Among the best...

Wolfgang Leander and Tiger Shark  
Photo by Felix Leander

My dad would never write what I am posting, in fact he will probably give me some lip for it...but I think it merits a mention and shout out.  

Last year, "Photographer" (Ukrainian Edition) featured the world's top U/W photographers and their photos...and among the Doubilets, Nachoums, and Perrines there was a Leander. 

I must say that it is a great list to be part of....and the fact that my father takes all his photos while freediving and using a Nikonos V (with no flash) - and does it all as a hobby being almost 70 years old, and having survived three cancers makes this even more remarkable...

Yes, I said it, I am impressed by my old man.  In an age of digital photography where a diver can shoot hundreds of photos in a few minutes (there better be a good shot among them) - this is a feat.

I will say that I think the magazine missed a photographer, who in my opinion is the best: Fred Buyle. Art is subjective, and as the old Romans already knew: De gustibus non est disputandum  (= "In matters of taste there is no dispute").

My dad considers David Doubilet to be the best. He calls Doubilet The Underwater Henri Cartier-Bresson - as far as he is concerned, there is no higher mark of distinction than being likened to that French photography legend.

Anyway, here is a link to the post on WetPixel.


Congrats old man!

Pure Energy - Barry Kulick

Felix Leander shaking fins with a lemon shark - Photo by Barry Kulick

Barry Kulick does not sleep...he is restless, and his brain is always working, composing, and thinking of the next shot.  When Barry told me that he hardly sleeps I thought he was kidding - he does have an odd sleeping schedule, but he is up most of the time and was working on his photographs early in the morning (3AMish), and in the water by 7AM to avoid the traffic and pollution (bubbles).


I had never met Barry before or heard of him...but he has been around for a while taking pictures all over the world...this trip was fun.  He started diving back in 1974 (it seemed like a great time to spend on planet Earth) and in 1977 started taking U/W for the Navy - a noncommissioned officer told him to do so.  It must have stuck...in 1988 Barry became a professional photographer - I asked him which are his favorite subjects to photograph: "Don't have only ONE favorite - there are too many fascinating subjects in the world."


Barry uses a Nikon D2X camera with a Nexus housing and Inon strobes (he has three positioned in such a way that he looked like a 18-wheeler from far away).


To see some of Barry's work visit his websites at: http://web.mac.com/barrykulick/Site/Welcome.html and http://www.barrykulick.com/.

Felix Leander and tiger shark - Photo by Barry Kulick

I have seen some of the photos he shot in the Bahamas and was very impressed by his work.  Hope to see more soon!