American Master Dive Instructor and Underwater Photographer
Receives Hi 5 Award
American diver and underwater photographer Mr. Tom Yang received the Gold Medal for the Hi
Five Best Portfolio Award in the Wow Shoot Out Competition in the recently concluded 6th
Celebrate the Sea Marine Imagery Festival Philippines which was held at the Coconut Palace in
Manila from September 21-23, 2007. One of the major activities of the Festival, the four-day
underwater shoot out was held simultaneously in Anilao, Batangas, Dumaguete, Negros
Oriental and Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental. Contestants each submitted five of their best
shots for the competition, and from an international field of underwater photographers from
over 28 countries, Mr. Yang and two others were awarded top honors: Alexey Stoyda (WOW
Award) and Jose Santos (Quickdraw Award).
Receives Hi 5 Award
American diver and underwater photographer Mr. Tom Yang received the Gold Medal for the Hi
Five Best Portfolio Award in the Wow Shoot Out Competition in the recently concluded 6th
Celebrate the Sea Marine Imagery Festival Philippines which was held at the Coconut Palace in
Manila from September 21-23, 2007. One of the major activities of the Festival, the four-day
underwater shoot out was held simultaneously in Anilao, Batangas, Dumaguete, Negros
Oriental and Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental. Contestants each submitted five of their best
shots for the competition, and from an international field of underwater photographers from
over 28 countries, Mr. Yang and two others were awarded top honors: Alexey Stoyda (WOW
Award) and Jose Santos (Quickdraw Award).
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Mr. Tom Yang and Department of Tourism Secretary
Joseph “Ace” Durano
Joseph “Ace” Durano
| Banded Shrimp |
| Underwater Reef Scenery |
| Twin Lizard Fish |
Festival organizer Michael Aw congratulates Mr.
Tom Yang
Tom Yang
The Hi Five Best Portfolio Award is given to the photographer who was able to present the
most outstanding and most well-balanced collection of photographs in terms of subject,
composition and execution. Mr. Yang was personally awarded his medal by the author of
“Celebrate the Sea” and Festival organizer Mr. Michael Aw.
A chemical engineer by profession and a diver by passion, Master Dive Instructor Yang has
been a diver for 22 years and an underwater photographer for 11. Originally from the central
part of China, he went to Hong Kong for college in 1976 before he migrated to the United
States in 1981. He has since been based in Foster City, California. He has been involved in an
advocacy campaign using diving as a tool for protecting the environment. In Sri Lanka, he
helped train and educate victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami about the different employment
opportunities that can be benefited from diving, thus lessening the proliferation of the
environmentally harmful marine fish-for-aquarium trade.
most outstanding and most well-balanced collection of photographs in terms of subject,
composition and execution. Mr. Yang was personally awarded his medal by the author of
“Celebrate the Sea” and Festival organizer Mr. Michael Aw.
A chemical engineer by profession and a diver by passion, Master Dive Instructor Yang has
been a diver for 22 years and an underwater photographer for 11. Originally from the central
part of China, he went to Hong Kong for college in 1976 before he migrated to the United
States in 1981. He has since been based in Foster City, California. He has been involved in an
advocacy campaign using diving as a tool for protecting the environment. In Sri Lanka, he
helped train and educate victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami about the different employment
opportunities that can be benefited from diving, thus lessening the proliferation of the
environmentally harmful marine fish-for-aquarium trade.
| Clown Fish with White Anemone |
Mr. Yang entered the competition as a representative of the San Francisco Philippine
Department of Tourism and the ActiVentures Philippines Dive Tours. He thanks the PDoT for the
support that the office extended him and he attests that as a dive professional, he is very
excited about the Philippine government’s involvement in promoting scuba diving in the
Philippines, which according to him is a “world class destination.” His future plans include going
to the other exciting dive sites in the Philippines like Palawan and Cebu. Aside from diving, he
said that the country has a lot to offer: beautiful sites, delicious food, wonderful culture and a
great people.
“I have only been to a couple of islands in the country, I can’t wait to see and photograph the
topside and underwater beauty of the rest of the 7100 plus islands,” he said.###
Source: Lui Morano, Manila 10/2/07
Department of Tourism and the ActiVentures Philippines Dive Tours. He thanks the PDoT for the
support that the office extended him and he attests that as a dive professional, he is very
excited about the Philippine government’s involvement in promoting scuba diving in the
Philippines, which according to him is a “world class destination.” His future plans include going
to the other exciting dive sites in the Philippines like Palawan and Cebu. Aside from diving, he
said that the country has a lot to offer: beautiful sites, delicious food, wonderful culture and a
great people.
“I have only been to a couple of islands in the country, I can’t wait to see and photograph the
topside and underwater beauty of the rest of the 7100 plus islands,” he said.###
Source: Lui Morano, Manila 10/2/07
A veteran of international dive sites in countries like Mexico,
Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, he has gone diving in
Philippine dive sites such as Boracay Island, Verde Island and
the Apo Reef in Mindoro. However, his award-winning
photographs were shot in Anilao, Batangas. “In the course of
four days of diving in Anilao, I have met many wonderful people
and have taken hundreds of photographs,” he said. Mr. JR
Calanoc III, the President of ActiVentures Philippines said that
“despite the rough seas brought about by the storm that
passed through Anilao that week, Mr. Yang was able to take a
lot of great underwater photographs.” Yet even if his staff
were confident about his shots, he admitted that he did not
expect to win, and when he did, he said that he was
“pleasantly surprised.” In an email to his friends and sponsors
shortly after he won, he wrote “it is my hope that with [this
victory and] the efforts of everyone in the team, we will be able
to convince more divers to come to visit this beautiful country,
the Philippines.”
Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, he has gone diving in
Philippine dive sites such as Boracay Island, Verde Island and
the Apo Reef in Mindoro. However, his award-winning
photographs were shot in Anilao, Batangas. “In the course of
four days of diving in Anilao, I have met many wonderful people
and have taken hundreds of photographs,” he said. Mr. JR
Calanoc III, the President of ActiVentures Philippines said that
“despite the rough seas brought about by the storm that
passed through Anilao that week, Mr. Yang was able to take a
lot of great underwater photographs.” Yet even if his staff
were confident about his shots, he admitted that he did not
expect to win, and when he did, he said that he was
“pleasantly surprised.” In an email to his friends and sponsors
shortly after he won, he wrote “it is my hope that with [this
victory and] the efforts of everyone in the team, we will be able
to convince more divers to come to visit this beautiful country,
the Philippines.”