USD
Featured Underwater Photographer – Allen Walker
One of the best ways to learn photography is to see other photographers’ work. We try to find some of the best underwater photographers in the world, and showcase their work, along with the gear they use, to help other aspiring photographers improve, learn new skills and get inspired.
This time we will feature the talented Allen Walker!
White Tip Reefsharks on Shark Reef in Fiji – one of the healthiest reef systems I have seen.
About Allen
“I fell in love with underwater photography because of its essence, difficulty and pure rawness, which allows the photographer the freedom to paint his canvas and create fine art that tells a story. Underwater photography is most probably the truest form of wildlife photography that any photographer can experience. The underwater photographer is extremely limited by equipment and fully exposed to nature and its elements in every conceivable way, no hides, 4×4’s, barriers etc.
The studio is a moving, changing and all encompassing live canvas. It has texture and substance that can be touched and felt, very unlike air. The medium constantly changing and it has many limitations e.g. time, movement, density, light etc. making it a very demanding, yet stimulating to work in, taking it to the next level is a constant goal and I love the challenge to “get the shot”!
Just imagine walking around in the Kruger amongst Lions, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino with the Antelope, Bush Pigs etc. all around you, no barriers and you have the freedom to photograph them, and totally rely on the fact that they are not planning to eat you, well that is UWP and why I find this genre of photography most appealing.
I try my best to highlight the beauty of the ocean and the need for its conservation by using the skills I have – photography, to show the animals that people fear and kill in a different light, to create beauty, to create compassion and more importantly to show human interaction with these magnificent animals so that there is a sensed of connection by the viewer.”
The photograph, Crazy Face, was taken off Aliwal Shaol at a spot known as Shark Park in South Africa. The intention of for this project was to capture a black tip shark up close and personal and to show that these are not mindless predators, it also shows that we are able to interact with these animals in close quarters and be perfectly safe, obviously this requires a good understanding of the animal and its environment – Knowledge of sharks and their biology and ecology is vital to our understanding of the oceans. The sharks position in the ecosystem as apex predators mean that they regulate the species below them. Without them these species would proliferate and cause imbalances in the cycle of marine life. A better understanding of sharks and the marine eco-system is required if we are to successfully manage our marine resources. The serious decline in shark numbers around the world will and is already having a major effect on the oceans eco systems, which are so vital to humanities survival.
Allen’s Gear
- Canon 1DX in a Nauticam Housing + Nauticam domes and ports
- Ikelite DS161 strobes
- Sola 8000 Video lights
- Canon lenses, favourite being the 16-35mm and the 8-15mm fisheye
- Secondary housing is a Nauticam with a 7D Mark II + Zen ports
- 15mm Sigma fisheye and Canon 100mm IS USM MarkII Macro lens
- Inon Strobes
- Fisheye video lights
It took a while to get this image and now that I have it, it has become one of my favourites, not just because it looks cool, but the amount of effort that went into capturing it. Everything has to come together when shooting portrait.
Fiji’s famous bull sharks doing some synchronised swimming for me 😉
Yoh is an South African expresion which when uttered load and short defines, suprise, wonder, amazment, disbelief, this Dusky shark potrays that exact look on her face.
Dusky at max velocity and full predator mode chasing its prey.
A bait ball is devoured by hungry sharks and gannets of the Transkei Wild Coast during the annual sardine run, this was a very special occasion as it was the first time ever that the bait fish were totally controlled by a vast number of sharks with no dolphins (estimated to have had 300+ sharks on this bait ball.
Oceanic Black Tip Shark captured as it breaks the waters surface to attack its food source, competition for food is high with the ever dwindling resources of our oceans.
Cape Fur Seal letting me know whos boss in these waters with their typical challenges.
Blue shark captured in typical green temprate water of Cape Town, however this became ideal for late afternoon images with the light only penatgrating into the shallows allowing this image.
Image of a young Blue Shark taken close to the surface with its refelection mixing into the colours of the sky above.
Cape Gannets are supremely adapted to surving on and in the ocean, sometimes diving down up to 15m underwater to feed on bait balls formed by ocean predators like dolphins and sharks.
Martrix was taken vertically with a Oceanic Black Tip moving upwards to the surface to grab the bait, i just fliped the image horizontally to get this cool effect and image.
A Twobar Anemonefish using his host for protection showing off the amazing colours of them both in the process
The underwater realm abounds with the most incredible display of patterns and design. Artists and photographers, indeed anyone who has learnt to see rather than just look, will delight in the myriad forms in which the masses of shoaling fish form as they gather together in numbers to feed on the rich nutrients coming in from the south to north current on the southern end of a two mail chain of reef known as “Mellow Yellow”. This gathering is extremely special and will provide any photographer hours of delight if we could just stay down that long.
To view more of Allen’s spectacular photos, browse his websites:
Blue Pixel Photo
Allen Walker Photography
Visit his personal portfolio at www.ranmorphoto.com.
- Native Lenses vs. Wet Lenses for Underwater Photography – December 20, 2023
- The Complete Guide to Practicing at Home for Underwater Photographers – October 4, 2023
- Best Strobe for Underwater – The Ultimate Strobe Guide (Updated!) – June 29, 2023