Articles

Symbiosis: A fish and jellyfish get intimate, Anilao, Philippines
 

Every week, we feature an excellent underwater photographer here on DPG, but often these are people that we do not know personally. All the work is outstanding, and the final products speak for themselves. However, we can’t always write about somebody we have dived and shot with. This week, I’m proud to introduce my friend Cai Heng—Kinder Cai is how many will know him.

Kinder is from Shenzhen, China, but it seems like he can be found all over the world shooting incredible images. His work is a fine blend of perfect timing, rich colors, and impeccable composition. He shoots a wide variety of subjects, but it is with his work in black water that most photographers will be familiar. What makes writing this special is that I saw him take some of his most memorable photos.

I had the pleasure of shooting with Kinder over several days a few years back while staying at the Anilao Photo Academy. The three words that come to mind are “patience,” “perseverance,” and “technician.” Rarely do you see someone put in the amount of time he does to capture a single image. In all honesty, I would get bored and move along, but he sticks it out, and the results speak for themselves. The lesson he can teach us all is that if you want to get that amazing moment shot, you need to be in the right place, be ready to wait there a long time, and make sure your gear is set up right when the time comes.
 

Female paper nautilus, Anilao, Philippines
 

Blanket octopus, Anilao, Philippines
 

Juvenile seahorse, Anilao, Philippines
 

Male paper nautilus with jellyfish, Anilao, Philippines
 

Juvenile lionfish, Anilao, Philippines
 

Wonderpus octopus, Anilao, Philippines
 

Fish and shrimp hanging out, Ishigaki, Japan
 

Juvenile jellynose fish, Anilao, Philippines
 

Juvenile mantis shrimp, Anilao, Philippines
 

Whip coral shrimp, Anilao, Philippines
 

Kinder Cai
 

For more of Kinder’s fantastic pictures, check out his Instagram page, or see what he’s up to by following him on Facebook.