Freediving for UW Photography

Nicholas Kouvaras · Issue 130, Jan/Feb 2023 · pp. 49–53

Products mentioned: Canon EOS 550D, Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 AT-X AF Lens, Sea & Sea housing, Olympus OM-D E-M5 mark III, Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO Lens, Nauticam housing

What is freediving? In theory it is any kind of activity that takes place underwater while we hold our breath. For me it is more something like a tool. A skill set that we can use anyway we like when we are in the water. Some freedivers like to compete and try to stay longer, go further and dive deeper. Some people use freediving to make a living out of the ocean, like the Sama-Bajau tribes in the Philippines and Indonesia. I know a lot of people who use freediving just to overcome their fear of the water. For me it was always photography. I loved taking pictures of fish when I started. In scuba diving we learn how to use our equipment. In freediving we learn how to use our body and the mammalian dive reflex. Teaching freediving is the easiest thing in the world. Our bodies are equipped with the same mechanisms as dolphins, whales and seals. Our bodies know what to do. Our brain has forg…