Full Frame: The Story Behind the Image

 

© Alexandre Voyer/Red Bull Illume

Close Encounter
Alexandre Voyer, a freediving photographer, specializes in documenting ocean creatures with the help of his Canon DSLR and some serious lung power.

“All the photos are made on a single breath of air—I don’t use oxygen tanks—with natural light,” Voyer says. “I am training almost every day to be in shape for when I meet these creatures. Taking photographs, practicing freediving, and studying the behavior of the animals all go hand in hand for me.”

Voyer captured this spectacular shot near Faial Island, which, while it is part of Portugal, is quite literally in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. “We were off the coast of Faial Island when we met two blue sharks in the open ocean. There we were, alone in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the water was dark and clear, and there was perhaps 2,000 meters below our fins; it was an incredible moment. You can see in this shot my girlfriend Marianne Aventurier facing a curious blue shark.”

The image, which was a finalist in the Red Bull Illume 2016 contest, was shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and a 16-35mm f/2.8 lens in an underwater housing at 15mm, ISO 640, f/7.1, 1/200 second.

You can see a larger version of the above image here and more of Voyer’s work at fisheyes.fr

X