South Bay, Long Beach photographers take top spot in international photo competition

A team of three photographers that included residents of Palos Verdes Estates and Long Beach took home the top prize at an international underwater photo competition.

Palos Verdes Estates resident Renee Capozzola, Long Beach photographer Ron Watkins and Kona, Hawaii, resident Jeff Milisen made up the three-person team representing the U.S. in the International Underwater Photo Grand Prix, which concluded Saturday in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The team submitted a collection of six photos, which they chose based on each photographer’s shooting specialty, to beat out four other teams in the finals, including three from Italy and one from Taiwan.

With the win comes $6,000 worth of underwater photography equipment and a diving trip to Papau New Guinea. Capozzola also snagged the second-place prize in the competition’s sharks category with images of blacktip reef sharks off the coast of French Polynesia.

— Cynthia Washicko