Steven Kovacs was born in Canada and has had a fascination for the underwater world from a very young age. He started diving in the cold, rich waters surrounding Vancouver Island in 1999, and bought his first camera and Ikelite housing in 2001. A couple of years later he moved to Florida to pursue his passion in a more tropical setting. From there he quickly developed a passion for macro photography, with a special emphasis on underwater behaviors.
He has placed in numerous international awards and has been widely published in numerous books and magazines. His work has also been displayed in numerous institutions, including the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington and Venice National History Museum to name just a couple.
Recently he has become an avid enthusiast of blackwater photography which entails drifting near the surface at night in very deep water to photograph rarely seen pelagic and deep water species that migrate to the surface under the cover of darkness.
His current arsenal consists of both a Nikon D500 and D7000 camera in Ikelite housings with dual Ikelite DS160 strobes.
Awards + Achievements
- 2002 LAUPS international- 4th place West Coast Cold Water Category
- 2002 BCUPS International Photo Contest- GRAND PRIZE overall winner
- 2005 Nature's Best Magazine Windland Smith Rice International highly honored, endangered species category
- 2005 Scuba Diving magazine international contest 2nd place macro, honorable mention macro (2)
- 2006 LAUPS honorable mention macro digital (2)
- 2006 NCUPS international 3rd place macro
- 2007 Nature's Best Magazine Windland Smith Rice International oceans category highly honored
- 2007 LAUPS international honorable mentions behavior and macro digital
- 2007 Our World Underwater honorable mention macro traditional
- 2007 Deep Indonesia International Competition 3rd place animal behavior, honorable mention animal behavior, honorable mention animal portrait
- 2007 NCUPS international contest 3rd place prints, honorable mention prints
- 2007 British Underwater Image Festival 2nd place portfolio
- 2007 Scuba Diving magazine international contest 3rd place marine life, honorable mentions marine life (3)
- 2007 Beneath the Sea 1st place marine life, 1st place behavior
- 2008 RSMAS International competition 3rd place macro
- 2008 Celebrate the Sea International contest 1st place behavior, honorable mentions (4)
- 2008 Deep Indonesia International Competition honorable mention animal behavior, honorable mention animal portrait
- 2008 Epson Red Sea Shoot-out Competition 1st place judge's prize
- 2008 international UW images contest 1st place togetherness, honorable mention togetherness
- 2008 Epson Red Sea World of Underwater Images International Competition Best Humor entry 1st place, Best Humor honorable mention, Best singular entry honorable mention
- 2008 British Underwater Image Festival honorable mention open prints, 1st place portfolio
- 2008 Beneath the Sea international 2nd place macro, honorable mention macro, 3rd place behavior
- 2008 TTL SCUBA diver Australasia international competition 1st place macro
- 2009 RSMAS international competition 1st place portrait
- 2009 Epson Red Sea World of Underwater Images International Competition Best singular entry honorable mentions (2), Best Humor entry honorable mention
- 2009 Our World Underwater 2nd place macro unrestricted
- 2009 Nature's Best Magazine Windland Rice Smith international highly honored oceans category
- 2009 Nature's Best Magazine Ocean Views contest highly honored
- 2009 NCUPS international contest 1st place prints, 2nd place prints, 3rd place prints
- 2009 LAUPS international 3rd place behavior, 4th place behavior, 5th place behavior, honorable mention macro
- 2010 Deep Indonesia International Competition honorable mention environment and conservation
- 2010 RSMAS international competition 1st place portrait, 1st place macro
- 2010 Epson Red Sea Shootout Competition shootout digital portfolio finalist
- 2010 Epson Red Sea World of Underwater Images International Competition Environment finalist
- 2010 Epson Red Sea World of Underwater Images International Competition Digital portfolio 1st place!!
- 2010 LAUPS international behavior honorable mentions (2)
- 2010 Ocean Art Competition Behavior 2nd place, Behavior 3rd place, Super Macro honorable mention, Nudibranchs honorable mention, Nudibranchs honorable mention
- 2011 Nature's Best Magazine Ocean Views highly honored
- 2011 RSMAS international competition 1st place portrait
- 2011 Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine international TTL competition 1st place portrait
- 2011 Ocean Art Competition Portrait 2nd place, Super Macro 2nd place
- 2011 Oasis International Nature Photo Contest Underwater category 3rd place, Underwater category honorable mention
- 2011 SEA international contest Wide angle advanced honorable mention
- 2012 Asferico International Photo Contest Underwater category 6th Place, Underwater category honorable mention
- 2012 Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine international TTL competition portrait honorable mentions (2)
- 2012 Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year!!! Commended Coldblooded behavior category
- 2012 LAUPS international behavior category 2nd place
- 2012 Oasis International Nature Photo Contest 3rd place Underwater category
- 2013 Beneath the Sea International 2nd place behavior category, honorable mention behavior category
- 2013 SEA international contest Macro advanced honorable mention
- 2013 Nature's Best Magazine Ocean Views 4th place!!
- 2013 RSMAS international competition 1st place portrait
- 2013 Nature's Best Magazine Windland Rice Smith international highly honored small world category
- 2013 Ocean Art International Contest Behavior 5th place, Behavior Honorable mention, Macro 5th place, Macro Honorable mention
- 2013 Oasis International Nature Photo Contest Honorable mention Underwater category
- 2014 Beneath the Sea International 2nd place Macro category, honorable mention behavior category
- 2014 Ocean Geographic International contest honorable mention Fish Behavior category
- 2014 Ocean Art International Contest Behavior 2nd place, Behavior Honorable mention, Portrait 3rd place
- 2015 Beneath the Sea International honorable mention Behavior category
- 2015 Asferico International Photo Contest Underwater category Highly Commended
- 2015 Big Picture Competition Honorable mention underwater category
- 2015Ocean Art International contest Behavior 1st place
- 2016 Asia UW Photo Challenge Behavior 3rd place
- 2016 World Underwater Shootout Winner of the portfolio for Best Destination!
- 2016 British Underwater Photographer of the Year Contest_ Macro
- 2016 World Shoot out 1st place portfolio best dive destination
- 2017 Beneath the Sea 1st place macro, 2nd place macro, honorable mention macro, 3rd place behavior
- 2017 Asferico underwater Honorable mention
- 2017 RSMAS 2nd place marine life
- 2018 Oasis photo contest underwater commended
- 2018 Beneath the Sea Grand Prize David Doubilet Award of Excellence
- 2018 Asferico Underwater highly commended
- 2019 Asferico highly commended
- 2019 Big Picture Competition Finalist
- 2019 Underwater Photo Challenge 1st place Blackwater category
- 2019 Natures Best Highly Honored Oceans
- 2019 Abissi Photo Contest 3rd place Macro, 5th place blackwater category
- 2019 Asia Pacific Underwater Photo Challenge, 1st place Blackwater category
- 2020 Ocean Art 1st place Blackwater, 1st place Behavior, 2nd place Blackwater, Honorable Mention Blackwater
- 2020 Venice Abissi Underwater Photo Contest, 1st place Tropical Macro
- 2020 Deep Visions, 3rd Place Behavior
- 2020 Underwater Photographer of the Year, Highly Commended Behavior
- 2020 Beneath the Sea, Honorable Mention Macro
- 2021 Ocean Photography Awards, 3rd place Conservation, Highly Commended Conservation, 2nd Place Ocean Explorer, Highly Commended Portfolio
- 2021 Ocean Art Contest, 1st Place Blackwater, 2nd Place Blackwater, Honorable Mention Blackwater, 2nd Place Conservation
- 2021 Deep Visions Photo Contest UWP, 1st Place Blackwater, 2nd Place Blackwater, Honorable Mention, Blackwater
- 2021 Underwater Photographer of the Year, 2nd Place Macro
- 2022 Underwater Photographer of the Year, Commended Behavior
Connect with Steven
Instagram @steve_kovacs_photography
Facebook @kovacsphotography
