I recently met David, one of the amazing underwater photographers on our Dive and More team, in Perth, Western Australia. Since he was young, David has always loved spending time at the beach or in the ocean. He began diving at 15 years old, and was an instructor by the time he was 21! His diving career led him far from his home country, Israel, to explore all over the world's most stunning dive destinations. But not only is he creative with the camera, David is also quite the reputable masterchef. When he's not in the water, you can find him running his vegan food truck in Freemantle, called Amba Falafel. If you ask anyone, it's evident that David's passion and creative flair is shines in all the work that he does. Oh, and did I mention he runs our annual trip to Tonga to swim with humpback whales? Read more about his journey below:
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Since I was just a kid, spending time at the beach or anywhere near the ocean has been my favorite thing to do. Growing up around the Red Sea, you cannot avoid falling in love with the ocean! At the age of 15, I became a certified diver and rapidly climbed the certification ladder of scuba, and became an Instructor at 21 after finishing three years of service in the Navy. Right after I embarked on a journey that led me far from my home country, Israel, to explore the world's most stunning destinations. I went to New Zealand to train people from troubled backgrounds and to help them get work within the diving industry. This was an amazing journey, I made some amazing connections and experienced some tough diving conditions.
After New Zealand I was chasing some warmth and went to explore the Caribbean, specifically the Cozumel and Quintana Roo peninsula. There, I was teaching diving in the crystal waters and strong currents of the island, while spending time off on the mainland diving the sacred Mayan Cenotes. At this stage, photography started becoming more and more evident interest for me, as it always held a special place in my heart, both above and below the water's surface. After Mexico I decided I want to go back to where I felt most at home, The South Pacific Region. I moved to Australia and worked all around, from the cold waters of Melbourne to the Far North parts of the Great Barrier Reef, home to the beautiful reefs and lush jungles, leading trips and taking people to some of the best places in Australia. In between life in far north Queensland, I took some contracts in Niue, Tonga and Fiji working in conservation and tourism projects as a photographer also as a dive guide and whale swim guide which has been my biggest dream!
Humpback whales are truly my spirit animals and spending time in the water with them is life changing. Eventually I ended up in Western Australia, on the Ningaloo Reef, where true wilderness and wildlife meet, and the ocean and desert create magic! Currently my creative energies are channeled into videography, I love telling stories this way and support NGOs in highlighting their remarkable conservation initiatives. It's a journey marked by a deep connection with the ocean, a passion for preservation, and a commitment to sharing the wonders of the underwater world with people.
What inspired you to specialize in underwater photography?
I wouldn't say I specialize in photography, I just love it so much and it makes me happy to capture wild moments, create stories through photos and videos and hopefully inspire others to appreciate the ocean, so I guess that's mainly the drive. Photography also opened the door to provide something of value to conservation efforts where these resources are limited.
Can you share one of your most memorable experiences while photographing underwater?
I have many, but I think the one that really impacted me was on the 17th of October 2019 in Vava'u Tonga. After living in Tonga for 6 months I had some amazing encounters with whales, but nothing prepared me for this. We noticed some blows in the horizon and decided to head out to have a look, from the surface we thought a couple of whales were cruising, but once we got in, we were treated to an 11 whale "heat run". Usually Heat Runs are fast and aggressive, this one was just weird, the whales were moving pretty slow and not in a straight line, which gave us the chance to really be "in the whales" and got to experience close to 2 hours of pure nature, alone in the middle of the ocean, just a couple of us and the whales. I will never forget that.
What challenges do you face as an underwater photographer, and how do you overcome them?
I think my main challenge in photography is getting everything right in terms of WB and pushing the camera's capabilities to its max for minimal post production. For me, the definition of a great photograph, and I believe most people do too have a wow moment, when it comes to wildlife, is when you capture a shot that shows the behavior of the animal, a connection between individuals, hunting, mating, and these moments are very very hard to capture. Once you do though...
Can you share any tips or advice for aspiring underwater photographers?
My only tip is to surround yourself with others who are passionate, and just get out there as much as possible, it's not about the gear, not about your skills, those things are evolving and being polished with time, learn and experience first hand, make mistakes and make sure your sensor is always clean! man I hate those spots when you realise you got an amazing shot.
What are your favorite locations or dive sites for underwater photography, and why?
Tough one, but if we are talking photography specifically I would probably say South East Asia, I've only been to the Philippines and planning on many more destinations to see in the future, but what I loved about it is the diversity of corals, topography and all the different fish species you saw on BBC are there to say hi, I've done my longest dives there as you just don't want it to end! And it is so warm haha. When it comes to big animals, I would say Western Australia is offering the idle chase and adventure, the best feeling ever. I think Exmouth would be quite up there, as you just never know what you might see. Exmouth is just wild, and that area is home to so many creatures, full of sharks and rays and all types of whales, dolphins, dugongs, turtles...you get the idea, yeah? It's just a place to observe all of these animals showcasing a wide range of behaviors and no day is ever the same, doesn't matter how many times you go out.
Have you ever encountered any unexpected or dangerous situations while photographing underwater?
Not while photographing no, not that I can remember anyway, but one time my housing was leaking as I didn't close it properly and it was the scariest moment, so kids make sure you triple check.
How do you think underwater photography can contribute to marine conservation efforts?
I think the main way, and I wasn't aware of it at first as I have always been in the water, is opening up the underwater world to so many that have no idea what lies beneath the waves. Many people don't realize how rich and diverse and important the ocean is, and its ecosystems to our life above the water. Try and remember the feeling of seeing "Blue Planet" the first time, how good did that feel? or any other wildlife doco for that matter, nature is just so beautiful and no one is above that, no one can see something pure like an animal in nature doing its thing and not connect to that to some extent. Cameras can bring it to us and make it real. "Protect what you love" we say, and you cannot protect something you don't know exists and connect with.
Check out some more of David's work here:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidgirsh/
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