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Scubaverse Underwater Photographer Interview: Gabriel Barathieu
In an ongoing series, Scubaverse.com’s Underwater Photography Editors Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown talk to underwater photographers from around the world that they admire.
This interview is with French photographer Gabriel Barathieu.
My name is Gabriel Barathieu and I am 33 years old. I started underwater photography seven years ago on the island of Reunion. Now I live on Mayotte Island, a beautiful French island near Madagascar.
I have always been a lover of the marine world. I started underwater photography because I wanted to share with the maximum number of people what I saw during my dives.
I have had photos published in various magazines such as Asian Diver, Tauchen, Diving etc. but also on famous sites like National Geographic, 500px, 1X. Also, I have had some award-winning photos in contests like Oasis Photo Contest 2015, 2016 and 2017, Trierenberg Super Circus 2015 and 2016, International Photography Award 2015 and 2016 and Underwater Photographer of the Year 2016. At the end of 2016, I become a new member of Pro Team Subal and at the beginning of 2017 I became the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2017 with my octopus shot.
I have been a rebreather diver for three years. I am attracted by the great depths, by the desire to discover and to discover new things. This is mainly what I will be looking at in the future. After five years of using a Canon 5d Mark II, I changed a year ago to a Canon 5ds with Subal housing.
You can see more of my work on my website: www.underwater-landscape.com
N/C: How did your underwater photography start?
GB: When I started diving seven years ago, I was overwhelmed by everything I saw underwater. As soon as I had passed my first course, I bought a small underwater camera. This was the beginning of my passion. The will to share what I saw beneath the surface.
N/C: What is your favourite u/w camera equipment (past & present) & why?
GB: I’ve always been with Canon. My very first camera was a compact Canon SX 200 in an Ikelite housing but I quickly reached the limits of this equipment. So I immediately invested in high-end equipment of the time: a Canon 5D Mark II and a Subal housing. And I do not regret it! Recently I have changed my camera for a Canon 5ds, still in a Subal housing. Now I’m part of the Pro Team Subal, which is a great honor for me. The housings are of excellent quality with reliable and robust manufacturing. Moreover, their price suits me perfectly.
N/C: What would be your advice to anyone new to underwater photography?
GB: To take the time to learn; beautiful pictures don’t come on the first day. Underwater photography is a matter of patience, it is also necessary to consider the choice of material. Being expensive, it is necessary to determine your needs according to your budget. Then, you must know how to control your equipment on the surface. Learn the concepts of speed, aperture and sensitivity.
N/C: What, or who, has been your single biggest inspiration for your underwater photography?
GB: Oh, there are many! All the best known photographers of our day. Laurent Ballesta, Alex Mustard, Bryan Skerry, Tony Wu, Fred Buyle and more. I was always amazed at their photos and I thought that one day maybe, I would manage to take pictures like them.
N/C: What image are you most proud of and why?
GB: Um, it’s a very difficult question. I do not really have a favourite image but if I had to choose one, I would select a split-shot picture, probably one of my photos of turtles. These are very difficult to achieve. It is also the junction between two worlds, below and above the water.
N/C: Where is your favourite dive location, and is it for the photography?
GB: I haven’t really travelled a lot for diving. I have spent time around Madagascar but my preferred destination for the moment, from what I have experienced, is Mayotte. This island has the second largest closed lagoon in the world. With an incredible biodiversity, it really is a small paradise for divers. Of course, I dream of going diving in Indonesia. Maybe at the end of this year…
N/C: What are you views on marine life manipulation, moving subjects?
GB: I do not like this practice. I moved subjects like nudibranch when I first started taking photos but I don’t do that anymore. If they are misplaced, I don’t take the photo. On the other hand, one can have beautiful interactions with certain curious subjects, like the octopus or cetaceans. We must be patient and let creatures come to us. It is during times like these that I take my best photos.
N/C: What do you look for when you are making your images?
GB: I try to highlight the subject. That’s really the first thing I think about… But it combines many things: lighting, depth of field, composition etc. All the notions of photography are implemented for one purpose: to emphasise the subject.
N/C: What motivates you to take u/w photos?
GB: Find new things, make new photos and discover new sites. My motivation is not lacking, I love to dive and take pictures and that is enough motivation for me. Now, my dream is to be able to make my living in underwater photography but it is extremely difficult. I don’t lose hope and I know I have the passion to get there.
N/C: If you could photograph any one thing / place what or where would that be?
GB: One of my dreams is to go to the Poles to photograph the fauna that is there. I would love to realize this dream one day…
Today we are diving one of the outer reefs from an inflatable. As we reach the bottom, a reef octopus eases its way into the cover of a small crack in the coral while displaying it’s incredible ability to change colour. They are arguably one of the most charismatic of reef dwellers and it is always exciting for me to simply hover and watch. I would have spent longer and waited for it to come and investigate me, but as dive time is limited we wanted to move on and find a turtle.
The waters around Somabay are well protected and hold a rich variety of marine life. The reef edges are thriving colonies of coral and shoaling fish, while nearer the sea bed plenty of wildlife is still to be found.
Then we located the turtles. They are very used to divers and so show little concern when slowly approached. In fact occasionally one will come over to see what you are doing. There is always huge excitement when diving with a turtle. The shear thrill of sharing a moment with another species.
What a fantastic way to finish a wonderful few days diving and I would like to thank SOMABAY, ORCA DIVING and THE BREAKERS for making my stay such a good one.
I had a great time, with diving everyday either on the house reef or on one of the offshore reefs by inflatable or larger day boat. Orca diving provided high quality equipment and facilities while the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The Breakers was right on the coast with nice rooms, good food and once again friendly staff making the whole trip a real pleasure.
Soma Bay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds.
As well as scuba diving, Somabay caters for many other sports and activities, and so is perfect for families as well as individuals and/or groups. And of course there is always time to lay peacefully on the beach under the Egyptian sun.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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