Portfolio: Alan Williams

Polypus, by Alan Williams
Polypus, 130cm wide, by Alan Williams. Made from 90% motorbike parts, 10% threaded bar and found objects.

Alan Williams, a British artist based in Brighton, creates astounding and intricate sculptures of marine life from found and upcycled metal objects. X-Ray Mag interviewed the artist to learn more about his creative process and perspectives.

A diver applying a protective marking solution at the Klein Hollandia wreck site.
A diver applying a protective marking solution at the Klein Hollandia wreck site.

Using innovative forensic markers to safeguard maritime artefacts

English shipwrecks, submerged for centuries off the coast, hold the secrets of history in the form of artefacts like cannons. However, organised looting poses a significant threat.

To counter this, Historic England and British specialist contractor MSDS Marine have embarked on a ground-breaking project involving underwater forensic tagging technology. This technology, developed over eight years, traces its roots to methods used to protect heritage assets on land. It is applied directly to the marine artefacts and wrecks by divers, and had been trialled on dives this summer.

Framing in Underwater Photography: Contributors' Picks

Photo by Kate Jonker: Using the light of a snoot to frame a subject against a black background. Horned blenny, Blousteen, Gordon’s Bay, South Africa. Gear: Canon R5 camera, Canon 100mm macro lens, Marelux MX-R5 housing, Inon Z-240 strobe, Marelux SOFT Pro snoot. Exposure: ISO 320, f/20, 1/200s.

What does a “frame within a frame” look like in underwater photography? We asked our contributors to share their favorite photos that use “framing” to draw attention to the subject in the image, and they came back with a range of macro to wide-angle shots, featuring a variety of marine life, as well as divers, in wrecks and on reefs.