Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Roger Horrocks is a freediving underwater photographer -



- not just an 'underwater photographer'. Roger is passionate about freediving. He is so much of a freediver that he will not under any circumstances put on a tank to take underwater photographs.

Not many underwater photographers are able to produce world-class underwater photographs on one breath of air. Roger does. I can hear the scuba photographers challenging me: Who cares
how the picture is being taken? Agreed, in the end, it is the photograph that will be judged. But to know that an underwater image has been taken while freediving definitely gives it another dimension.

When you freedive your photographic equipment becomes an extension of your entire body, not just your eye. And since photographers always hold their breath when they squeeeze the shutter, apnea-diving-photography would almost seem the natural way of photographing underwater. Of course, freediving is more than just holding your breath and swimming underwater. Freediving is rather 'flowing' underwater. Thus, freediving photographers take photographs while they flow underwater....

Contrary to how scuba divers sometimes condescendingly refer to freediving, it is not "topside" diving, it isn't "snorkeling" either - freediving is the most ancient, yet ultimate way of diving. It simply is what a French friend of ours, Jacques Millat, an outstanding freediver of the old school, once called "la vraie joie de la plongee", the true joy of diving...

Look at Roger in these two images - see? That's what freediving is all about: La vraie joie de la plongee....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely stunning pictures! I love it!

Wolfgang Leander said...

That is very encouraging! Thank you!