14-year-old award-winning underwater photographer Panitbhand Paribatra “Pari” Na Ayudhya of Thailand, made waves past due closing month after he gained the Venture // 21 class within the prestigious Hasselblad Masters 2026 picture contest. It used to be now not Pari’s first large awards win, and unquestionably gained’t be his closing.

PetaPixel spoke with Pari to be informed extra about his photographic adventure, how he were given began with underwater pictures, what it felt love to win Hasselblad Masters, and what’s subsequent.

Successful Hasselblad Masters 2026

“I used to be in point of fact happy I made it to the finalists,” Paribatra tells PetaPixel . “I didn’t be expecting to win as a result of there have been in point of fact just right different photographers I used to be competing with. I simply idea, ‘It used to be in point of fact just right that I made it to the finalists.’ I simply didn’t be expecting to make it to the highest.”

That is arguably Paribatra’s largest victory but, besting exceptionally difficult pageant in Hasselblad Grasp’s Venture // 21 class, which used to be open to all photographers 21 years outdated and more youthful. Then again, Pari has gained different primary competitions, together with being named Photographer of the Yr Beneath-18 through the Shark Accept as true with, receiving a Commendation on the Siena Awards closing 12 months, and extra.

“I used to be in point of fact excited since the prize is in point of fact just right,” Pari laughed when recalling learning he had gained Hasselblad Masters. Along with incomes the identify, “Hasselblad Grasp,” Pari additionally gained a 5,000 euro ingenious fund and his number of a Hasselblad 100-megapixel digicam and two XCD Collection lenses.

“I’m very venerated to win this prestigious award,” Pari provides.

The 14-year-old photographer confirmed technique past his years to win, explaining that he checked out all of the winners of prior editions of the competition to peer what forms of photographs tended to accomplish the most productive.

“I checked out all of the classes, and I noticed there’s this development by which all of the pictures must be distinctive, however additionally they have to head along side every different,” Pari seen.

In Hasselblad Masters, photographers input a chain of 3 pictures.

For the 3 underwater photographs Pari settled on, he stated they had to be in point of fact just right on their very own, but in addition aesthetically are compatible in combination.

“All of them glance equivalent however they’re all other in some way,” the formidable younger photographer says.

Shooting the Putting, Award-Successful Underwater Footage

Pari captured all 3 of his award-winning photographs all over a blackwater dive within the Philippines. As Pari explains, there aren’t too many puts on this planet the place you’ll blackwater dive. It’s an open-ocean middle of the night dive, the place divers necessarily drift in a water column over deep abyssal depths. A formidable mild draws plankton to the waters, which then encourages deep-water creatures feeding at evening to swim over.

“We had been in the midst of the sea, looking ahead to creatures to return up at evening,” Pari says. “All through the primary dive, I took customary photographs with a regular flash, so the pictures are all transparent and the whole lot.

“Then, as a result of I noticed this factor that folks did with gradual shutter speeds all over blackwater dives, I sought after to check out it.

“I attempted it with customary flash, and it used to be roughly wonky. It wasn’t arranged, the whole lot used to be all over.

“So I improvised with a video mild and filters, and I put the filter out on all over the gradual shutter, after which ended my picture with flash to stay the main points.”

This sensible little bit of improvisation within the water, all at midnight at the open ocean no much less, displays Pari’s creativity and technical abilities.

“It wasn’t that unhealthy,” Pari says of the blackwater dive. “There have been a large number of folks there. And it used to be like 100 meters deep down there, and I didn’t know what may arise, so I used to be excited.”

Diving and Photographic Experience Comes In combination

Underwater pictures is an extremely difficult photographic self-discipline, requiring now not handiest critical pictures chops, however intensive diving experience, which is able to take a few years to procure.

For Paribatra, he may as smartly had been within the ocean. He began scuba diving once he used to be legally allowed to, at age 10, and in no time earned his certificates. He then added a diving rescue certification in a while thereafter.

“I simply practiced and practiced and practiced,” he says.

Like such a lot of different achieved photographers, Paribatra first picked up a digicam to record what he noticed on his adventures.

“I at all times had an motion digicam,” Pari says of his earliest dives. “I simply idea I’d report what took place available in the market.”

When his first pictures had been “in point of fact unhealthy,” he grew decided to toughen his pictures abilities.

“I needed to toughen,” Paribatra laughs. “Then it went on, and I began in point of fact liking it.”

He briefly moved up, each on the subject of his abilities and his equipment.

A Nikon Z8 and a 105mm Macro Lens

He now shoots with a Nikon Z8, steadily with a Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S macro lens. He makes use of a couple of Kraken strobes fastened to both sides of his lens and likewise swims with a video mild.

When requested why a 105mm lens, relatively than the extra conventional wide-angle lenses that underwater photographers use, Paribatra says he must get in point of fact close-up photographs of tiny topics, and if he wishes more room, he can at all times swim farther away.

Paribatra’s favourite of his 3 Hasselblad Masters pictures, the some of the octopus, might glance find it irresistible’s a large creature. It isn’t. Pari says it used to be on the subject of the scale of a ping-pong ball.

Paribatra’s love for macro will also be partly defined through some of the first pictures that in point of fact excited him, however now not for the explanations you could be expecting.

“It used to be a sea slug,” Pari remembers of the instant he really fell in love with pictures. “I noticed it on documentaries, and I used to be like, ‘Wow, this factor if truth be told exists, and you’ll if truth be told see it.’ So I used to be like, ‘I’ve to take a photograph of this.

“After which I took it, and it got here out very blurry. It used to be very unhealthy. So the following time I went out, I needed to make it higher.”

The Largest Demanding situations of Underwater Images

Despite the fact that it’s simple to imagine, being attentive to Paribatra give an explanation for his pictures, that the whole lot comes simple, he’s adamant that’s now not true. He has needed to paintings extraordinarily onerous to hone his photographic abilities, and he nonetheless faces demanding situations on each dive.

“It’s onerous as a result of you’ll’t keep watch over a large number of issues,” the diving photographer explains. “You’ll keep watch over the sunshine, however you’ll’t keep watch over the water. If the water isn’t cooperating, it’s in point of fact onerous to do the rest.”

After which the topic is nearly at all times transferring, including every other layer of complexity to the method. Despite the fact that Paribatra is a wonderful diver, underwater creatures have vital benefits in pace.

Then there’s visibility. There are steadily issues floating within the water that make it onerous to peer.

“The topic is transferring, we’re transferring, and every so often the stipulations aren’t nice. You’re simply now not at all times going to get pictures, and that’s in point of fact disappointing.”

Pari, an Ocean Ambassador for the Manta Accept as true with and a Younger Shark Ambassador for Fins Connected Marine Analysis and Conservation, has large appreciate for the sea and all its population, so he’s additionally extraordinarily cautious to by no means rigidity out his topics. He has to watch for them to return to him, and that doesn’t at all times occur.

Paribatra says he briefly discovered to at all times be able within the water. Once he will get within the ocean, he double-checks all his settings and makes positive his check photographs glance just right.

“I apply at the particular person subsequent to me or a rock or one thing to ensure the settings are best first, as a result of a shark isn’t going to stay round lengthy,” Pari says. “So if it does, I’m able and simply attempt to to find the attitude and click on as a result of I will’t set the rest up on my digicam after the shark displays up.”

A Love for the Ocean

“I’ve at all times preferred the sea, spending time within the ocean,” Paribatra tells PetaPixel. “Lengthy earlier than I began diving, I knew I needed to do one thing to pay again what the sea gave to me.”

Paribatra has given many displays through the years and maximum not too long ago hosted a photograph exhibition Bangkok, “Pay Again to the Ocean.”

“Folks do stuff with knowledge and science and consciousness. However I simply idea that pictures — I revel in pictures — so I wish to use that and do one thing just right for the sea.”

Despite the fact that it should appear to be Paribatra is destined for a lifetime of skilled underwater pictures, the younger photographer says that isn’t his dream.

“I wish to toughen, I wish to recover,” Paribatra says of pictures. “However I additionally wish to revel in it in some way that it is probably not the number 1 process in my lifestyles. As a result of when it turns into a dedication, and one thing I’ve to do so much, I gained’t revel in it as a lot.

“I believe it’s a primary pastime, however now not the whole lot in my lifestyles.”

Paribatra is aware of he needs to pursue a profession associated with the sea,, regardless that. Perhaps one thing associated with science.

“However I’m now not positive but.”

Something is evidently, it doesn’t matter what Pari Paribatra makes a decision to do, he has the ability and pressure to excel.

To stick up-to-the-minute with Paribatra’s underwater pictures adventures, readers can practice him on Instagram and consult with his website online.

Symbol creditAll pictures through Panitbhand Paribatra “Pari” Na Ayudhya