet dedication to the ocean, documenting its life, its fragility and the ecosystems that sustain it, in the hope that what is seen through his lens will not be forgotten.<\/p>\n

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In the waters of Anilao, The Philippines, pelagic and larval marine life migrate from the depths each night to feed under the cover of darkness.<\/p>\n

By using slow shutter speeds to capture the elegant motion of his subjects and carefully chosen coloured lighting, Panitbhand reveals their form and beauty.<\/p>\n

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Some of these creatures spend their entire lives in the open ocean, making the pelagic ecosystem as fragile as it is extraordinary.<\/p>\n

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The young underwater photographer is also a scuba diver, mastering a photographic genre that is well known for its challenges (Image credit: Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya)<\/p>\n

“I’m drawn to the quiet whimsy of these sea creatures. Set against black, the creatures feel almost otherworldly- strange, delicate, and entirely captivating.<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s a simplicity to the presentation that allows their inherent oddness to shine, reminding us how unfamiliar and compelling the natural world can be when seen without distraction,” says Alex Pollack<\/a>, Director of Photography at National Geographic.<\/p>\n

Take a look at the seven winners of Hasselblad Masters 2026 here<\/a>. For more information on the competition, visit the Hasselblad website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Browse the best Hasselblad cameras<\/a> and the best Hasselblad lenses.<\/a><\/p>\n

Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from June to December.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Young photographer Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya just won the top honor in the Project\/\/21 category at the Hasselblad…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":734931,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[228,226,227,229,88],"class_list":["post-734930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=734930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/734931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=734930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=734930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=734930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}