Scuba Diving – September 2019

44 / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 SCUBADIVING.COM

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AWARDS:

2018

3rd place, Malta Interna-

tional Photo Award

What’s your most

unforgettable moment

underwater?

That massive great white

shark breach for sure. It

was so impressive and

happened so fast! I’m

sure you could’ve seen

a big smile on my face

despite the regulator

when I looked at the

result on the screen.

How would you describe

your photography style?

As a sports photographer,

I always look for a nice

action moment. I think

this ability helped me

to get that shot right.

I’m also a fan of strong

contrasts and backlit

shots, to create abstract

images and have

silhouettes.

What’s your favorite

underwater subject?

Sharks, definitely. I’ve

always been amazed by

them, even when I wasn’t

a diver.

What made you want

to get into the water?

The idea of going under-

water has always been

attractive. Until I got

down there, I just didn’t

know if I would feel good

or not! So I had to try, and

I’m glad I did. It’s such

a beautiful and relaxing

world. Being a photogra-

pher as a day job, after

a few dives, I just had to

bring my camera with me.

What's your advice for

those entering their first

photo contest?

Don’t hesitate to par-

ticipate in contests if you

feel you have a picture

that’s worth it. Everyone

has different tastes; the

most important thing is

your choice and what you

like about your picture,

so don’t be disappointed

if your image doesn’t get

chosen, as so many good

images could actually

win. Enjoy shooting and

keep trying!

1st Place Winner, Behavior

FLORENT GOODEN

AGE: 27 HOW LONG A SHOOTER: Professional in sports photography since 2012; shooting underwater

only since 2018 HOW LONG DIVING: Since 2017 FAVORITE UNDERWATER CAMERA: My Canon 1D X Mark

II; it’s a beast! It’s very fast, and I’m very comfortable with it as it’s my daily camera.

A great white shark off Guadalupe Island