As summer is fast approaching (it is, really, despite the weeks of rain… I like to remain optimistic!) I thought it would be appropriate to make this Monday Minute all about being under the sea (cue Little Mermaid singing. Oh, just me..?).
Tony Wu has possibly one of THE best photography jobs – he swapped a job in the big city for one that involves jetting off around the world to exotic locations shooting life below the sea. I’ll let his pictures do the talking.
What has been the most memorable assignment/project you have photographed and why?
My first encounter with a sperm whale. I pissed my wetsuit when the whale took my leg into its mouth, but in the end, I realised it was just curious. We became friends and played together for several hours. One of the photographs I took of this whale was awarded grand prize in Japan’s largest marine imaging contest. It also appeared on the front page of the Asahi Shimbun, one of the nation’s largest newspapers, and helped to launch my career photographing cetaceans.
What do you love most about photography?
Stories. Stories are to images as souls are to people.
What’s the best photography lesson anyone gave you?
99% of cameras are better than 99% of photographers.
In other words, don’t obsess about the hardware you have. Obsess about your vision.
Name one picture that made you say “I wish I could take a photo like that”?
If you could choose to shoot with just one lens, what would it be and why?
A fisheye lens for underwater use. It’s one of the most challenging lenses to use, as you need to be really close to your subject(s) and compose your image to minimise distortion. Lighting can also be a challenge, as artificial lights have a tendency to flare and burn out portions of the photo. But when you get a shot right with a fisheye lens underwater, the resulting image will inevitably be stunning.
All images (c) Tony Wu
Thank you Tony for taking the time to share this information!
You can find out lots more about Tony on his website http://www.tonywublog.com, where his blog gives you a great insight into life as an underwater photographer and how he gets his shots. Follow him on twitter too @tonywu.
