IMAGING
//
S H O O T E R
94
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FALL 2014
P H O T O S B Y C R I S T I A N D I M I T R I U S / T E X T B Y S T E P H E N F R I N K
I
t can be difficult to communicate in print the
story of a person who is at heart a filmmaker.
Cristian Dimitrius readily admits to film being
his primary muse, an inspiration nurtured
as a young child in suburban inland Brazil.
Fortunately, Dimitrius’ passion extends
to images in any medium, so we have still
photos to help tell the story.
Growing up three hours from the sea, Dimitrius’
youth may not have been filled with walks along
the seashore, but nature in a broader sense was
an overwhelming influence. Few of his childhood
memories don’t involve nature; this is not to say that
mundane small-city life did not influence him, but it
served more as confirmation of what he wanted his
life not to be.
He joined the Boy Scouts to learn camping and
fieldcraft and eschewed traditional sports such as
volleyball and soccer for nature sports in school. His
sports were mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking and,
on those occasions when his family would drive to the
coast, snorkeling near-shore reefs and surfing.
His father was president of a local country club
that had a large swimming pool and offered scuba
instruction to its members. By participating in a self-
study program, Dimitrius learned the academics of
scuba and did all the training he could handle on his
own in the pool. He realized he needed certification to
go farther, so he officially took the scuba class.
What started out as a hobby ramped up considerably
around the time he joined the Brazilian army. While
enrolled in officer’s school Dimitrius had the
opportunity to improve his diving skills and taught
some basic classes. After moving to the island of
Florianopolis to become a biologist, he became a
divemaster and an instructor through the Professional
Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). His
commitment to the scuba lifestyle was now established.
SHOOTER :
CR I ST I AN
WILD
FILMING THE
UNDERWATER
