Under and Above Water

The first time I put on a mask and peered underwater transformed me forever. What could possibly be better than finding beautiful underwater life and capturing it with a camera? But I found myself spending more and more time transfixed by the interface between air and water. How often does one have a chance to look at two adjacent worlds at the same time? The two exist side by side in the same time frame and depend on each other yet even today this is something many people have not experienced. Now I finally find myself in a position to pursue a goal - searching for interesting under and above perspectives and sharing it with others. It doesn't get much better than this!

I am designing various underwater splash boxes that enable me to take a camera into places typically not snorkeled - too small or too shallow in many cases. This requires putting an angle finder on the camera so it can be viewed from above, wearing neoprene waders in really cold water, and learning to contort my body into whatever configuration necessary to get the camera in the right spot. I am constantly slipping and on the verge of dropping the housing. I have provided much amusement for anyone in the vicinity. Sticks and mud and leaves and sharp rocks are my constant companions. Each step is a guess regarding depth and slipperiness. The sun angle is absolutely critical. Many times the first trip to a new spot tells me to return at a different time of day - or even different season. I enjoy the physical challenge of this sort of photography and don't always come home with a winner. That is probably what keeps me looking for that next better place. There is so much left to do!

Most of the under and above photos were taken using a Canon 20D digital camera and a 10mm-22mm wide-angle lens. What you see is what I saw. Part of the fun for me is designing and building the Plexiglas housings so the equipment can be taken underwater.

Dan Harding, 2006