Hans Haas book

Pat Baker · Issue 22, Jan/Feb 2005 · pp. 48–49

Products mentioned: I Photographed under the Seven Seas, Fotojagd am Meersgrund, Diving to Adventure, RolleiMarine camera housing, underwater Leica, Agfacolor Neu film

Hans Hass Under the Seven Seas by Patrick Baker Books of fine underwater photographs are now commonplace. As beautiful as many of these are I have lost count of the “coffee table volumes” featuring the underwater world that have appeared in the past 35 years. However, the first such book, a now very rare volume, appeared in Germany in 1955 and in England the following year. Hans Hassʼs I Photographed under the Seven Seas is an compilation of his photographs, work which had begun just before WWII. On page after page are unique images from Hassʼ pioneering underwater experiences; the first sub-surface pictures of whale sharks, sperm whales, manta rays and coral gardens. Of the148 images only a handful are in colour , reflecting publishing practices of the time rather than photographic ability. Hass had in fact been producing underwater colour since 1939 although the majority of his publish…