Articles

Hawaii: A playful bottlenose dolphin dances near the surface after Kona’s world-famous manta dive
 

As we celebrate a year filled with incredible talent from our Photographers of the Week, we decided that it was only appropriate to feature DPG’s very own Associate Editor, Mr. Joseph Tepper, as our last Photographer of the Week of 2014.

Many of you have seen Joe’s name on articles, images, judging panels, and speaker lists over the years, and unless you know him personally, you are probably surprised to learn that this young buck is fresh out of college. Having just graduated from New York University, where he studied anthropology and journalism, Joe has already asserted himself as an authority on underwater photography and dive journalism. Many of our features and critiques at DPG are penned through the lens of Joe’s knowledge, as he combines a vigor, enthusiasm, and energy akin to his youth with a sensibility and experience of someone three times his age.

But it isn’t just his writing and recognition of talent in others that have made Joe successful. Many of his images have become recognizable, for his technical and creative skill mirrors the advice he espouses. And though he may be newer to the industry than some of us, he more than makes up for his relative inexperience with his well-crafted words and images.
 

Yap, Micronesia: A pair of mandarinfish comes together for a kiss to seal the deal of their nightly mating ritual
 

Lembeh Strait, Indonesia: This poisonous octopus mototi finds shelter in a littered Sprite bottle
 

Cayman Islands: Cruising down a classic wall off Grand Cayman, a barracuda is flanked by his crew
 

Grand Cayman: Stingray city is one of the most photographed places in the world—but few underwater photographers have captured it at sunrise
 

Lembeh Strait, Indonesia: Critters like this hairy frogfish take the spotlight here
 

Jellyfish Lake, Palau: With help from Snell’s Window and a white sky, it looks as though this jellyfish is painted on a white canvas
 

Kona, Hawaii: Open wide! A giant manta ray swoops in to collect plankton in front of the photographer’s lens
 

Yap, Micronesia: Yap may be known for its resident manta ray population, but at the dive site Vertigo, dozens of reef sharks cruise around
 

Galápagos Islands: One of Joe’s most memorable encounters—photographing hunting Galápagos penguins
 

Photographer Joe, doing the only thing he loves more than being an editor

Check out more of Joe’s work on his website, www.josephtepper.com.