Portugal - DIVEVOLK proudly congratulates Rui Bernardo and Joana Narciso, the creators behind the 1st Place image in the FPAS 2025 National Underwater Photography Championship (Mobile Devices Category), for capturing this stunning image using the SeaTouch 4 Max underwater housing. Their winning work is a reminder that modern mobile underwater photography isn’t just about convenience—it’s about community craft: timing, teamwork, and the discipline to wait for a clean frame in a crowded, iconic dive site.
Clarifying the competition pathway: FPAS (Portugal) within the CMAS ecosystem
FPAS (Federação Portuguesa de Actividades Subaquáticas) is Portugal’s national federation for underwater activities and the Portuguese member federation within CMAS (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques), listed in CMAS National Federations as Portugal (FPAS). References: CMAS — Portugal (FPAS) and CMAS Europe National Federations.
In practice, national results under FPAS can serve as part of the pathway for Portuguese creators to enter broader CMAS international programs and events. For example, the CMAS official event page for the 2025 CMAS World Cup Underwater Photography and Video (Madeira, Portugal) lists FPAS as a contact point. CMAS 2025 World Cup (Madeira) event page
Award-winning work (photo + embed) and video
Winning photo: View the winning image
Award / event video: Watch the video
The story behind the frame: teamwork, timing, and a clean window
The winning image was captured at Corveta Pereira D’Eça, a former Portuguese Navy ship transformed into an artificial reef and sunk in a bay of Porto Santo Island in July 2016. Location reference: Corveta Pereira D’Eça overview
Because the site is so popular, the biggest challenge wasn’t “getting the wreck”—it was getting the wreck cleanly, without unplanned diver traffic cutting through the frame.
“The biggest challenge in creating the image was actually getting a time frame where there were no more divers who could ruin the image.” — Rui Bernardo & Joana Narciso
Concept & technique: natural light, mirrored composition, and a stormy B&W finish
To reveal the ship at full scale and dimension, they waited for a moment with the sun behind the shooter, allowing natural light to illuminate the wreck in a way that feels complete and three-dimensional.
The image was shot on an iPhone 16 Pro Max using the Dive.IT photography app to achieve a mirrored effect. They photographed in manual mode, adjusting exposure so the diver and the ship’s outlines stayed crisp and detailed. After capture, they used Lightroom to add lightning bolts for a dramatic storm atmosphere, then converted the final image to black and white for maximum impact.
Why SeaTouch 4 Max: small, lightweight, and app freedom underwater
For Rui and Joana, the most valuable feature of DIVEVOLK is creative flexibility: a compact housing that stays out of the way—while unlocking the full mobile app ecosystem underwater.
“It’s versatile, lightweight, and small—the smaller the housing, the better. You can add external lighting and wet lenses as extras, but the real power is being able to use any application on your mobile device underwater.” — Rui Bernardo & Joana Narciso
They summarized the workflow speed in a line that captures the spirit of mobile creation: “30 seconds to take the photo and 30 seconds to edit it underwater.”
About the creators
Rui Bernardo and Joana Narciso are divers passionate about underwater photography. They have been diving since 2005, with a camera as a constant part of their dive kit. They have competed in World and European underwater photography championships, earning multiple titles, including a gold medal at the 2021 World Championship in the fish category.In addition to participating in the mobile phone photography category, I also entered the macro and wide-angle categories and won gold medals in both.
About DIVEVOLK
DIVEVOLK builds mobile-first underwater imaging solutions that help creators capture, review, edit, and share underwater—through true touchscreen control and a growing accessory ecosystem.
Media Contact
Company Name: divevolk
Contact Person: Lexi
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://www.divevolkdiving.com
