Wednesday, July 25, 2012

UWP: MATT SHEPHERD






























Matt Shepherd sees the world more clearly under water.  Indeed it is where he is most at home, amongst the tiniest of life forms to the largest rays and sharks.  



Through photography he shares the art which already exists beneath the surface and brings it above sea level into tangible images that make the observer taste salt water.


For 3 years Matt has been diving with his camera, plunging into deeper realms and travelling further away to capture the most stunning scenery below.   His backyard is the east coast of Australia and much of his work consists of this land and sea scape.  Yet looking through his images one can travel alongside Matt to Japan, Indonesia, and Micronesia.


During a live-aboard contract on the Great Barrier Reef, Matt got amongst dozens of sharks with his camera and serenely, almost playfully, captured a feed which would yield some of his most memorable experiences and images, exemplifying his skills shooting underwater and proving remarkable for a self-taught photographer.


Not all his images contain living subjects however.  An ability he has mastered is discovering and documenting the absolute simplistic beauty that occurs as light transfers through water and the power of currents on the sea bed, creating mesmerising and timeless photographs. 


After taking shots which won him several awards, Matt was hooked on persevering for the next best image.  A carpenter by trade, his attention to detail is meticulous and it is this quality that sets him apart from other photographers.  This and the fact that he will relentlessly spend hours in a tumultuous ocean for one brilliant shot. 


On Terra Firma Matt also produces images of the highest quality.  He has an adeptness for shooting landscape and underwater with equally professional technique and creativity, rendering his work distinguishable in the field.  


Check out more from Aquaseen here http://aquaseen.com/