Deep Down In The Heart Of The Ocean

Andrea Izzotti is an Italian photographer born in 1968. Passionate about travelling and nature, he the endless differences of its proposals”, says Andrea Izzotti who is an emotion hunter. His has visited some of the most remote places of the planet and is always searching for “fragments of photographic philosophy found him on the concept that to transmit an emotion is necessary to get reality” to capture. His photo are, therefore, often the result of sudden intuition, little preparation emotional about what you are viewing. So if while taking a shot you get touched by an image, you and instant realization. “The nature is the best and the humblest artist, it’s up to us to try to pick up can transmit the same emotion to the spectator.

- Andrea Izzotti

Q. Which are your favorite places to travel for wildlife and underwater photography?

A. My favorite place is the Indian Ocean. The best underwater place I have ever dived in is Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia. For macro photography, Cebu Island, in Philippines is great. For sharks and mantas, I love Maldives, and Cortez Sea in Mexico for sea lion encounters underwater.

Q. Are there any specific techniques and equipments that you use while doing underwater photography?

A. I use different techniques depending on the subject. Basically all my underwater photography is done in manual mode. I do love using a fisheye lens underwater and try to get very close to the subject. I use the fastest shutter speed possible (considering lights and depth) and use two underwater flashlights. I manually control the amount of light of flashes, starting from ¼ power arriving to full power depending on the subject, light situation and underwater visibility. I use flashlight diffusers every time, for underwater landscapes I use very long flash arms, to avoid reflection on dome and water suspension reflection. For macro I usually prefer a 60mm lens, sometimes with the magnifier and very short flash arms. Sometimes I do ambient macro with fisheye. In that case, I shoot very close to the subject and use the inverse flash technique. Basically this means that I aim the flashes not on the subject but on the side of cameras. Subject, thanks to diffusors, takes the light, but the landscape also has a good light.

Q. What has been your perception when it comes to marine life? Did you always love water so much?