Top 10 FAVORITE Customer Photos of 2023 // Peach's Pics [VIDEO]

By Denise Pietsch

One of the best parts of my job managing Ikelite's social media presence and Weekly Newsletter is seeing all the photos and videos our customers share with us and tag us in each week. Let's dive into the top 10 most eye-catching underwater photo and video I've seen in 2023!

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Rhys Logan | Have Camera, Will Travel

Rhys Logan coral restoration image for ikelite underwater featured customer

Rhys Logan is an underwater photographer who has worked with the likes of Nat Geo and Epic TV. What I really love about this shot is that it's not your typical coral restoration photo. The leading lines draw your eye to the diver, the diver is upside down bringing an unexpected element to the photo, and the deep blue of the background is just beautiful. It's overall a very memorable image and so pleasing to the eye. // Image © Rhys Logan

See Rhys' full Featured Customer Gallery: Rhys Logan | Have Camera, Will Travel

Sami Lindroos | Expanding Your Environment

Sami Lindroos is an underwater photographer, technical diver, and a dive instructor. I'm particularly drawn to the perspective in this image. Sami makes great use of a wide-angle lens with this shot. The fish's eye is crisp and clean and its open mouth has this anthropomorphic expression which really draws the viewer in. // Image © Sami Lindroos

See Sami's full Featured Customer Gallery: Sami Lindroos | Expanding Your Environment

Stan O'Dell | Exumas Expedition

stan o'dell collage ikelite featured customer

Stan O'Dell is a retired psychology professor who I had the pleasure of diving with on Ikelite's recent expedition onboard the Aqua Cat Liveaboard in the Exumas, Bahamas. Stan created this underwater collage from a variety of images he shot while on the Aqua Cat. I love this image because an underwater photography collage is just not something you see everyday. I love the spiritual iconography with the halo behind the turtle's head made from feather worms and the overall pleasing composition. It's made even more special having had the opportunity to dive with Stan while he got some of these shots! // Image © Stan O'Dell

If you want to go diving with us next year, clear your schedules for October 12-19, 2024 where we'll be taking our next dive trip in Little Cayman!

See Stan's full Featured Customer Gallery: Stan O'Dell | The Exumas Expedition

Tomas Koeck | Keepers of the Blue

Tomas Koeck is a Canon-backed underwater creator who shoots the Canon EOS R5 inside an Ikelite Underwater Housing. He recently created a documentary Keepers of the Blue. I was really drawn to his image of a shark swimming through a school of fish. The movement and color of the fish juxtaposed against the intense gaze from the shark is quite memorable and really tells a story. // Image © Tomas Koeck

"Keepers of the Blue is a documentary examining several different oceanic environments as well as those that work to protect them. From the mighty great white shark to the humble reef fish, the ocean is teaming with life both big and small, fearsome and meek. Keepers of the Blue is a collaborative effort between several different organizations such as Canon USA, Tamron Optics, and Sacred Heart University, who all contributed to the completion of this film." - Tomas Koeck

Watch Tomas' full film: Tomas Koeck | Keepers of the Blue

James Graham | The Marvels of Macro

I've seen a ton of really cool images come out of Australia this year. One of the first creators I want to mention is James Graham. He's a macro photographer who uses our DL 5in Flat Port with filters behind the port and incorporates a diopter. He has a really unique style that is all his own.

image james graham ikelite featured customer

The first image I fell in love with was this image of an octopus. It's ethereal, textured, beautifully crisp, but with a cloud like quality around its edges. It's an image that creates its own mood and vibe. // Image © James Graham

james graham mantis shrimp ikelite featured customer

The second image is a macro shot of a mantis shrimp. It's got a really dark background and the pop of color of the mantis shrimp is immaculate. The colors are really crisp, the shot is really clean, and it's everything you want to see out of an underwater photo. // Image © James Graham

See James' full Featured Customer Gallery: James Graham | The Marvels of Macro

Jason Milligan | Underwater in Australia

image by jason milligan for ikelite underwater systems

Jason Milligan is another incredible underwater photographer out of Australia. His image of a leafy sea dragon is one of my favorites mostly because I just love leafy sea dragons! The color composition is wonderful: it's a pop of brilliant yellow against a beautiful blue background. These colors compliment each other so well and make for a stunning photo. // Image © Jason Milligan

See Jason's full Featured Customer Gallery: Jason Milligan | Underwater in Australia

Paul Ranky | Innovation, Education, and Underwater Photography

Paul Ranky is a university professor, PADI rescue diver, and world traveler. He shared a really cool image of a coral structure with some fans. What draws me to this image is its Dr. Seuss shapes and colors. It's vibrant, unique, and not something you see everyday. I'm particularly attracted to abstract underwater images so this image of Paul's really checks a box for me. // Image © Paul Ranky

See Paul's full Featured Customer Gallery: Paul Ranky | Innovation, Education, and Underwater Photography

Johannes Olszewski | Coral Castle

johannes olszewski ikelite featured customer

Johannes is a mountain climber, slackliner, and filmmaker both topside and underwater. Johannes submitted his underwater video Coral Castle. It's a meditative experience. During some shots if you didn't know you were looking at waves you might think some of the shots were of clouds. The video is thunderous but calming and is set to a poem by Carol Bieleck. // Image © Johannes Olszewski

See Johannes' full film: Johannes Olszewski | Coral Castle

Ingrid Meucci | Uplift, Empower, Reveal

ingrid meucci image 1 for ikelite featured customer

ingrid meucci ikelite image 2 for featured customer gallery

Ingrid Meucci is a French fine art underwater photographer who studied under Ikelite Ambassador Alison Bounce. I love these two images by Ingrid so much that I couldn't pick just one, they're so complimentary. In one photo the model looks like she's ascending and in the other she looks like she's falling to the depths. The light rays are beautiful, the color is soft, and the models body language in both images are so intriguing. // Image © Ingrid Meucci

See Ingrid's full Featured Customer Gallery: Ingrid Meucci | Uplift, Empower, Reveal

Lior Berman | Underwater in the Exumas

Lior is a Costa Rican wildlife photographer who's been featured in Nat Geo Spain. I also had the pleasure of diving with Lior this year on the Aqua Cat. I really tried to be judicious and not have every shot in this series a split-shot because I love split-shots, but I couldn't leave this one out. It's special because it brings back fond memories of our Exumas Expedition dive trip. But it's also incredible for its subject matter and composition. It features an unexpected subject: a pig, which you don't typically see in the water. And it's also beautifully crisp with bright colors and it's an overall fun shot. // Image © Lior Berman

See Lior's full Featured Customer Gallery: Lior Berman | Underwater in the Exumas

Want to See Your Photos Here?

We can't wait to see what you capture in 2024. If you want to get more eyes on your work learn how to become an Ikelite Featured Customer today!

If you want to come diving with us next year, join us in Little Cayman October 12-19, 2024 for a week of exciting diving with a focus on underwater photo and video. Join the Ikelite crew in one of the Caribbean's most iconic dive spots!

Denise Pietsch (pronounced “Peach”) currently manages Ikelite’s Photo School and social media presence. Denise hails from New Jersey, where she obtained a degree in Dance Therapy. After years teaching dance she migrated into the corporate world and eventually came around to Ikelite via the natural career path of fruit distribution and early childhood development. In the end, her lifelong love of photography and octopuses combined into the work she does now. In addition to sharing her energy and enthusiasm with the underwater community she also manages social media for her dog, Joe, collects vinyl records, and enjoys creating memories with her friends and family.