U
nderwater photography is certainly a
more leisurely pursuit when diving
with a scuba tank. There is time to
compose, bracket, adjust the lighting,
review the images on the LCD and do
all the myriad little things to make certain the photo
turns out exactly right. But some subjects are available
only to the freediver — subjects such as the manatees
in Florida’s Crystal River, which local regulations
prohibit scuba divers from approaching. Or the sub-
jects might be massive megafauna that move too
quickly for an approach encumbered by scuba gear or
a fragile, shallow reef where maneuvering into a tight
spot around the delicate coral rules out the unforgiving
bulk of a scuba tank.
Sometimes freedive photography requires feats of
athleticism such as swimming to significant depths to
get the shot. Of course, that’s only half the task, for
the freediver has to make it back to the surface again.
Freediving also bears the risk of hypoxia, also known
100
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WINTER 2014
IMAGING
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P H O T O T E C H N I Q U E S
Underwater Images on a
Single Breath
The art of freedive photography
B Y S T E P H E N F R I N K
DENNIS LIBERSON
When photographing cetaceans and
other megafauna, scuba gear may be
too cumbersome. Freediving is the
better solution, but to do so effectively
takes preparation and skill.
