Black and White and Blue—Underwater Fine Art Photography

Today we present an encore episode of the B&H Photography Podcast and revisit our conversations with two incredible photographers, Christian Vizl and Hengki Koentjoro.  The timing is ideal as both photographers have new work to present -- Christian is debuting a new book, Silent Kingdom, with an introduction by Dr. Sylvia Earle, and Hengki is exhibiting work in Tokyo, Japan and at the Royal Albert Hall in England.

These two photographers from two distant parts of the globe, but both share a sense of a serene underwater world that they envision mostly in black-and-white. Perhaps, surprisingly, Hengki Koentjoro and Christian Vizl claim Ansel Adams as a prime influence on their work, and we talk with them about not only about their artistic influences but about their choice of gear, shooting styles, post-process techniques and safety concerns.

We start our episode with Hengki Koentjoro, who is based in Indonesia, and whose work on land and sea is simply stunning. His black-and-white compositions of sea creatures and the interplay between sun and water are more still life than wildlife, as they explore the textures, lines, and shapes found in the waters of his native archipelago. Koentjoro speaks with us about the simple set of tools with which he captures his images and his uncomplicated approach to exploring the waters he knows so well.

Christian Vizl brings a similar perspective to his relationship with the sea, although the creatures he normally photographs tend to be much bigger and faster-moving, and the waters he explores extend across the planet. A life-long diver, Vizl has recently received well-deserved attention for his black-and-white images of rays, sharks, and whales, including a 2017 Sony World Photography Award. His approach places experience before image and his respect for the sea and its animals is evident in all he does and says. 

We encourage you to visit our podcast landing page to see examples of the images created by these two supremely talented photographers.

Guests: Hengki Koentjoro and Christian Vizl

Photo © Christian Vizl