Is underwater photography difficult? Actually, no—at least, not to any significant degree when compared with any other discipline of photography. Each single stage of creating an underwater photograph, if seen in isolation from the rest, is not so tricky. It is the sum of all its parts, as well as mastering the whole, which can appear confusing at times.
On Tuesday 31 August the international dive community lost one of the photography greats; Brian Pitkin passed away. Linda Pitkin wrote on her Facebook page: "My darling Brian died this morning, in hospital after suddenly becoming worse, but such a gentle and peaceful death, with no apparent distress for him."
We asked our contributors what their favorite underwater portraits were, and they sent us photos and tales of intriguing marine life. From sea lions to hammerhead sharks, manatees to sea turtles, dolphins to pilot whales, lemon sharks to pufferfish, wrasse and seahorses, and even kids, X-Ray Mag contributors share their favorite images showing a range of faces and personalities found under the waves.
A monitor for photographers and designers
The new NA-GFX100S housing for the FujiFilm GFX 100S medium format mirrorless camera.
The updated YS-D3 Mark II underwater strobe by Sea&Sea has all the same specifications as the original (Mark I) model but adds compatibility
and improved TTL accuracy with Sea&Sea and third-party strobe triggers.
Final Call
The University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is accepting entries for its annual Underwater Photography Contest. Since its inception in 2005, the contest has drawn several thousand entrants from across the globe and a collection of beautiful images.
When we asked our contributors what their most favorite dive location was, they came back with photos and stories of beautiful and exciting spots both near and far from home.
This year, like last year rules are different, it is time to check your archives for what you have achieved, as "pictures of your life" competition is for the best photos you have taken in past years.
Deadline for registration and submitting images November 1st, 2021
At the end of the competition, a digital album will be produced to be sent to all participants
Scuba diving is not really an inexpensive hobby, considering the costs of training, equipment and travelling. Furthermore, many divers love to capture images and videos of all the things they have seen underwater. So, underwater photography then adds an additional burden onto one’s piggy bank.
We asked our contributors what their most unusual or unexpected dive was and they sent us photos and tales of unique experiences under the waves, some involving interactions with intriguing species, others purely chance encounters or surprising discoveries.
