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For an underwater photographer whose portfolio features a wealth of prized subjects, Noam Kortler’s first dive industry gig was comparatively less glamorous. When he moved to Eilat, Israel, the only job Noam could find was taking snapshots of student divers. But he rolled with it.
With no knowledge of photography, much less the submarine sort, Noam used the opportunity to “play” with the camera and experiment, building his skill set along the way. It’s hard to question Noam’s self-taught education: In the decades since he first started taking souvenir snaps, the Israeli-based shooter has nabbed dozens of international awards.
Followers of the UnderwaterCompetition.com series are probably familiar with some of the images in this portfolio—as they have earned gold, silver, and bronze medals throughout the years. Most recently, Noam was honored with the Jean-Louis Galy award at the World Festival of Underwater Imaging. The award is given to the photographer with the best portfolio. Scroll down and you’ll see why.
A swirl of barracudas swims with a diver and a sea turtle, Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea
A whip coral frames a diver in an underwater cathedral, Fiji
A giant painted frogfish and a sun ball, Red Sea, Eilat, Israel
“Golden Hart”: Two thorny seahorses pose in a moment of love, Red Sea, Eilat, Israel
“Wazzaa!”: A hawksbill sea turtle says “hello”, Maldives
“Jumping Frogfish”: The zooming effect is achieved through slow shutter speed, Red Sea, Eilat, Israel
A three-week-old baby humpback checks out the photographer, Tonga
A thresher shark swims by in Malapasqua, Philippines
A Cape gannet dives into the chilly waters of the “Sardine Run”, South Africa
A manta ray feeds at the surface, Maldives
That time when a saltwater croc tried to bite Noam’s camera, Papua New Guinea
“I see you”: A cleaner shrimp cleans a parrotfish eye at night, Red Sea, Eilat, Israel
A longfin squid captured hunting for food at night, Red Sea Eilat, Israel
For more of Noam’s work, please visit his underwater imaging Facebook page or his profile on DPG. He also runs a small dive shop in Eilat, where he teaches underwater photography at all levels and enjoys showing shooters hard-to-find subjects.
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