March Editors' photo challenge: Water
The theme for our March Editors' photo challenge was 'Water'. We asked you to show us the essence of water in its many forms.
DPReview photographers rose to the occasion as usual, flooding us with stunning submissions. We were awash in incredible photos – many more than we can present here. Our top picks on the following pages are presented in random order.
Want to participate in some other photo challenges? Visit our Challenges page to see currently open or upcoming challenges or to vote in a recently closed challenge.
The underside of water
Photographer: Thorgnyr
Photographer's description: Often during winter, Lake Thingvallarvatn freezes. The view of the ice from below can be spectacular, especially during the thaw period; the ice has broken into flakes and then froze again. This was the case when this picture was taken. I started taking pictures without the diver but felt the scale was missing. So I got my buddy to pose for me.
Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Frost
Photographer: JTF MKE
Photographer's description: On a cold winter day, there was frost on a bathroom window. Taken using a tripod in the morning with angled early sunlight. Patterns were entirely random, created by lots of humidity and the hand of Mother Nature.
Equipment: Olympus E-510 (EVOLT E-510) + Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro
Surf paddle out for life, and a good friend
Photographer: sundot
Photographer's description: Surf Paddle out as we do in Hawaii when someone passes with a connection to the ocean. Friends gather for one last shout-out to send a farewell. The skies cleared, and the ocean lit up for the sendoff.
Equipment: DJI Mavic
Throwing up walls
Photographer: owenleve
Photographer's description: Former Olympian/US Ski Team athlete Daron Rahlves waterskiing on Bocca Reservoir in Truckee, California. "Throwing Up Walls" refers to the "wall" of water produced from each turn.
Equipment: DJI Mavic
Only four drops
Photographer: froggy42
Photographer's description: This picture of a water sculpture consists of only four drops of water falling in specific fractions of a second, one after the other, onto a water surface. They generate this sculpture that exists only for a fraction of a second. Our eyes are not fast enough to see the sculpture. To take this picture, a flash had to be used to achieve a very short exposure time. To achieve the correct time intervals, I used a Miops Waterdrop Kit.
Equipment: Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
Water fields
Photographer: 75RobinH
Photographer's description: Red seaweed cultivation on the east coast of Zanzibar. During low tide, the "seaweed women" with their multi-colored dresses (kanga) enter these water fields similar to small gardens to tend their plantations. The seaweed is fixed to sticks connected by strings. About every two weeks, they harvest it and spread it out to dry. The seaweed is used in the production of cosmetics (soaps, creams, oils etc.), partly produced locally; most is exported. This demanding work is not only a source of income but is also very important for the social life, dignity and development of the women of Zanzibar. The warming of the ocean is seriously endangering these crops.
Equipment: Sony SLT-A58 + Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM II
Steam to water to ice: In a millisecond
Photographer: joemellor
Photographer's description: I'd been thinking about this fun stunt throughout our ski holiday in Norway. It needed a low sun and a very low temperature. Most of the week was cloudy and too warm. The perfect opportunity arose, but the sunny location was a several-minute walk (run) from a source of hot water. With a single vacuum flask of boiling water, there was only one opportunity to get this right. I begged my subject to stand absolutely still in front of the sun as he threw the water as I didn't want the sun directly on the lens. Fortunately, my camera takes 20 frames per second, and I was able to select the best from around eight shots showing the development of this arc of steam/water/ice. We then returned to our cabin's warmth and were delighted with our first-time success!
Equipment: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII
Strangers
Photographer: 3rkaer
Photographer's description: We all come from the water. We are mostly made of it, but at the same time, we are all strangers to each other in this crazy world.
Equipment: Leica SL2-S
Misty morning in Grand Teton
Photographer: Stan Petersen
Photographer's description: This was shot in Grand Teton National Park in early October 2006. The crowds were gone for the season, and this place along String Lake was quiet, except for the bugling of bull elk on both sides. Mists were moving along the lake, and Mount Moran started to show through as the pre-dawn magenta light hit the top.
Equipment: Canon EOS 350D (EOS Digital Rebel XT / EOS Kiss Digital N) + Canon EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6
Under
Photographer: Cliff Connell
Photographer's description: On one of the last hot days in autumn 2011, just before our southern Australian Easter swell kicked in, I had just finished a long session of surfing some pretty big, clean waves when I decided to get back in to capture some in-water shots of the rest of the crew. Most of the shots I got that morning were pretty average, except for this one of a young guy duck diving under the closed-out section of a 5-6 foot wave. It made my day!
Equipment: Canon EOS 20D + Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC LD
Iceland highlands
Photographer: GreenFirePhotography
Photographer's description: Photographing Iceland felt like being inside a fairy tale at times. This image always draws a critical eyebrow or two. People throw around A.I. However, that's just how amazing Iceland looks.
Equipment: Hasselblad L2D-20c
Waterbrella!
Photographer: Maureeneo
Photographer's description: I took this photograph of a moment of pure joy – one of those instances where laughter and spontaneity take over. The sun was bright, the summer air thick with warmth, and cool water was the perfect antidote. But the community swimming pool wouldn’t be open for another hour, and my granddaughter couldn’t wait that long. So, she improvised a mini water park for herself, using an umbrella exactly the opposite way an umbrella should be used! I love the contrast between the black umbrella and the cascade of sparkling water. The way the droplets catch the light. The way her hair clings to her face. Here she is, soaked but carefree, reveling in the cascade she created. I think I captured that feeling: the giddy, unstoppable energy of being a kid, where even the simplest things can bring so much joy.
Equipment: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
Calm summer evening
Photographer: Lars Wara
Photographer's description: Being on a lake when the water is dead calm, all quiet except a few birds and an occasional trout breaking the surface... Well, that's pure therapy!
Equipment: Sony a6700 + Yonguo 11mm F1.8
Powerful wedge wave
Photographer: vbuhay
Photographer's description: The powerful waters of the "wedge" can be frightening for the average surfer. But for some of the strongest surfers, it is a challenge...
Equipment: Nikon D850 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Atlantic sunset
Photographer: bravoricardo
Photographer's description: It was a beautiful afternoon at Praia das Milícias in São Miguel, Azores, so I decided to go for a swim with my water housing. After a couple of hours on the shore break trying different water angles, I managed to position myself inside this perfectly lit barreling wave, facing the sun setting behind São Roque church.
Equipment: Canon EOS-1D X
Window frost
Photographer: Bram Floria
Photographer's description: Waiting for the defroster to kick in, Spokane, WA, on January 26, 2025. On a bright, cold morning following a night of ice storms, the water came out to play as leaves of crystal.
Equipment: Google Pixel 6a
Divining rod
Photographer: morelens
Photographer's description: This is a lovely stream in upstate NY. Believe it or not, this location is on the far end of a cemetery. I was standing in the water to take this photo, and the water and the breeze cooled me off on this hot day – one of the many advantages of photography.
Equipment: Canon EOS R + Canon EF 17-40mm F4.0L USM
A gentle touch
Photographer: wfoto
Photographer's description: High-speed pictures of moving water will amaze you with the small details we cannot see in real life: every bubble in the foam, tiny sprinklets coming out of each crest, and the contact of the water with sand.
Equipment: Canon EOS 6D Mark II
Frisco Pier
Photographer: Keith Hudspeth
Photographer's description: The goal of this photo was to show the raw, destructive power of water. Frisco Pier was built in 1962 and stood strong until Hurricanes Isabel and Earl struck the Outer Banks in the early 2000s. I took this photo in 2016 before it was finally dismantled in late 2017.
Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm F1.8G ED
Shower cap
Photographer: Anne25
Photographer's description: The subject burst a balloon full of water above his head. The balloon was hung from a support and burst using a spike on a stick. I wish I had taken a later shot capturing the look on his face due to the cold shock.
Equipment: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV + Canon EF 400mm F5.6 L
