STORY BEHIND THE STILL
Petr Polách tells us more about his magical underwater shot in a Mexican caving system
ABOUT THE SHOT: Underwater photography is in many ways the definition of a niche genre. It is amazing how much of an adjustment is required when shooting in this unfamiliar medium. A special set of skills are required to work effectively in aquatic environments – both practical and technical. For this shot, Petr Polách needed to call on all his photographic expertise.
“This image was taken while diving in the cave system in Yucatán, Mexico, specifically in the flooded cave Dream Gate’s downstream section,” explains Petr. “Flooded caves are characterised by an unfavourable situation for a photographer – absolute darkness. The solution is to use external underwater flashes. For this photo, I used a total of five flashes – three external and two on the case.”
It was the alien nature of the setting that enthralled Petr and inspired his imagination, driving him to capture an image that accurately depicted the scene. “The world of flooded caves, in which the diver swims in a state of weightlessness among the beautiful stalactite decorations, completely captivated me and forced me to capture this beauty in photographs. I wanted to capture the size of the cave space, so in the foreground is a large stalactite, followed by a diver, and in the background a blue cave space with small stalactites. The colours in this cave made it possible to emphasise the space with complementary colours – orange and azure blue. I wanted to share this beauty with people who have no chance to visit this world.”