Alert Diver Category: Imaging

Becky Kagan Schott is an accomplished underwater photograph and videographer. She has won five Emmys for underwater camera work and has shot for National Geographic and the Travel Channel.

As part of the 2019 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards annual competition, the Ocean Views category honors those photographers whose skill and creative vision have captured a frozen moment in time that can bring attention to both the bounty and fragility of the marine ecosystems found in and near our underwater world.

Capturing wide-angle images in nutrient-rich environments is one of the most valuable skills an underwater photographer can develop. Learn how to enhance those techniques.

Bob Talbot is an experienced still photographer and filmmaker — including work in the “Free Willy” movies. Read more about his journey to photography.

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

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.

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 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.

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