Meet Underwater Photographer Alex Dawson
Alex DawsonRO-24 wreck off Latvia
Age: 43
Alex Dawson1st Place Winner, Wide-Angle: Alex Dawson
How long have you been a shooter: 25 years, 19 professionally
How long an underwater shooter: Same
How long diving: 25 years
Day job: Commercial photographer
Favorite underwater camera: Nikon — I love everything about them
Most unforgettable moment underwater with a camera: There are so many. One favorite is descending on the World War I steamer Aachen, a very deep (260-plus feet) and well-preserved wreck three hours from the closest shore in the Baltic Sea. It’s like diving in a fantastic museum that almost no one has visited.
Favorite place to be underwater with a camera, and why: Any place with good viz. I like big — think landscape photography underwater.
Next underwater photography trip: Next trip will be snorkeling in the Verzasca River in Switzerland; after that, joining a project in Croatia on a wreck named Rossarol, an Italian light scout cruiser sunk during WWI.
No. 1 bucket-list dive destination: Antarctica. I would love to dive where the ice is 30 feet thick — to drill a hole and dive under the ice where no one has been.
Underwater shooter you most admire: Zena Holloway has been an inspiration for many years for her skills in combining underwater and fashion.
Advice for shooters entering their first photo contest: Choose an image that makes a strong impact on first impression — don’t bother too much with the technical part.
