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Scubaverse Underwater Photographer Interview: Johan Sundelin
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 Johan Sundelin.
My current passion, or even obsession, in underwater photography did not come as a surprise since I’m born in Aquarius, I’ve been an amateur photographer since the age of 10 and a diver since the age of 15. The time (and money) spent on this hobby started to seriously increase five years ago when my whole family of four jumped on the same interest. We do dive in our home country Sweden but like most people we prefer tropical waters.
Last year’s victory in the Nordic Championship for underwater photography improved my Swedish ranking to the level where I will represent Sweden in the World Championship this year. However, my proudest moment was when in competition with 17,000 entries from 50 countries, I managed to win the underwater category of the Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2016.
You can see more of my work at www.instagram.com/sundelinsphoto
N/C: How did your underwater photography start?
JS: Snorkelling with the family and young children in the Red Sea everyone got out of the water and tried to describe what they have seen. To make the job easier we bought a Canon underwater house for our compact camera. Then we all got hooked!
N/C: What is your favourite u/w camera equipment (past & present) & why?
JS: The Canon G12 was a fantastic camera to both take some decent pictures with and learn all the basic of underwater photography. Now I use a Nikon D600 in a Sea & Sea housing. Often I take action photography of sharks without looking into the viewfinder. The extra opportunity of cropping that the FX format gives is then appreciated. I also often use the extra dynamic range that the format provides.
N/C: What would be your advice to anyone new to underwater photography?
JS: Firstly, start small. Today’s compact cameras can take some really high quality pictures. I would however make the investment of a separate flash. It makes all the difference. Secondly use manual settings. I was first hesitant of using manual settings considering I often use different auto modes for land photography. I did however quickly learn that manual mode is almost a must underwater.
N/C: What, or who, has been your single biggest inspiration for your underwater photography?
JS: Magnus Lundgren has been kind enough to share a lot of his tricks that made him a National Geographic Photographer. The UW photographer and Marine Biologist Anders Salesjö has taught me the importance of knowing the behaviour of your subject.
N/C: What image are you most proud of and why?
JS: My personal favourite is the picture of two divers in a cenote in Mexico. The reason is that for me it captures the essence of diving; the natural beauty and the weightless feeling of the divers.
N/C: Where is your favourite dive location, and is it for the photography?
JS: I’m a positive person and tend to think the last dive was the best. This time it actually might be right since when I snorkelled with a couple of humpback whales in the Dominican Republic I actually cried of happiness after the extremely intense experience. To be in the middle of two 40 tonne whales that play with you and copy your behaviour was truly out of this world.
N/C: What are you views on marine life manipulation, moving subjects?
JS: I’m against everything that could be harmful to animals including moving them. Moving subjects is one of the few negative aspects of this hobby and needs to be stopped.
N/C: What do you look for when you are making your images?
JS: My ultimate goal is to evoke an emotional reaction. If the picture touches the viewer, then I believe they might care a little bit more about our oceans. I believe this is what most underwater photographers aim for with their pictures.
N/C: What motivates you to take u/w photos?
JS: The most fundamental reason is to craft my memory. The more beautiful my picture, the more beautiful my memory will be. The creative process of pre-studying, planning, diving and post-processing is also fun in itself. Finally I must be honest and admit that a bit of recognition also boosts the motivation.
N/C: If you could photograph any one thing/place what or where would that be?
JS: A 50/50 picture of a bear catching a salmon would be amazing.
N/C: Finally, can you describe how you took the winning picture in the Outdoor Photographer Of the Year 2016?
JS: The location is Santa Fe Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. While snorkelling with a colony of California sea lions I quickly noticed two particular photography challenges. The first was how to avoid the attention of the large, aggressive and protective alpha male. The second was the enormous speed of the animals in the water. Lying very still in the water and using high ISO solved the issues. That allowed me to freeze this moment of tenderness using only natural light.
You can read more about The Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition in our book review here: www.scubaverse.com/outdoor-photographer-year-book-review/
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Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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