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A rare Cumanotus beaumonti nudibranch on a hydroid stalk
 

Ask a roomful of underwater photographers what the best destination for macro imagery is and you’re likely to get a litany of tropical destinations like Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. But for Norwegian shooter Christian Skauge, the answer is much closer to home—and altogether chillier.

The frigid fjords of Norway provide Christian with a myriad minute wonders—especially nudibranchs. Or in Christian’s words, “It’s teeming with colorful slugs everywhere!” Perhaps it’s the abundance of nudibranchs and other critters in his backyard waters that have allowed Christian to fine-tune his skills and earn countless international awards.

As the founder of SCUBAPixel.com, Christian’s freelance photography has also taken him to warmer places in the world, where he’s discovered a passion for wide-angle photography, wrecks in particular. “I’m a real wreck junkie,” Christian confesses.
 

The wreck of Um el-Fahroud, a Libyan freighter off the coast of Malta

His accolades include awards from the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nature’s Best, and the DivePhotoGuide- and WetPixel-hosed Underwater Competition series. Christian has also recently taken the role as publisher for Norway’s dive magazine, Dykking.
 

A pregnant (male) harlequin ghost pipefish captured at Tufi, Papua New Guinea
 

A beautifully lit staircase in the wreck of Karwela at the Mediterranean island of Gozo
 

Polycera quadrilineata is one of Norway’s most common nudibranchs
 

A Eubranchus farrani nudibranch with extraordinary balloon-like cerata
 

A close-up of Jeffrey’s goby, Buenia jeffreysii, inside an empty sea shell
 

The tiny secretary blenny, Acanthemblemaria maria, peeking out of its burrow in a sponge-covered coral
 

Schooling bannerfish in Egypt’s Strait of Tiran near Sharm el-Sheikh
 

One of the most beautiful creatures in the ocean, the tiny sea angel, Clinone limacina
 

Abstract patterns can often be found in fish; this is a close-up of a parrotfish
 

Voted Norway’s best wreck in 2009, the 122-meter-long Frankenwald is an awe-inspiring sight
 

Close-up of one of the funniest sea creatures, the arrow crab, Stenorhynchus seticornis, Cape Verde islands
 

Cape Verde offers great salt-water cavern diving with plenty of great photo opportunities

For more information, visit Christian’s website SCUBAPixel.com.