This April 2025, MPB—Europe’s top camera reseller—partners with Blind and world-renowned underwater photographer, diver, and biologist Laurent Ballesta for an unprecedented contest.
Blind readers are invited to enter to win the Nikon D5 used by Laurent Ballesta himself to capture images whilst filming his famous documentary 700 Sharks into the Night, made in 2018 on the Fakarava atoll in French Polynesia. These photographs can also be found in an eponymous book published by Hemeria.
One photo in particular, showing three groupers leaving behind a milky cloud of eggs, earned Laurent Ballesta the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in 2021. This photograph, in a limited edition and signed print, is also up for grabs alongside the Nikon D5 with which it was taken.
The film 700 Sharks into the Night reveals a pack of sharks gathered in the southern pass of the Fakarava atoll: the largest shark gathering in the world. Ballesta and his team studied these animals over five years, diving day and night to observe them. Every year, during the full moon in July, the southern pass of Fakarava is also the site where over 20,000 groupers come to reproduce and spawn. At nightfall, sharks hunt the fish, resulting in spectacular scenes captured by Ballesta in underwater photographs. The film follows the preparations at the Fakarava base through to the night dives close to the pack—an extraordinary expedition.
“A species disappears every 20 minutes,” explains Laurent Ballesta. “According to the latest WWF report, 67% of vertebrates have disappeared over the past 40 years. That is monstrous. This means that, with each passing day species vanish forever, without us having even known of their existence or documented them. So, frankly, when I come across something I’ve never seen before, of course I photograph it. It’ll come in handy sooner or later.”
This contest takes place as part of Earth Month, which for 30 days celebrates the planet and supports environmental protection, starting from April 22, 2025, known as Earth Day. The campaign is made possible thanks to support from our partner MPB. MPB supports creative communities across Europe and is the first camera reseller to publish sustainability commitments, guided by its purpose: To open up the world of visual storytelling in a way that’s good for people and the planet.
MPB will also donate €5,000 to Sea Shepherd France, a leading marine conservation organization renowned for its direct-action campaigns to protect ocean wildlife and ecosystems. This donation is a powerful statement of MPB’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Just as MPB gives photography and video gear a second life, Sea Shepherd gives vulnerable marine species and ecosystems a fighting chance.
Want to win Laurent Ballesta’s Nikon D5 and the limited edition and signed print of the award-winning 2021 photograph? Register to take part in the giveaway via MPB.
About Laurent Ballesta: He is a French photographer, diver, and naturalist biologist. From 1999 to 2011, he served as “scientific advisor in the marine environment” for the show Ushuaia Nature hosted by Nicolas Hulot on the French TV channel TF1. In 2000, Laurent Ballesta founded, with his university friend, French biologist Pierre Descamp, the association L’Oeil d’Andromède which aims to “combine oceanographic research with the artistic promotion of the environment,” which led in 2008 to the creation of the company Andromède Océanologie. He was honored in 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2023 with the Wildlife Photographer of the Year title awarded by the Natural History Museum in London. His latest documentary, titled Cap Corse: The Mystery of the Rings, will be released on May 3, airing on ARTE at 8:55 p.m CET.
About the Nikon D5: The D5 is positioned as a truly fast and highly precise camera for professional photographers. Designed to track the fastest subjects and handle the toughest working conditions, the Nikon D5 is an advanced digital SLR well suited to the most extreme multimedia workflows.
About MPB: Founded by Matt Barker in 2011, MPB has always been committed to making gear more accessible and affordable, and helping to visualise a more sustainable future. MPB now recirculates 570,000 items a year, extending the life and creative potential of photo and video equipment for creators around the world.
