Description
LOCATION: Papua New Guinea
* Ancient Wharf won 1st place in the prestigious Environmental Photographer of the Year competition, and was displayed in museums throughout Europe.
* A variant of this image – nearly exactly the same but with a model silhouetted above – also won 1st place in the Scuba Diving Magazine International Photo Competition.
STORY: I dislike answering the question of what’s your favorite dive spot?, simply because its so subjective. It’s like asking what’s the best vehicle? You might need a minivan to haul 4 kids, but I like my stupid-fast electric motorcycle by Zero. But if I reeeeeeally have to answer the question, my answer is such an obscure and inaccessible spot that it just leaves people wondering why they asked. That place is called Samarai (yes, I spelled that correctly) Wharf in Papua New Guinea. I’ve spent somewhere in the range of 80-100 hours underwater under that dilapidated wharf, marveling at the massive school of sardines, the batfish, the wobbegong sharks, and all the crazy tiny creatures in the muck of the seafloor. Most of the horizontal deck has long-since crumbled into the sea, but the vertical pilings provide shelter to the schooling sardines and the amazing wealth of freakish creatures below. Of paramount importance in creating this image was a long breath hold. Any exhalation would have altered their pattern and ruined the composition.
For complimentary color and feel, check out Squadron, which has a school of mobula rays in a similar composition, and Bloom, with similar subject matter and color tones.
For printing, Ancient Wharf is best left in it’s native ratio of 3:2, but it also rotatable into a horizontal orientation. It is available in large art sizes up to a maximum of 120″ tall. You can purchase this luxury wall art online in our standard sizes, but if you’d like to discuss a custom crop or size, please contact one of our design consultants at the art gallery.