Ocean Photographer of the Year
Thursday 23 July - Monday 31 August 2026 | Open during visitor opening hours
Dive into the world’s best ocean photography at Lichfield Cathedral this summer. Celebrate the beauty, diversity, and fragility of our marine ecosystems, from tiny hidden creatures to vast underwater landscapes rarely seen by the human eye.
Over 100 award-winning photographs from the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 collection are on display, including the grand title winner, Yury Ivanov from Indonesia. His striking image of two tiny amphipods, just 3mm long, resting on coral, captivated the judges for its vivid colour, perfect symmetry, and the extraordinary patience and skill required to capture it.
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through hidden habitats and extraordinary marine life, with categories including Human Connection, Hope, Adventure, Wildlife, Young Photographers, and Impact. Each photograph celebrates the wonder of the oceans and gently reminds us of our shared responsibility to care for these fragile worlds.
Co-presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain, this internationally renowned exhibition is both awe-inspiring and thought-provoking, showing how human curiosity and creativity can nurture, protect, and preserve the natural world.
Alongside this exhibition, the Whales installation by Tessa Campbell Fraser will also be on display, offering a dramatic reflection on the fragility of marine life and the choices we make in protecting it.
Entry by donation
