Articles

A young spectacled caiman shelters beneath debris, Costa Rica. This picture won the “Freshwater” category of the Scuba Diving Magazine 2024 Photo Contest
 

Sticking with the trend of more atypical aesthetics for the Photographer of the Week feature, Anton Sorokin’s portfolio contains largely aquatic reptiles and amphibians with a few salmon thrown in for good measure. Anton’s passion for herpetology is evident through his underwater work and has resulted in countless publications and some very high profile competition successes—namely, a category win in the MontPhoto Competition, a category win in the Scuba Diving Magazine Photo Contest, and an awarded image in the vaunted Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Anton is a biologist by trade, but he also happens to have remarkable skills with a camera. He aims to capture natural history images, often of subjects or behaviors that have never been photographed underwater before. Everywhere he goes, whether it be the mountains of California, the rivers of Costa Rica, or the rainforests of Borneo, Anton brings his underwater gear along, just in case he is able to find a worthwhile aquatic subject.

Anton is also a newly minted Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). Through his association with ILCP and his day job, Anton aims to use his pictures to raise awareness and promote conservation for freshwater life and amphibians, in particular, two incredibly threatened groups, globally. He strives to capture natural history, the threats these animals face, and the conservation actions being taken to preserve them.
 

A neotenic California tiger salamander, showing off its fluffy gills, California, USA
 

Obvious from below, but nearly invisible to prey above, a spectacled caiman waits in ambush, Costa Rica
 

Sierra newts rest on the bottom of a clear stream before spawning activity begins, California, USA
 

Highly venomous and highly beautiful, pelagic sea snakes are most often seen washed ashore, so capturing one in the open ocean is special, Costa Rica
 

A small kokanee salmon kisses its reflection at the surface, California, USA
 

A beastly Chinook salmon hangs in the current while dislodged salmon eggs float down the river. This image won the “Underwater World” category of the MontPhoto 2024 Competition
 

Two male Chinook salmon, a contrast in health, hovering near a redd, California, USA
 

Male eastern hellbenders lock jaws in a battle for supremacy on the bottom of a stream, North Carolina, USA. This picture was “Highly Commended” in the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition
 

A pair of California newts mate beneath the sun in a dirty cattle pond, California, USA
 

Healthy coho salmon gather in a deeper pool in a river before continuing their upstream journey to spawning grounds, California, USA
 

A California newt deposits an egg mass on submerged grass in a cattle pond, California, USA
 

A large crayfish lorded over by a zombiefied chinook salmon, California, USA
 

To see more of Anton’s unique imagery, both topside and underwater, please give him a follow on Instagram and check out his website, www.antonsorokin.com.