Articles

It’s hard not to get hooked on underwater photography when your first-ever roll of film contains images of a half-dozen manta rays and a rare zebra shark in the Similan Islands. That was Petteri Viljakainen’s first foray into underwater photography, armed with a SeaLife film camera.

Ten years later, Petteri’s equipment may have changed, but his knack for capturing rare and wild marine subjects remains constant. In addition to his imaging career, Petteri runs photo trips from Finland aimed at helping newcomers learn to take stunning images, even when not encountering mantas and sharks on every dive.

In particular, the Finnish shooter finds fascination in split shots: “I like to shoot divers with different underwater backgrounds,” explains Petteri. “Especially with over-under images, you can capture the best of both worlds.”
 

Snorkeling in the Similan Islands, Thailand
 

Photographing the whale shark, Isla Mujeres, Mexico
 

Beam me down! A diver descends inside a light beam in Cenote El Eden, Mexico
 

For a long time, the Rummu quarry in Estonia was used as a mining site for limestone, with most of the workforce drawn from among the detainees of Murru prison. When the prison closed, the pumps that kept the quarry and the prison dry were shut down
 

Anitas bommie, Similan Islands, Thailand
 

The “sugar bowl” at Tajma Ha Cenote, Mexico
 

An old green turtle poses for the photographer, Red Sea, Egypt
 

Moofushi house reef, South Ari atoll, Maldives
 

The split, Similan Islands, Thailand
 

A lone swimmer in Helsinki swimming stadium, Finland
 

Nicte Ha Cenote, Mexico
 

Peter “in his element,” photographing a whale shark selfie in Mexico

For more of Petteri’s photography, make sure to visit his website.