Ocean Optics has chosen the winners of its annual video and photo contest. Winner of the $2500 grand prize in the video category, Cory Stinson, a student at San Diego State University, was chosen for his entry “Into the Ocean of Optics and Lasers.” In the photo category, Jeff Van Camp was awarded the $1000 Grand Prize for his photo series “A Quick Look Over the Shoulder.” Stinson’s winning video highlights the capabilities of an Ocean Optics spectrometer with real-time experimental footage and 3-D computer animation. The experimental setup measures the spectrum of a laser output in real time, while the majority of the laser beam that passes directly through a beamsplitter is incident on a CCD sensor to look at spatial modulation. Image from Jeff Van Camp’s Grand Prize winning photo series “A Quick Look Over the Shoulder.” Four runner-up video entries were also awarded $500 prizes each: Dr. Moji Navvab and the University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning & 3D - Virtual Reality Laboratory for “Architecture Research in the Virtual Reality Cave”; Axel Emmermann of Belgium and his Fluorescent Minerals Workgroup for “The USB4000 - The Tool of Our Choice”; San Diego State University student Melissa Phillips for “Romantic Science”; and Ocean Optics OEM Water Insight for “The Water Insight Spectrometer – WISP.” Van Camp’s winning photo series documents his research team measuring yellow patch reflectance of Southern Rockhopper penguins in the 'settlement colony' on New Island, Falkland Islands. The colony’s inhabitants, which include around 5000 pairs of breeding Southern Rockhopper penguins, feature prominently in the breathtaking photos. Five runner-up photo entries were also awarded $500 prizes each: Dr. Moji Navvab and The University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning & 3D - Virtual Reality Laboratory for “Using the Jaz Spectrometer in the Virtual Reality Cave”; San Diego State professor Matt Anderson for “Into the Supercontinuum”; Michal Mazenec of The Czech Republic for “Balloon Burner Flame”; Wroclaw University of Technology doctoral student Marcin Szczurowski for “Dual Laser Fiber Characterization”; and Tufts University PhD candidate Natasha Tigreros for “Butterfly Wing Coloration.” For more information, visit: www.oceanphotochallenge.com