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FALL 2011
M
y very first dive was in icy water at an
abandoned quarry in New York state.
The underwater visibility was less than a
foot, and I could barely make out the dive
instructor’s hand signals as he watched me demonstrate
my skills. I came away with a basic scuba certification and a
desire never to dive in cold water again.
Over the next two decades I logged thousands of dives,
all of them at tropical Caribbean or Indo-Pacific locations.
My photography improved steadily, but eventually I felt
stifled. I had the distinct feeling I was repeating myself, and
the intriguing images I saw from cold-water photographers
revealed seemingly impossible creatures. I had to see it for
myself, so at long last I abandoned my resolve never to dive
in cold water and took the plunge.
Getting started
Underwater photography is technically challenging and
requires good concentration, which in turn requires a certain
level of comfort. In cold water this means staying warm.
Becoming familiar with a drysuit can be reasonably regarded as
a necessary first step toward mastering cold-water photography.
When I acquired my first drysuit almost 20 years ago, I
made the mistake of bringing a camera on my very first dive
with it. I spent a good part of that southern California dive
struggling to keep my feet from floating up over my head. I left
my camera behind for the next go-round and focused instead
on learning to control my trim and buoyancy. At first, air
within the suit seemed to shift unpredictably, wreaking havoc
with my body position in the water. But I soon learned how to
anticipate this phenomenon and modulate it. By the third dive
I was comfortable enough to carry a camera and capture a few
images of the remarkable giant kelp environment.
location, location, location
All photographers have their favorite destinations, and
my foray into cold-water photography has taken me to
some truly remarkable spots. Part of any photo technique
is knowing where to find the shot, and exciting cold-water
shots can be found all over the world.
Beneath Cold Seas
A warm-water photographer finds new inspiration.
T e x t a n d p h o t o s b y D a v i d H a l l
IMAGING
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P H O T O T E C H N I Q U E S
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