Articles

A popular subject in the Indo-Pacific, a lemon goby guards a clutch of eggs, Anilao, Philippines
 

As a full-time engineer, Shinto Anto’s underwater photography journey started later in life. Originally from India and now residing in Singapore, Shinto spends the vast majority of his underwater time exploring the warm waters of Southeast Asia and the staggering diversity found thereabouts. His feature here, captured almost exclusively with his Sony A7R Mark III, is a testament to that. While he considers himself a hobbyist underwater photographer, Shinto puts his photography and passion for the marine realm first, to give back to ocean that he enjoys so much.

Shinto is deeply committed to marine conservation and, for over a decade, has volunteered with various environmental organizations, working on projects to protect marine biodiversity and raise awareness about the impact of human activities on our oceans and life therein. Shinto says his conservation efforts align closely with his passion for storytelling and believes that compelling visuals can drive meaningful action and foster a deeper connection to, and fascination with, the ocean.

Shinto also enjoys sharing his photography skills through workshops that empower others to document the underwater world. He and some friends organize an annual workshop trip dubbed “Ocean Canvas,” to dive, shoot and share new ideas. Shinto hopes that through his work, he can inspire a new generation of divers and photographers to become advocates for our oceans.
 

A beautiful and well-camouflaged shrimp living on the back of a blue sea star, Anilao, Philippines
 

This glasseye snapper says swim against the crowd, Palau, Micronesia
 

A reef manta wings by overhead in German Channel, Palau, Micronesia
 

A lone, stingless jellyfish pulsates beneath the surface of the famous Jellyfish Lake, Palau, Micronesia
 

A diver explores the wreck of the Jake Seaplane, Palau, Micronesia
 

A small seahorse in a big world. A Denise’s pygmy perched on its home sea fan, Bali, Indonesia
 

A detailed close-up of a nudibranch’s rhinophores, Bali, Indonesia
 

A delicate Unidentia sandramillenae nudibranch crawling over a volcanic rock, Bali, Indonesia
 

A small coconut octopus sheltering in discarded trash, Singapore
 

A bigfin reef squid showing off its many suckers, Bali, Indonesia
 

A “moonlit” thorny seahorse, Anilao, Philippines
 

A bumphead parrotfish poses for the camera over a reef in Sipadan, Borneo, Malaysia
 

A pair of Coleman shrimp huddle together among the spines of a venomous fire urchin, Anilao, Philippines
 

To see more of Shinto’s underwater work, please give him a follow on Instagram.