Photo / Video News & Reviews
Scubaverse Underwater Photographer Interview: Frank Schneider
In an ongoing series, Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Editor Nick Robertson-Brown talks to underwater photographers from around the world that he admires. In this blog: Frank Schneider
After my Sport Diver certification in 1982 a technical question to the chief editor of the scuba diving magazine “Tauchen” surprisingly lead to the first commission to write a travel report. This article, published in 1983, eventually turned out to be the starting point for my career as travel journalist. My articles have been published in many countries including Italy, Spain, England, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Turkey and Croatia.
Nearly all my articles feature a female model because, even though images of pure nature can be quite nice, it is always recommendable to liven up pictures with people. An experienced photo model is indispensable – and for professional u/w photography she must have the nerve to pose for the camera both in the close company of sharks and not only on a dreamlike beach.
I entirely depend on my own equipment by Cressi-sub when it comes to reports which include underwater photography. I use a dry suit for cold water dives and neoprene -suits of diverse thickness depending on the waters that I dive in. Other than that, my models and I dive with the Cressi BCD “Travel Light” and “Cressi Ellipse Titanium – Mc9-SC” regulators or “Cressi Compact XS -MC9” regulators.. For our safety we rely on the Cressi computers “Giotto” and “Leonardo”.
NRB: How did your underwater photography start?
FS: I was the little kid trying to make friends with every kind of animal. I was found sleeping in the cats hideaway with her, with kitties in my arms without being attacked like the adults. And while on vacation in the countryside little Frank, together with a dog, was looking after geese, cows and horses. Later, sharks approached the wish list. As my mother was a professional photographer, I grew up with cameras and images. To combine nature, diving and photos was just a logical consequence for me.
NRB: What is your favourite u/w camera equipment (past & present) & why?
FS: After beginning with a Subal housing and a Canon, I worked with Nikonos cameras and a Nikon F3 in a Hugyfot housing. Now, for more than 15 years, I rely on Nikon in Seacam housings and Seacam strobes.
Underwater, I use the “Nikon D850” in a Seacam housing together with the Nikon f2,8/16 mm fisheye lens, the f2,8/14-24 mm wide angle zoom from Nikon and the Nikon 60 mm macro lens. One or two flashlights “Seacam Seaflash 150 TTL” take care of light and colours
Topside, I work with a “Nikon D850” and I use original Nikon lenses. Those range from a “16 mm fisheye” up to the telezoom “VR 70-200 mm”, all of which have a 2.8 f-stop.
NRB: What would be your advice to anyone new to underwater photography?
FS: Take your time. Good photos are no coincidence, they are created. And: go big with your main subject. If you have to explain where the subject in your image can be found, the photo is just bad. Important: no excuses. Only half the fish in the image, because he was too fast? Don’t explain – just delete. Only if you accept that a bad photo does not help you to increase your skills, you’ll make it. Prefer to show five good photos than five good ones and 20 bad ones. Those 20 remain in the head of your audience. Just avoid that.
NRB: What, or who, has been your single biggest inspiration for your underwater photography?
FS: Indeed, it was Jacques Cousteau. When I saw his films as a kid, my dream was just to visit some of the places he dived and filmed, like Precontinent II in Sudan. Then there was the photography in the family, and the combination came by itself.
NRB: What image are you most proud of and why?
FS: I really can’t tell. Maybe the head shot of a whale shark with a “small diver” in the background, or reef shark action with a model. The latest topshot is a photo of my model (this time my wife) in Fuerteventura. She is less then an arm length close to an angel shark, both on rocky ground, the shark rising his head really up, opening his jaws and showing all his teeth while the model watches it. Perfect composition, perfect lighting on both. I love photos of animals with a model. That’s a situation every diver wants to experience.
NRB: Where is your favourite dive location, and is it for the photography?
FS: To be honest, out of several thousands of dives there are only two handfuls without a camera. If you have more than one kid – would you name your favorite?
I love Embudu Island on the Maldives with the diverse options (reefs, nurse sharks, reef sharks, whale sharks), Yap Island with its famous manta places and channels, but I also love the Mediterranean, places like Portofino, Elba and Giglio in Italy. All these are underwater photo locations par excellence.
NRB: What are you views on marine life manipulation, moving subjects?
FS: Stick to the rules. I’d rather prefer to “chase” my human model into the right position. Ask them…
NRB: What do you look for when you are making your images?
FS: As a journalist I want to show how it is, I want to show people the true characteristics of a dive area/destination and of course create an image with a nice composition and perfect lighting.
NRB: What motivates you to take u/w photos?
FS: Photography is a very big part of my life and in general I love to create images. I think like most u/w photographers I want to show impressions of the world underwater. Finally, professional u/w photography has taken me around the planet, to each continent. Even to places one never could have seen without that background. Again it was, and it is, a kind of combination of many things.
NRB: If you could photograph any one thing/place what or where would that be?
FS: It doesn’t have to be mega spectaculous! However, definitely not a photo where one has to stay in a cage. That’s why I call those white-shark-photos boring. It is neither a kick for me nor any kind of photographic challenge – you just wait and click! I am rather after the perfect photo. Whatever it is. But as a pro you forever try the next – the final flawless – one. And repeat, of course. And then again…
To see more of Frank’s work visit his website by clicking here.
An emotive photograph showing a freediver examining the aftermath of whaling sees
Alex Dawson from Sweden named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s
photograph ‘Whale Bones’ triumphed over 6500 underwater pictures entered by underwater
photographers from around the world.
“Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions,” explains chair of judging
panel Alex Mustard, “as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear
witness to the carcasses. The composition invites us to consider our impact on the great
creatures of this planet. Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85%. Today,
just 4% of mammals are wildlife, the remaining 96% are humans and our livestock. Our way
needs to change to find a balance with nature.”
Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero
Whales dominated the winning pictures this year with Spanish photographer Rafael
Fernandez Caballero winning two categories with his revealing photos of these ocean giants:
a close up of a grey whale’s eye and an action shot of a Bryde’s whale engulfing an entire bait
ball, both taken in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Fernandez Caballero took ‘Grey
Whale Connection’ while drifting in a small boat, holding his camera over the side in the water
to photograph the curious whale. ‘The End Of A Baitball’ required Fernandez Caballero to dive
down and be in exactly the right place at the moment the whale lunged. “The photo shows
the high speed attack,” he said, “with the whale engulfing hundreds of kilograms of sardines
in one bite — simply unforgettable to see predation on such a scale.”
Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero
Lisa Stengel from the United States was named Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image of a mahi-mahi catching a sardine, in Mexico. Stengel used both a very fast shutter speed and her hearing to catch the moment. “If you listen there’s an enormous amount of sound in the ocean,” she explained. “The action was too fast to see, so I honed in on the sound of the attacks with my camera to capture this special moment.”
“It is such an exciting time in underwater photography because photographers are capturing such amazing new images, by visiting new locations and using the latest cameras,”
commented judge Alex Mustard. “Until this year I’d hardly ever see a photo of a mahi mahi,
now Lisa has photographed one hunting, action that plays out in the blink of an eye.”
The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and Jenny Stock,
was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image “Star
Attraction”, which finds beauty in species of British wildlife that are often overlooked.
Exploring the west coast of Scotland, Stock explained “in the dark green depths my torch
picked out the vivid colours of a living carpet of thousands of brittle stars, each with a
different pattern. I was happily snapping away, when I spotted this purple sea urchin and I
got really excited.”
Photo: Jenny Stock
In the same contest, Portuguese photographer, Nuno Sá, was named ‘Save Our Seas
Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024, with his photo ‘Saving
Goliath’, taken in Portugal. Sá’s photo shows beachgoers trying to save a stranded sperm
whale. The picture gives us hope that people do care and want to help the oceans, but also
warns us that bigger changes are needed. “The whale had been struck by a ship and its fate
was sealed,” explains Sá. “An estimated 20,000 whales are killed every year, and many more
injured, after being struck by ships-and few people even realise that it happens.”
Photo: Nuno Sá
More winning images can be found at www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com.
About Underwater Photographer of the Year
Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools, and attracts entries from all around the world. The contest has 13 categories, testing photographers with themes such as Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour and Wreck photography, as well as four categories for photos taken specifically in British waters. The winners were announced in an award ceremony in Mayfair, London, hosted by The Crown Estate. This year’s UPY judges were experienced underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Dr Alexander Mustard MBE.
Header image: Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 winner Alex Dawson
The winners of the prestigious World Shootout 2023 underwater photography competition were announced at this year’s BOOT Show, captivating audiences at the world’s largest diving and water sports exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany. Hundreds of photographers from 54 countries competed across nine categories, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technical skill.
Grand Prize Winners
- Picture of the Year: Spanish photographer Eduardo Acevedo “secured” the top Honor with the prestigious prize the “boot Dusseldorf Director’s Prize, earning an Andromeda statuette and a €2,000 cash prize.
- Best 5 Images Portfolio: Luc Rooman from Belgium triumphed in this category, winning a dream 4-week diving trip for two to Papua New Guinea, valued at $18,900.
- Amateur Photographer: Alexandra Ceurvorst from the USA impressed the judges with her talent, taking home the 1,000 € cash prize award.
Celebrating Diversity and Innovation
This year’s competition saw 11,680 entries from 964 photographers, showcasing a remarkable spectrum of skills and perspectives. From the intricate wonders of Macro photography to the beauty of “Black Water”, the “Underwater Fashion” category added a touch of artistry and innovation, while the ever-important ” Environmental & Conservation” category served as a powerful reminder of the need to protect these fragile ecosystems.
Looking Ahead: AI and Ocean Conservation
World Shootout founder and producer David Pilosof unveiled an exciting addition for the 2024 competition: this year the Environmental category will be focusing on the impact of plastic on our oceans and future.
This category will embrace the potential of AI or other editing software as a tool to amplify the conservation message.
Entrants will submit campaigns of three original underwater photographs dealing with plastic pollution, along with their final AI assistance processing. This innovative approach encourages artistic expression while raising awareness about a critical environmental issue.
Explore the Stunning Collection
Discover the complete album of competition entries by clicking here.
For Low-resolution photos of finalist entries in eight categories, click here.
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