About Gug
Regarded as America’s foremost underwater ocean photographer, Gug has been making waves in the art scene for well over 20 years. With Chris being the most common name of his generation, “Gug” (pronounced “Goog”) has stuck since grade school. And since grade school, he has spent tens of thousands of hours creating marine life images that awe, inspire and sometimes confuse.
With no formal photography education, Gug felt that total immersion into his subject matter was the only way to master the art, and moved to the Caribbean to live on a boat where he could dive and shoot every day for seven years. After a year back in the USA where he exhibited his portfolio, he again took off, craving more exotic subject matter, and landed in Papua New Guinea, where he again lived on a boat, for two years shooting underwater every day. Gug has now created images in over 60 different countries, been published in numerous magazines, and been displayed in several of the world’s most prestigious museums. The result has been that his art is now being collected across the world, and the value of his limited edition photographs has seen a steady increase, making them a worthy investment for any art collector.
Based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he is now able to serve new clients and long-time collectors alike with a fine art gallery dedicated exclusively to his underwater images from around the world. Want to know more? Come meet Gug at the gallery or one of his upcoming exhibits. To receive updates for meeting him in person, “like” GugUnderwater on Facebook, or sign up for the monthly newsletter by sending a note to design@GugUnderwater.com.
2024 Awards
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Close-Up Photographer of the Year 5
3rd Place (Pinkaboo) -
Close-Up Photographer of the Year 5
HM (Spirit of the Yucatan) -
MML International Photo Competition
Highly Commended (Pinkaboo) -
Edina Art Fair
Excellence (Portfolio) -
Mainsail Art Festival
Merit (Portfolio) -
Melbourne Art Festival
Merit (Portfolio) -
Stone Arch Bridge Art Festival
Best Booth (Portfolio) -
Madison Art Fair on the Square
Invitational (Portfolio) -
Boston Mills Art Festival
HM (StarStruck)
2023 Awards
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UN World Ocean Day International Photo Competition
Winner (Riptide) -
World Shootout
2nd Place (Aliens Portfolio 1) -
World Shootout
3rd Place (Aliens Portfolio 2) -
World Shootout
4th Place (Aliens Portfolio 3) -
MML International Photo Competition
Highly Commended (Spirit of the Yucatan) -
MML International Photo Competition
Highly Commended (Aliens - Jack in Jellyfish) -
BioPhotoContest
Finalist (Spirit of the Yucatan) -
16th International Contest of Photography NARAVA
Bronze Medal (Spirit of the Yucatan) -
16th International Contest of Photography NARAVA
HM (Alien #12 - Long-Arm Octopus) -
Underwater Photographer of the Year
Commended (Pinkaboo) -
Ocean Art International Photo Competition
4th Place (Dangerous Shelter) -
Des Moines Art Festival
Excellence (Portfolio) -
Madison Art Fair on the Square
Invitational (Portfolio) -
Millennium Art Festival
Best of Photography (Portfolio)
2022 Awards
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Ocean Art International Photo Competition
2nd Place (Coral Spawn) -
Coconut Grove Art Festival
Best of Photography (Portfolio)
2021 Awards
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ScubaDiving Magazine International Photo Competition
1st Place (Alien #1, Salp Raft) -
Port Warwick Art & Sculpture Festival
Award of Excellence (Portfolio)
2020 Awards
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ScubaDiving Magazine International Photo Competition
HM (Day Trippin') -
Ocean Art International Photo Competition
3rd Place (Geometry - Shipwreck)) -
Under The Oaks Art Festival
2nd Place (Portfolio)
2019 Awards
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Lazy Daze Art Festival
Winner (Portfolio) -
Art Harvest
Best Booth (Portfolio) -
Boardwalk Art Festival
2nd Place (Alien #2 - Ctenophore)
2018 Awards
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Crosby Festival of the Arts
3rd Place (Portfolio) -
Cincinnati Summerfair
HM (Portfolio)
2017 Awards
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MML International Photo Competition
HM (Bioluminescent Shrooms) -
Crosby Festival of the Arts
HM (Portfolio) -
Cincinnati Summerfair
3rd Place (Portfolio)
2016 Awards
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Blue Wild International Photo Competition
3rd Place (Hidden Treasure) -
Deerfield Beach Festival of the Arts
1st Place (Portfolio)
2015 Awards
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National Audubon Society Photo Awards
1st Place Professionals Category (The Chase) -
Space Coast Art Festival
2nd Place (The Mighty Snorkeler) -
Lincolnshire Art Festival
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio) -
Glencoe Arts Festival
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio) -
North Shore Art Festival
Best of Photography (Portfolio) -
SunFest Arts Festival
Award of Distinction (Portfolio) -
St. Stephens Art Festival
Honorable Mention (Portfolio) -
Deerfield Beach Fest of the Arts
Award of Distinction (portfolio)
2014 Awards
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Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Highly Commended (Silver Streak) -
International Pano Awards
Bronze medal (Candyland) -
International Pano Awards
Bronze medal (Pulse) -
West Shore Art Festival, Michigan
1st Place (Portfolio) -
Gold Coast Art Festival, Chicago
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio) -
Millennium Art Festival, Chicago
Award of Excellence (Portfolio) -
Barrington Art Festival, Chicago
Best In Show (Portfolio)
2013 Awards
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National Wildlife Federation Photo Contest
1st Place (Manatee Pile-On) -
PhotoNow!
3rd Place (Holy Waters) -
Istanbul MedEx International Underwater Photo Awards
2nd Place (The Giant's Entourage) -
Art at the Glen, Chicago
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio) -
Gold Coast Art Festival, Chicago
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio)
2012 Awards
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Port Clinton Art Festival, Chicago
Barry Cohen Memorial Award -
Art At The Glen, Chicago
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio) -
Promenade of Art, Chicago
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio) -
Crocker Park Fine Art Festival, OH
Award of Excellence (Portfolio) -
North Shore Art Festival, Chicago
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio) -
Millennium Art Festival, Chicago
Award of Outstanding Achievement (Portfolio) -
Deerfield Beach Art Festival
Award of Excellence (Portfolio)
2011 Awards
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CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year
1st Place (The Ancient Wharf) -
Ocean Art Competition
Honorable Mention (Nudibranch Rhinophore Abstract) -
SFUPS
Photographer of the Year Runner-Up -
International Loupe Awards
Silver Medal (The Mighty Snorkeler) -
International Loupe Awards
Bronze Medal (Snug As A Bug) -
International Loupe Awards
Bronze Medal (Huggable) -
Scuba Diving Magazine’s International Photo Competition
1st Place (The Ancient Wharf variant) -
Scuba Diving Magazine’s International Photo Competition
2nd Place (Among Gorgonians) -
Beneath The Sea Underwater Photo Competition
1st Place (Squid Fiesta) -
Beneath The Sea Underwater Photo Competition
Honorable Mention (Sargassum Frogfish Reflection) -
Our World Underwater Photo Competition
Silver Medal (Squid Party)
2010 Awards
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Cairns UW Photo Competition
1st Place (Diver and Trevally) -
SDAA/MIME TTL Underwater Photo Competition
2nd Place WA (Squid Party)
2009 Awards
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SFUPS
Photographer of the Year -
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Highly Commended (Cuttlefish In Motion) and displayed at London’s Natural History Museum -
Scuba Diving Magazine International Photo Competition
1st place (Snorkeler/Elephant Split) -
Deep Indonesia International Photo Competition
Bronze Medal (Queen Triggerfish Attack!) -
Our World Underwater Photo Competition
Honorable Mention (The Giant's Entourage) -
Moscow International Photo Festival (Golden Dolphin)
Bronze Medal (Queen Triggerfish Attack!) -
Art at the Glen Art Festival
Best of Photography (Portfolio) -
Buffalo Grove Art Festival
Best of Photography (Portfolio) -
ArtiGras
Green Artist Award for Environmental Responsibility In Art -
Deerfield Beach Festival of the Arts
Best In Show (Portfolio)
2008 Awards
- Nature's Best Photography, Ocean Views Competition Winner (Turtle In Motion) and displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
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Deep Indonesia Photo Competition
Bronze Medal (Magic Mushroom) -
In the Park With Art
1st Place (Portfolio) -
Art's Alive
Judge's Choice Award (Portfolio) -
Isle of 8 Flags Shrimp Festival
Patron's Award -
Delray Affair
Honorable Mention (Portfolio)
2007 Awards
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Deep Indonesia Photo Competition
2nd place Animal Behavior (A 2-Ton Hat) -
Deep Indonesia Photo Competition
2nd place Diver Portraits (Nice Stern) -
EPIC Photo Competition
1st Place Freshwater/Brackish (Nemesis) -
Turks & Caicos Underwater Photo Competition
2nd Place (Octopus) -
In the Park With Art
2nd Place (Portfolio)
2006 Awards
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Our World Underwater Photo Competition
Best In Show, 1st Place Wide Angle Traditional (Shark In Motion) -
Our World Underwater Photo Competition
2nd Place Environmental Concern (Nemesis) -
Beneath the Sea Photo Competition
Honorable Mention (Nemesis) -
Scuba Diving Magazine Photo Competition
3rd Place (Self-Portrait with Jellyfish)