honorable mention
Alessandro Fantin italy
title
The Micro Underwater World
Few, however, go into small ecosystems to discover the incredible life present, where tiny creatures enter into symbiosis with the environment that hosts them. A coral, a marine plant or simply an element of land finished at sea, become the home of creatures that will remain there throughout their lives. Ocean protection is of paramount importance.
Even the slightest change, whether by man or nature, can make this delicate and fascinating balance disappear forever.
The photos show in order: a pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) anchored and camouflaged on its gorgonia, a couple of porcelain crabs (Porcellanella triloba) living in a Pennatula and a flamboyant cuttlefish egg (Metasepia pfefferi) anchored inside the coconut remains.
As of today, thanks to the Nauticam setting of his Canon 6D mark2 camera, Alessandro focuses more on macro photography utilizing a snoot technique (controlled lighting exposition). This allows the attention of the viewer to fall on the main subject of the picture in contrast with the black background around it that this specific type of exposition recreates. To Alessandro every picture is a mission, from planning the excursion to finding the subject, shoot it and post producing the final product. Bringing marine organisms on the surface through photos, is not just a memory from a trip, it becomes a way to spread the knowledge of what’s under the sea, which most people can’t afford to witness. Alessandro hopes that by doing this, he would push people to respect one of the biggest gift the Earth gave us, the Ocean.
back to gallery
entry description
The ocean is the richest living ecosystem on our planet. Below the surface we are used to seeing only what we know: large pelagic fish, reef fish and crustaceans.Few, however, go into small ecosystems to discover the incredible life present, where tiny creatures enter into symbiosis with the environment that hosts them. A coral, a marine plant or simply an element of land finished at sea, become the home of creatures that will remain there throughout their lives. Ocean protection is of paramount importance.
Even the slightest change, whether by man or nature, can make this delicate and fascinating balance disappear forever.
The photos show in order: a pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) anchored and camouflaged on its gorgonia, a couple of porcelain crabs (Porcellanella triloba) living in a Pennatula and a flamboyant cuttlefish egg (Metasepia pfefferi) anchored inside the coconut remains.
about the photographer
Alessandro Fantin was born in Italy in 1983. He had a passion for the sea since he was a kid. When on vacation with his family he usually went snorkeling. He daydreamed about traveling to tropical destinations. In 2001 on his first trip to the Red Sea he fell in love with the marine ecosystem and the coral reef. His passion for underwater photography though, developed in 2015 after his trip to the Maldives, where he got his first Open Water license. From that moment on, thanks to some friends who he shares his passion for naturalistic photography with, his trips are always planned, so they can achieve their final goal, which is to photograph and document the sea wildlife especially in the south est asian area, a nest for biodiversity.As of today, thanks to the Nauticam setting of his Canon 6D mark2 camera, Alessandro focuses more on macro photography utilizing a snoot technique (controlled lighting exposition). This allows the attention of the viewer to fall on the main subject of the picture in contrast with the black background around it that this specific type of exposition recreates. To Alessandro every picture is a mission, from planning the excursion to finding the subject, shoot it and post producing the final product. Bringing marine organisms on the surface through photos, is not just a memory from a trip, it becomes a way to spread the knowledge of what’s under the sea, which most people can’t afford to witness. Alessandro hopes that by doing this, he would push people to respect one of the biggest gift the Earth gave us, the Ocean.
back to gallery
