Featured Underwater Photographer – Thomas Bannenberg

One of the best ways to learn photography is to see other photographers’ work. Mozaik looks for 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 week we will feature the talented Thomas Bannenberg!

About Thomas

I do underwater photography since 2009. Initially, I used a camera from Sea&Sea (DX-1G), which was one of the first compact cameras ever that allowed saving photos in the so-called uncompressed RAW format. An amphiphilic underwater flash (YS-110α), also from Sea&Sea, provided the necessary underwater light that made the colourful underwater world shine in bright colours.

From the year 2013 I could then finally fall back on a larger DSRL camera made by “Nikon” (D7000), together in an underwater housing of the Austrian manufacturer “Seacam”. Also, in this first setup my “beloved” Sea&Sea flashlight was used, but now triggered electronically instead of optically. After that, it was only a matter of time before a second strobe (YS-110α) was purchased, which once again helped to improve the quality of my pictures, especially for wide-angle shots. Constantly attempting to improve the image quality, however, I decided to get two more powerful amphiphilic flash units last year. My choice fell on the recently launched new model 160D, also from Seacam, which was the perfect addition to my already existing photographic underwater equipment.

Photographically, I see my main focus clearly in macro and/or super macro photography. But especially since the acquisition of the two Seacam strobes, I’ve been trying to continuously expand my knowledge and experience in the field of wide-angle photography.

Thomas’ Gear

DSLR: Nikon D7000 with various lenses for macro and wide-angle shots.

Underwater: Seacam “Prelude” (for Nikon D7000), two Seacam strobes (160D), S45 viewfinder and various (lens) ports along with two additional achromatic lenses essential for super macro photography.