Articles

The peach blossom jelly is a freshwater jellyfish introduced to Europe from China, Italy
 

It isn't often we feature a world-record holder as DPG Photographer of the Week! However, we have one for you this week: Fabian Becker set the world record for underwater bench pressing in 2017 and held the title for two years! Fabian's love of water began early, nurtured by frequent visits to El Hierro in the Canary Islands, where he spent every waking moment in the water, be it snorkeling or swimming. In 2004, he completed his open water course, laying the foundation for a lifelong passion. In the years since, Fabian has expanded beyond recreational scuba and pursued technical diving, wreck diving, cave diving, and freediving.

In Fabian’s local European waters, he was often asked if anything could be seen in what was presumed to be murky, unpleasant, lifeless places. That question inspired him to not only begin to talk about the beauty he witnessed beneath the surface, but also to show it. As many do, he began with a GoPro and quickly desired to create better pictures, aiming to truly capture the “hidden world’s” beauty. He progressed through compact cameras, crop sensor mirrorless cameras, and now uses Sony full frame for both macro and wide-angle underwater photography.

Fabian says his passion for photography is driven not only by a desire to create beautiful images, but also by a commitment to protecting the local underwater environment. Believing that people only protect what they know and appreciate, he hopes his photos help reveal the beauty of often-overlooked waters. He strives to capture the mood and essence of underwater experiences and the unique charisma of each wonderful subject.
 

A soft coral candy crab on its host coral, Dumaguete, Philippines
 

A spooky submerged tree beneath the morning sun in a lake, Austria
 

A top-down view of a green sea turtle shows off the beautifully patterned shell, Dumaguete, Philippines
 

A beautiful trout framed by Snell’s window, Austria
 

An adorable long-snouted seahorse hiding amongst aglae, Etang de Thau, France
 

A dusky Nembrotha looming intimidatingly out of the darkness, Philippines
 

Wonderfully camouflaged against its host crinoid, this shrimp only stands out in the spotlight, Dumaguete, Philippines
 

A portrait of a beautiful long-snouted seahorse, Etang de Thau, France
 

A stunning soft coral covered wall in the Red Sea, Egypt
 

A pair of whip coral shrimp with a disco background, Philippines
 

A ghost goby perched on a beautifully intricate coral, Red Sea, Egypt
 

Reminsicent of the barracuda, the pike fills the same niche in fresh water, Austria
 

To see more of Fabian’s work, please give him a follow on Instagram and visit his website, www.fabianbecker.photo.