In mid-2018, photographer Brett Stanley got a call from Jason Foster, who is the manager for Natalie Mering’s band, Weyes Blood (signed to Sub Pop). Take a moment to go listen to some of their tracks before continuing this story. Or, never mind, stay here! Keep reading!
Most photographers dream of being recognized on a large scale for their work. But for Russell Ord, an Australian-based, internationally awarded photographer, action on dreams means the creation of a new reality.
Plans are good. Most of us live by plans, and we like things to go as planned. But sometimes just showing up and going with the flow can yield immense rewards for photographers. There is nothing wrong with wanting to know what to expect so you can plan appropriately, but sometimes we just need to let go. Here are a couple of examples of some amazing moments I would have missed if I had stuck to plans and took shelter in my comfort zone.
Shark photography is a popular and exciting part of shooting underwater. Many photographers travel the world over to get up close and personal with these mysterious creatures. If you are planning to start photographing sharks, it’s important to have a read through some of the items below to keep yourself and the very creatures you are in awe of safe.
The devastating effects of bottom trawlers lead one activist and photographer to create a campaign to drive emotional messages through their imagery.
The 7th Annual Ocean Art underwater photography competition winners were announced this week. The competition sorted through thousands of entries from across 70 countries and consisted of 16 categories ranging from Wide-Angle and Super Macro to Cold Water and Marine Life Behavior. The Best of Show image was awarded to Duncan Murrell for capturing an image of three giant devil rays in the midst of an underwater ballet.
As more and more photographers find themselves shooting below the waves, it’s important to discuss proper underwater photography etiquette, reflect on our own behavior underwater, and address poor behavior when it occurs.
Could a very niche genre of underwater photography, that people travel great distances for, be capable of protecting bizarre critters few know exist? During a visit to the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia — a mecca for macro photographers — I met with Belgian researcher Maarten De Brauwer to learn more about his research into the economic value of muck diving and underwater macro photography.
Trying to choose the right underwater housing can be overwhelming. Depending on the camera body you have, an underwater housing can easily be double what the camera cost. How can you be sure it’s the right fit before you splurge on this expensive piece of gear?
New underwater photographers often ask me what my favorite lens is for creating underwater images. And while I have a few different lenses that I shoot with underwater, none get used more than my Tokina AF 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 AT-X 107 AF DX Fisheye Zoom Lens. It is lightweight, great for travel, and has a very short focusing distance, which makes it ideal for close focus wide angle underwater photography.
Are you new to underwater photography, or need to brush up a bit? Unsure where to get your feet wet first? While there are many ideal places around the world that are perfect for beginners, I've compiled a few of the spots that I love for their calm conditions, easy entries, and photographic opportunities.
If there is one creature I could spend the rest of my days photographing it is the California sea lion. These acrobatic pinnipeds commonly known as the “puppies of the sea” never disappoint and are by far the most playful of all marine life I have encountered.
Last week GoPro and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, commonly known as PADI, made an announcement in Las Vegas, Nevada about their new collaboration.
Sometimes, it can feel really daunting to try to create original images like no one has ever seen before. With social media oversaturated with photography, it often seems like we have captured it all. So, when I came across surf photographer Ben Thouard’s tropical landscape images captured through the back of a breaking wave, I was a little jealous, but more so inspired and hopeful.
If you are not ready to plunge into the price tag of the hard case underwater housing but are serious about wanting to get into more shoots working with the element of water, Jake Kelsick has tested out the capabilities for your new adventure.
This one is for real. An octopus-wielding seal singled out a particular kayaker from the group and made it very clear his presence wasn't welcome in another moment of pure, spontaneous, GoPro gold.
Australian wildlife photographer, Scott Portelli, has spent the better part of two decades freediving with humpback whales around the tiny South Pacific island nation of Tonga. In this video, Portelli, one of Australia's top wildlife photographers, captures stunning aerial and underwater footage of one of nature's most amazing events—the heat run.
As we are now in the middle of the white shark season in Guadalupe, Mexico, many shark lovers are preparing to make their way to the waters surrounding the volcanic island situated 150 miles off the western coast of the Baja Peninsula. Having photographed white sharks in various locations around the globe, I thought I’d put together a few tips for anyone keen to shoot them for the first time.
A great white shark investigates cage divers
1. Fish-Eye and Wide-Angle Lenses: While I mostly shoot underwater with a fish-eye lens, I...
Brian Raymond, a lifelong fisherman turned shark dive operator and photographer, recently shared some powerful and disturbing images he captured of bycatch in the waters off of southern New England. Bycatch refers to unintended species that are caught while fishing for another species and is a regular occurrence in commercial fishing.
Wide angle lenses are favorites for real estate, landscape, and underwater photographers. The AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm proves to be versatile in wide angle focal lengths with a maximum aperture of 4.0 allowing consistent illumination. Curious how it would perform below the surface, it tagged along in a recent shoot.
Over the years, I’ve acquired an interesting array of “tools” that I use for setting up and maintaining my underwater camera housing. I wish I had known earlier about some of the items I travel with, as they have made my life quite a bit easier. Most of what I carry with me has been a result of trial and error, and I’d like to pass along that information to any budding underwater photographers out there.
I never tire of creating over-under water images, a technique advanced and popularized by National Geographic photographer David Doubilet. The over-under or half and half image provides a window into two very different worlds in a single frame, and if done well can be a powerful tool in fostering a greater appreciation for the other 71 percent of our planet.
Creating new jaw-dropping images or video can be daunting when it seems as if everything has already been done. During a recent scroll through an underwater photography forum the mouths of many underwater photographers hit the floor with a poetic dance underwater using prisms to tell the story.
Underwater housing manufacturer, Nauticam, has introduced an underwater housing for the lightweight and compact Sony RX100 VI.
Few people have had the chance to look a wild orca in the eye underwater, and even fewer have had the opportunity to document an orca hunting on video. While there is not much that can prepare someone for a face-to-face encounter with an orca below the surface, no one is better suited for such an event than Underwater Photographer and Pelagic Fleet CEO Jorge Cervera Hauser.
As with land-based photography, patience and planning can go a long way underwater. And while some aspects of topside image composition are the same below the surface, there are other elements at play underwater that you should keep in mind when composing your shots.
There are moments when you browse the web and come across photos that make you stop and think. The surreal and captivating "Underwater Realm" project of Anuar Patjane Floriuk does exactly that.
There is a tremendous amount of magic hiding just below the surface of our lakes, rivers, and seas that has yet to be documented. And while underwater photography certainly has a few barriers to entry, if approached in a pragmatic way the initial shift can be quite simple. Let’s dive in.
Circulating daily on social media we see turtles caught in plastic, beaches bathed in piles of garbage, or decaying wildlife that make hearts heavy because we can easily relate to those species. However, there is another ocean issue that does not get enough coverage but it is dissolving many of the unseen organisms every day.
Taking risks is the joy in what creative minds live for. Creating something different and unique keeps the photographer from feeling as if this is just another job. When I came across an underwater portrait photographer's recent work it made me stop for a moment, which is extremely rare these days.
