Articles

Sweetlips of Sawandarek, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

Originally from Argentina, our latest Photographer of the Week Nicolas Hahn is a dive instructor, freediver and technical diver. He has a passion for the marine environment and travels all over the world to take underwater photos of coral reefs, tropical fish and macro critters.

Recently, Nicolas started to enter photography competitions with some success, and his shot titled “Sweetlips of Sawandarek” was highly commended in the “Up and Coming” category of the 2021 Underwater Photographer of the Year contest. The image utilizes a slow shutter speed to accentuate the movement of the fish, which helps to create a more interesting image and elevate it above a standard photograph of the same scene to become a competition winner. He has also used the same technique on macro subjects such as juvenile sweetlips and anemonefish to create other artistic images with great results.

Besides experimenting with his camera equipment, Nicolas also likes to combine photography with close circuit rebreathers and trimix diving in Indonesia. Being able to visit depths beyond the reach of most divers gives him an opportunity to explore and capture unique images of areas less commonly documented, and help contribute to scientific research of mesophotic reefs and their inhabitants.

As you can see, the wide-angle images from these deep dives feature dark blue water backgrounds and divers carrying multiple cylinders and other specialized equipment, and contrast nicely with his shots from more shallow habitats. Overall, Nicolas presents a portfolio demonstrating technical ability in both scuba diving and underwater photography, and it seems certain that as he continues to explore and experiment with his camera, we will see more of his work being published in the future.
 

Weedy seadragon, Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania, Australia
 

Juvenile spotted sweetlips, Gili Islands, Indonesia
 

Diver surveying a coral reef well below recreational depths, Indonesia
 

Tasseled wobbegong shark, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

Whip coral rises from the dark depths below, Indonesia
 

Slender grouper surrounded by glassfish in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

Nudibranch laying eggs in Mentigi Bay, Lombok, Indonesia
 

Shallow coral reef in the sunlight, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

Clark’s anemonefish shot with slow shutter speed, Gili Islands, Indonesia
 

Barramundi cod under the jetty in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

Gorgonian sea fans in the mesophotic zone, Gili Islands, Indonesia
 

To see more of Nicolas’ images from the depths of Indonesia and beyond, check out his awesome Instagram page.