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Search for Atlantis Photo Contest
Judges
Tom Park
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Tom Park is a published underwater and adventure photographer.
Tom combines his background where he was raised by sharks with his passion for photography, creating breathtaking wildlife and landscape images above and below the water. Tom's clients stem from local-owned diving businesses in Hawaii and on the East Coast of Australia, to global corporations.
When Tom isn't talking about himself in third person, he loves to work with magazines, where his work has been published in a number of international adventure, travel, and underwater magazines. While he would love to call himself a professional underwater and landscape photographer, Tom would prefer that his images and videos did the talking.
Tom Park is a published underwater and adventure photographer.
Tom combines his background where he was raised by sharks with his passion for photography, creating breathtaking wildlife and landscape images above and below the water. Tom's clients stem from local-owned diving businesses in Hawaii and on the East Coast of Australia, to global corporations.
When Tom isn't talking about himself in third person, he loves to work with magazines, where his work has been published in a number of international adventure, travel, and underwater magazines. While he would love to call himself a professional underwater and landscape photographer, Tom would prefer that his images and videos did the talking.
Frank Lame
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Frank started diving in 1985. At that time dive equipment was pretty much still in development and most dive lights were homemade.
Technical failure of these lights due to leakage was quite common and lights were heavy as well as bulky, as big batteries were necessary to provide sufficient light for the dive. Since then Frank has made some 2.400 dives under all kind of conditions. From ice diving under subzero temperatures, heavy currents, fresh and salt water, wrecks and tropical reefs as well as under low visibility. He has been diving with the Great White, but also has a strong interest is tiny sea creatures like hairy shrimps and the various species of pygmy seahorses. He has been diving in 16 different countries and therein numerous different areas.
Frank is in his free time a Master Instructor and part of his dives are educational dives. He’s co-founder and board member of New Lake Divers (www.newlakedivers.nl) in Amsterdam.
When overseas, Frank always dives together with his video camera, capturing the marine life (www.youtube.com/user/franklame). A number of his videos have been broadcasted, among which by the BBC.
Frank started diving in 1985. At that time dive equipment was pretty much still in development and most dive lights were homemade.
Technical failure of these lights due to leakage was quite common and lights were heavy as well as bulky, as big batteries were necessary to provide sufficient light for the dive. Since then Frank has made some 2.400 dives under all kind of conditions. From ice diving under subzero temperatures, heavy currents, fresh and salt water, wrecks and tropical reefs as well as under low visibility. He has been diving with the Great White, but also has a strong interest is tiny sea creatures like hairy shrimps and the various species of pygmy seahorses. He has been diving in 16 different countries and therein numerous different areas.
Frank is in his free time a Master Instructor and part of his dives are educational dives. He’s co-founder and board member of New Lake Divers (www.newlakedivers.nl) in Amsterdam.
When overseas, Frank always dives together with his video camera, capturing the marine life (www.youtube.com/user/franklame). A number of his videos have been broadcasted, among which by the BBC.
Gerald Nowak
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Gerald is an Instructor Trainer at the dive association CMAS Germany (FST) and Instructor at SSI, a photo instructor for several associations, a Trimix and Rebreather diver, as well as a impassioned ice, wreck and cave diver. Whether tropical, temperate or cool waters, everything that promises exciting reports or great pictures awakens his interest.
He has a special commitment to threatened shark species. His favorite marine animal are the graceful hunters of the ocean: fox and blue sharks, but also the sublime tiger shark.
For the protection of the sea and the animals, he is active in several animal protection organizations and supports them with information and photo material, which he collects on his worldwide journeys.
Gerald is an Instructor Trainer at the dive association CMAS Germany (FST) and Instructor at SSI, a photo instructor for several associations, a Trimix and Rebreather diver, as well as a impassioned ice, wreck and cave diver. Whether tropical, temperate or cool waters, everything that promises exciting reports or great pictures awakens his interest.
He has a special commitment to threatened shark species. His favorite marine animal are the graceful hunters of the ocean: fox and blue sharks, but also the sublime tiger shark.
For the protection of the sea and the animals, he is active in several animal protection organizations and supports them with information and photo material, which he collects on his worldwide journeys.
Franco Tulli
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Franco Tulli was born in Turin, Italy, on August 2, 1962.
His childhood coincides with the years of early space travel and the wild race to conquer the moon. A great reader of science fiction novels, he grows up with the desire to become an astronaut so he can go to the moon and into space. He will not achieve this dream but will find in scuba diving a chance to visit the sea floor and the oceans. To be almost weightless, to breathe air or other mixtures from an external apparatus and to be able to admire bizarre and incredible creatures will make him feel as if he were a protagonist of those books he read in his youth and, in the end, to have at least partially realized that childhood dream. His studies in computer science, which would form the basis of his main work, were accompanied by specific studies in photography at the Lateran University in Rome, which would stimulate his passion for photography and in particular nature photography. After taking his first underwater certifications, in the 1990s he purchased his first underwater camera, the legendary Nikonos III, and began to show what his eyes, full of wonder, observed during dives made in Seas and Oceans all over the planet.
His main goal, from the very beginning, has been to make images that would excite and show to a possibly wider and wider audience the beauty of the marine world so as to entice people to explore it but at the same time love and respect it. This particular approach to underwater photography has led him, over the various years, to small and great personal satisfaction: from winning numerous international competitions to exhibiting photographs in such extraordinary places as the United Nations building in New York to having his shots published in such prestigious publications as Asian Diver, Asian Geographic, National Geographic USA, Unterwasser, Scuba Diving, Lonely Planet, Mare and many others.
His shots have received numerous awards through major international photography contests, including the World Shootout, Asian Geographic, Australian Geographic, Adex China VOO, Siena Awards, Scuba Diving Contest, Oasis Photo Contest, Ocean Geographic, Asferico, Cimasub, FestiSub, PAF Tachjov, World Water Day Photo Contest, Sublimage Festival, Deep Visions, Tokyo International Foto Awards, Galathea, Underwater Photo Marathon, MFPF and many other national ones.
Not content with just showing pictures, over the years he has collaborated with numerous magazines including the prestigious National Geographic and some industry ones such as Scubashooters and Scubazone.
He currently maintains a regular column in Huffington Post where he describes and illustrates the many wonders of our Oceans, but also the many issues related to coexisting with humankind. Since the transition from film to digital he has chosen to use Canon cameras, while as an underwater housing the choice, after many years of using the Italian Easydive of which he was also a Brand Ambassador, has recently fallen on Nauticam.
For many years, he has had the pleasure of being also the Brand Ambassador of Orcatorch, whose lights accompany him with great satisfaction on every dive and photo shoot.
Franco Tulli was born in Turin, Italy, on August 2, 1962.
His childhood coincides with the years of early space travel and the wild race to conquer the moon. A great reader of science fiction novels, he grows up with the desire to become an astronaut so he can go to the moon and into space. He will not achieve this dream but will find in scuba diving a chance to visit the sea floor and the oceans. To be almost weightless, to breathe air or other mixtures from an external apparatus and to be able to admire bizarre and incredible creatures will make him feel as if he were a protagonist of those books he read in his youth and, in the end, to have at least partially realized that childhood dream. His studies in computer science, which would form the basis of his main work, were accompanied by specific studies in photography at the Lateran University in Rome, which would stimulate his passion for photography and in particular nature photography. After taking his first underwater certifications, in the 1990s he purchased his first underwater camera, the legendary Nikonos III, and began to show what his eyes, full of wonder, observed during dives made in Seas and Oceans all over the planet.
His main goal, from the very beginning, has been to make images that would excite and show to a possibly wider and wider audience the beauty of the marine world so as to entice people to explore it but at the same time love and respect it. This particular approach to underwater photography has led him, over the various years, to small and great personal satisfaction: from winning numerous international competitions to exhibiting photographs in such extraordinary places as the United Nations building in New York to having his shots published in such prestigious publications as Asian Diver, Asian Geographic, National Geographic USA, Unterwasser, Scuba Diving, Lonely Planet, Mare and many others.
His shots have received numerous awards through major international photography contests, including the World Shootout, Asian Geographic, Australian Geographic, Adex China VOO, Siena Awards, Scuba Diving Contest, Oasis Photo Contest, Ocean Geographic, Asferico, Cimasub, FestiSub, PAF Tachjov, World Water Day Photo Contest, Sublimage Festival, Deep Visions, Tokyo International Foto Awards, Galathea, Underwater Photo Marathon, MFPF and many other national ones.
Not content with just showing pictures, over the years he has collaborated with numerous magazines including the prestigious National Geographic and some industry ones such as Scubashooters and Scubazone.
He currently maintains a regular column in Huffington Post where he describes and illustrates the many wonders of our Oceans, but also the many issues related to coexisting with humankind. Since the transition from film to digital he has chosen to use Canon cameras, while as an underwater housing the choice, after many years of using the Italian Easydive of which he was also a Brand Ambassador, has recently fallen on Nauticam.
For many years, he has had the pleasure of being also the Brand Ambassador of Orcatorch, whose lights accompany him with great satisfaction on every dive and photo shoot.
Troy Iloski
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Underwater Photographer, Scuba instructor, Shark Conservationist and Shark Expert. I love to travel and visit new places. I have been exploring
the underwater world for over 30 years. I love nature and photography. Published in many media and magazines around the word, from National
Geographic and Stern to many Scuba magazines.
Underwater Photographer, Scuba instructor, Shark Conservationist and Shark Expert. I love to travel and visit new places. I have been exploring
the underwater world for over 30 years. I love nature and photography. Published in many media and magazines around the word, from National
Geographic and Stern to many Scuba magazines.
Przemek Przystałka
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
I am an underwater photographer.
“Water and photography have always been present in my life, however, it was underwater photography that allowed me to discover what truly fascinates me.”
My specialty is wide-angle photography which enables the shooting of big underwater objects, both created by nature and man-made.
I am passionate about the usage of light to emphasize the beauty of wrecks, caves, and canyons. In my photos, great importance is given to divers, underwater models, who add to the dynamics of a frame and bring life to the composition.
I live in Poland where I run my company, while with traveling and photography of underwater world I try to show its beauty and to raise awareness of how much we should protect seas and oceans.
I am an underwater photographer.
“Water and photography have always been present in my life, however, it was underwater photography that allowed me to discover what truly fascinates me.”
My specialty is wide-angle photography which enables the shooting of big underwater objects, both created by nature and man-made.
I am passionate about the usage of light to emphasize the beauty of wrecks, caves, and canyons. In my photos, great importance is given to divers, underwater models, who add to the dynamics of a frame and bring life to the composition.
I live in Poland where I run my company, while with traveling and photography of underwater world I try to show its beauty and to raise awareness of how much we should protect seas and oceans.
Katherine Lu
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Katherine Lu is an American award-winning photographer currently residing in Singapore. She is an accomplished businesswoman and has been diving the world for over 20 years. Always seeking new challenges, Katherine picked up photography in 2013 and is completely self-taught. Living in Singapore and within easy reach of the rich coral triangle, she has developed a speciality in underwater macro photography, but also enjoys photographing reefscapes and large pelagic species such as sharks and whales when travel opportunities arise.
As an underwater photographer, she enjoys creating artistic interpretations of the beautiful marine creatures, bringing a voice to them in an effort to raise awareness and protect the ocean they live in.
Katherine Lu is an American award-winning photographer currently residing in Singapore. She is an accomplished businesswoman and has been diving the world for over 20 years. Always seeking new challenges, Katherine picked up photography in 2013 and is completely self-taught. Living in Singapore and within easy reach of the rich coral triangle, she has developed a speciality in underwater macro photography, but also enjoys photographing reefscapes and large pelagic species such as sharks and whales when travel opportunities arise.
As an underwater photographer, she enjoys creating artistic interpretations of the beautiful marine creatures, bringing a voice to them in an effort to raise awareness and protect the ocean they live in.
Gus Gonzalez
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Gus Gonzalez is a CCR Cave Diver, Trimix Diver, and Instructor based in Atlanta.
He is the co-host and producer of the popular DIVE TALK Podcast and YouTube channel, and the creator of the “CAVE DIVER REACTS” series.
As an instructor for IANTD and SSI, Gus is passionate about sharing his love for diving with his students, whether they are starting their journey as a brand new diver, or they are seasoned divers, and this passion spreads through his podcast and videos.
His favorite dives typically include a powerful DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) and a Cave, or a beautiful deep wreck filled with Lionfish as he’s an avid Lionfish Tracker and loves to help in the efforts to eradicate this invasive species from the Atlantic ocean.
Gus Gonzalez is a CCR Cave Diver, Trimix Diver, and Instructor based in Atlanta.
He is the co-host and producer of the popular DIVE TALK Podcast and YouTube channel, and the creator of the “CAVE DIVER REACTS” series.
As an instructor for IANTD and SSI, Gus is passionate about sharing his love for diving with his students, whether they are starting their journey as a brand new diver, or they are seasoned divers, and this passion spreads through his podcast and videos.
His favorite dives typically include a powerful DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) and a Cave, or a beautiful deep wreck filled with Lionfish as he’s an avid Lionfish Tracker and loves to help in the efforts to eradicate this invasive species from the Atlantic ocean.
WOODY ALPERN
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
SSI Instructor Trainer | Classified Diving Instructor | Platinum Pro 5000 Instructor | Basic Freediver Instructor | Tech Diving Instructor | IANTD Normoxic Closed Circuit Rebreather Instructor | certified CCR cave diver and certified CCR DPV cave diver | Founder of Dive Talk
Scuba diving has been an integral part of his life for as long as he can remember. For almost 45 years, he has been drawn to breathing underwater. The connection to the underwater world is so powerful and healing that even when he is away from it for 24 hours, he is craving his next dive. When he is diving in the ocean in particular (although cave diving has its own magical powers as well), he is often heard referring to its unbelievable powerful energy as Ocean Soul. He loves the connection to nothing but his breath and the marine life world around him.
SSI Instructor Trainer | Classified Diving Instructor | Platinum Pro 5000 Instructor | Basic Freediver Instructor | Tech Diving Instructor | IANTD Normoxic Closed Circuit Rebreather Instructor | certified CCR cave diver and certified CCR DPV cave diver | Founder of Dive Talk
Scuba diving has been an integral part of his life for as long as he can remember. For almost 45 years, he has been drawn to breathing underwater. The connection to the underwater world is so powerful and healing that even when he is away from it for 24 hours, he is craving his next dive. When he is diving in the ocean in particular (although cave diving has its own magical powers as well), he is often heard referring to its unbelievable powerful energy as Ocean Soul. He loves the connection to nothing but his breath and the marine life world around him.
Mike Young
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Mike is a member of the Advance Diver Magazine Exploration team as well as the US Deep Caving Team.
Recently Mike discovered a Mayan vase that dates back 1300 years while exploring and mapping cenotes (caves) in the Yucatan peninsula area. In 2010, Mike was on the J2 expedition, exploring a system in southern Mexico that is 1200 meters deep, and took 2 days of caving just to reach the water.
In 2011, Mike and the deep caving team mapped an underground river system in Puerto Rico that totaled over 23 kilometers in length, making it the world's longest underground river. Some of the area surveyed had never been seen by human eyes before.
Most recently Mike is leading an exploration team into Roaring River State park’s underwater cave system. They have now recorded dives to 472’ deep placing it as the deepest cave in the USA. (Using Orcatorch lights).
Mike is a member of the Advance Diver Magazine Exploration team as well as the US Deep Caving Team.
Recently Mike discovered a Mayan vase that dates back 1300 years while exploring and mapping cenotes (caves) in the Yucatan peninsula area. In 2010, Mike was on the J2 expedition, exploring a system in southern Mexico that is 1200 meters deep, and took 2 days of caving just to reach the water.
In 2011, Mike and the deep caving team mapped an underground river system in Puerto Rico that totaled over 23 kilometers in length, making it the world's longest underground river. Some of the area surveyed had never been seen by human eyes before.
Most recently Mike is leading an exploration team into Roaring River State park’s underwater cave system. They have now recorded dives to 472’ deep placing it as the deepest cave in the USA. (Using Orcatorch lights).
Karen Van Den Oever
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Karen van den Oever is a Cave and Trimix Diver and Instructor based in South Africa.
In March 2021, Karen set a new Woman’s World Record for the deepest Scuba dive with a depth of 236.04m, in Boesmansgat Cave in South Africa. In October 2022, she finished an incredible challenge with the OrcaTorch D630 canister dive light, descended to 246.65m on an open circuit in the same cave, and broke her record set in March 2021, adding more than 10 meters. This remarkable feat not only showcases her exceptional diving skills but also reflects her passion for exploration.
Learn more here - https://indepthmag.com/karen-van-den-oever-continues-to-push-depth-at-bushmansgat-her-new-record-246m/
Karen along with her husband (Francois) are owners and founders of "Somewhere Out There Diving". "Somewhere Out There Diving" was created for the purposes of out-of-the-ordinary, expedition, and exploration-type diving trips.
As one of the brand ambassadors of OrcaTorch, Karen is deeply passionate about technical and cave diving, and she enjoys teaching others, sharing her knowledge, and inspiring fellow divers to pursue their diving dreams.
Karen van den Oever is a Cave and Trimix Diver and Instructor based in South Africa.
In March 2021, Karen set a new Woman’s World Record for the deepest Scuba dive with a depth of 236.04m, in Boesmansgat Cave in South Africa. In October 2022, she finished an incredible challenge with the OrcaTorch D630 canister dive light, descended to 246.65m on an open circuit in the same cave, and broke her record set in March 2021, adding more than 10 meters. This remarkable feat not only showcases her exceptional diving skills but also reflects her passion for exploration.
Learn more here - https://indepthmag.com/karen-van-den-oever-continues-to-push-depth-at-bushmansgat-her-new-record-246m/
Karen along with her husband (Francois) are owners and founders of "Somewhere Out There Diving". "Somewhere Out There Diving" was created for the purposes of out-of-the-ordinary, expedition, and exploration-type diving trips.
As one of the brand ambassadors of OrcaTorch, Karen is deeply passionate about technical and cave diving, and she enjoys teaching others, sharing her knowledge, and inspiring fellow divers to pursue their diving dreams.
Peter Reid
OrcaTorch Brand Ambassador
Peter Reid has been diving for 25 years, progressing from PADI Open-Water to CMAS 3-star and eventually into tech diving. Over his dive history, he has been a recreational diver, culminating in working as a dive instructor for a few months in Thailand; a technical diver, which recently afforded him the honor of being the deep support diver (at 210m) for Karen van den Oever’s world record dive; and everything in between from compressor operator to zero-visibility diver and first-aid instructor.
Peter's passion is in tech diving, particularly deep and cave diving. The technical challenge of these types of dives excites him, and he loves planning and executing complex and challenging dives, ensuring the equipment, processes, and people are as safe as possible. He dives on a rebreather (DiveSoft Liberty) and finds the capability, range, and time that it enables free from the bonds of gas consumption and rule-of-thirds. He loves deep tech, but he also enjoys just diving with friends and being in the outdoors, which so often goes with diving.
Peter first dived with an OrcaTorch about six years ago, the D630, and has gradually replaced all of his lights with OrcaTorch products; not one to be shy of doubling up for redundancy, it is not unheard of for him to take seven or eight Orca lights on a dive.
Peter Reid has been diving for 25 years, progressing from PADI Open-Water to CMAS 3-star and eventually into tech diving. Over his dive history, he has been a recreational diver, culminating in working as a dive instructor for a few months in Thailand; a technical diver, which recently afforded him the honor of being the deep support diver (at 210m) for Karen van den Oever’s world record dive; and everything in between from compressor operator to zero-visibility diver and first-aid instructor.
Peter's passion is in tech diving, particularly deep and cave diving. The technical challenge of these types of dives excites him, and he loves planning and executing complex and challenging dives, ensuring the equipment, processes, and people are as safe as possible. He dives on a rebreather (DiveSoft Liberty) and finds the capability, range, and time that it enables free from the bonds of gas consumption and rule-of-thirds. He loves deep tech, but he also enjoys just diving with friends and being in the outdoors, which so often goes with diving.
Peter first dived with an OrcaTorch about six years ago, the D630, and has gradually replaced all of his lights with OrcaTorch products; not one to be shy of doubling up for redundancy, it is not unheard of for him to take seven or eight Orca lights on a dive.
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