Hi everybody, I am Sam!
I am 17 years old and love the ocean. I became a certified scuba diver in Bali, Indonesia on my 10th birthday and since then I was hooked! In my first year of diving I worked on my buoyancy skills and strived to become a good diver, and a year later I started taking underwater photos. Of course, my parents’ camera setup was bigger than I was, but that did not stop me from taking it with me on all of my dives.
The thing I love most about diving is all the adventures that come with it. The feeling of being suspended in weightless space and the excitement of not knowing what you’re going to see next is like no other! Since I’ve been taking the camera with me, I’ve been enjoying scuba diving even more. I’ll never stop diving, it’s in my blood now!
For the last 7 years I have been so lucky to travel and dive in Indonesia, and I hope in the future that I can dive all over the world. I have learned all I know about underwater photography from my dad, who has been teaching underwater photo workshops in Bali and Sulawesi with our friends from the Underwater Tribe. I love our workshops as they give me the chance to meet and dive with like-minded people from all over the world, plus I get to learn a lot from all of the lectures! This year my photo of a clownfish with a parasite “A Mean Mouthful” was awarded as the winner of the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year in the 11-14 Category. It was such a honor!
With my underwater photos I hope to raise awareness for the ocean and the challenges it faces. I want to show what beauty lies beneath and how important it is for our survival. The world can’t operate without a healthy ocean and neither can we.
Every single one of us can make a difference in our daily lives, and that is why I will donate part of the proceeds from the sale of my underwater prints to ocean conservation efforts.
Join me, together we can make a difference!
