Articles

A spectacularly colored paper nautilus drifts through the open ocean blackness, Anilao, Philippines
 

Hailing from Germany and based in Berlin since the late 1990s, Marco Schulze discovered his fascination with the ocean as a child, watching Jacques Cousteau’s underwater adventures on TV—though an early viewing of Jaws left him (and countless others) with a lasting fear of sharks.

In 2002, a surprise gift of an Open Water Diver course changed the trajectory of his life. His first dives were in the Mediterranean off the coast of Tunisia and soon after a visit to Bali. That trip was a turning point and Marco was hooked on the underwater world. Every vacation became devoted to diving. When it came time to choose a direction—teaching, wrecks or tech—Marco’s curiosity had already been captured by the ocean’s strangest inhabitants. Underwater photography became his passion, and his first camera, an Olympus DSLR, opened a window into another world.

From the beginning, Marco was drawn to cephalopods, crustaceans, and any and all weird and unique beings—ones that seem to have evolved on another planet. In 2022, fate intervened: His old camera broke and the wind was taken out of his sails. Faced with the choice to quit underwater photography or start over, he chose the latter. Now armed with an OM System OM-1, Marco’s creative spark was reignited. In the years since, muck and blackwater diving have become his favorite realms, with each night dive feeling like a voyage into a world so vastly different from our own.

Marco’s signature style centers on vivid colors and sharp contrasts against a black background—giving his “underwater superstars” the stage they deserve. In 2024, he decided for the first time to publicly share his work, publishing his images online and quickly attracting an enthusiastic audience drawn to their surreal, sci-fi beauty. His photographs have since received several awards in the German-speaking world, as well as an Honorable Mention in DPG Masters 2024.

A lifelong fan of fantasy and science fiction, Marco finds his happy place photographing creatures that look like they’ve drifted in from another dimension. His dream subject remains the elusive female blanket octopus. And as for that childhood shark phobia? It’s safely cured—though he still keeps a respectful distance, just in case!
 

An intimidating portrait of a giant moray, looming out of the darkness, Red Sea, Egypt
 

A young diamond squid raises its arms above its head in a defensive posture, Anilao, Philipipnes
 

A nicely posed blue-ringed octopus with a disco background, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A spectacularly colored diamond squid encountered on a blackwater dive, Anilao, Philippines
 

One of the world’s most sought-after macro subjects, a weedy scorpionfish, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A stunning diamond squid strikes its classic head down hunting pose, Anilao, Philippines
 

A portrait of an aptly named giant mantis shrimp, the world’s largest mantis species, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A common seahorse, backlit with red disco lights, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A giant mantis shrimp, busy cleaning its burrow, shows of its raptorial claws, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

One of blackwater diving’s most sought-after subjects, a larval wonderpus, Anilao, Philippines
 

A classic, if not common, blackwater sight, a female paper nautilus riding a seagrass frond, Anilao, Philippines
 

One of the most difficult fish in the world to photograph, the black morph giant frogfish. They suck up light like a black hole. Anilao, Philippines
 

A strikingly patterned squid poses for the camera, Anilao, Philippines
 

To see more of Marco’s fantastic macro work, please give him a follow on Instagram.