The Critical Instant

Behavior photography can be tricky to master — divers can either rove around searching for chance encounters or plan dives that target specific behaviors.

Working with Freedivers

Photographing humans underwater is unique because you are not capturing them in their natural habitat, which presents an enormous set of challenges, the biggest of which are the responsibilities and risks involved in breath-hold diving.

Now Trending

It’s easy to see trends in underwater photography by viewing social media photography forums, which can be great places to glean inspiration from new ideas and concepts. Trends aren’t always new ideas but can be recreations of proven classics done differently. It can sometimes be difficult, however, to figure out how the shooters made some of the interesting images. While we can see the skills used, only experience can truly teach us the techniques. Read to learn some of the latest trends in underwater photography.

Tobias Friedrich: A Passion for Excellence

Tobias Friedrich has amassed a portfolio of breathtaking images. He hopes to communicate uniquely so that when people view his portfolio they see things differently than they have before.

Tobias Friedrich Gallery

View the bonus photo gallery from our featured Shooter, Tobias Friedrich.

A giant moray eel, hidden in an old wreck, with orange head gets its photo taken.

Ocean Views 2020 Bonus Gallery 1

Check out the images in this bonus gallery that accompanies the Ocean Views 2020 contest. This is the first of two galleries.

Two orca whales pop out of the water at sunset

Ocean Views 2020 Bonus Gallery 2

Check out the images in this bonus gallery that accompanies the Ocean Views 2020 contest. This is the second of two galleries.

A giant school of yellow fish swarm the camera

Ocean Views 2020: Glory Days

As this year’s Ocean Views photo contest celebrates the 10th anniversary of the collaboration between Alert Diver and the Nature’s Best Photography magazines for the 2020 Nature’s Best Photography International Awards, the collection of entries is replete with speedballs of significance. The quality of the photography is the best we’ve judged yet and coincidentally the most eclectic in subject and location. Viewed in aggregate, the 31,000 images and videos submitted by 2,000 entrants from 67 countries cover a range of destinations including polar, Caribbean, Indo-Pacific and even freshwater habitats.

Shooter: Jill Heinerth

Jill Heinerth is a world-class cave diver who shoots both still photographs and video. She prides herself on storytelling and loves being in the water.