Whale Photographer Shows the Beauty of the Gentle Underwater Giants

Wildlife photographer Mike Korostelev has been documenting whales since 2015 and his photos highlight the ethereal beauty of the massive sea creatures.

Korostelev, who is a former IT specialist, now works as an award-winning wildlife photographer. He started with orcas before moving on to film sperm whales in 2016. Korostelev tells PetaPixel he’s been photographing whales every year since.

To capture the moving images, he uses a Canon 5D Mark IV, with an 8-15 mm fisheye lens. That’s all kept in SeaCam housing, of course, to protect his gear while shooting underwater.

Korostelev was also named the Overall Winner for 2022’s GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The award-winning image, titled Hippo World , was taken using an underwater drone in a salt lake in South Africa.

“In nature photography, he wants to show how fragile nature is and how important it therefore is to protect her and not keep animals in captivity, especially not marine mammals,” a release announcing the winner at the time noted.

But Korostelev does more than simply photograph whales and other wildlife. In his words, he intersects with them, developing a connection.

“When you have contact with whale underwater, it is as […]

Full article: Whale Photographer Shows the Beauty of the Gentle Underwater Giants