Interview with NGC Photographer and Cave Diver Viktor Lyagushkin (+BreathTaking Underwater Photos)

The following underwater cave photos, from to the “Orda Cave” project, were taken by the famous National Geographic photographer Viktor Lyagushkin.

The showcase also comes with an exclusive interview that is definitely worth reading, as it will carry you away in the depth of the Russian cave, will teach you about ambition and professionalism, team work and what it takes to take such shots – technically speaking. Let’s dive in!/

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Q: Hello hello and welcome to the PxlEyes community! Please tell us who is responsible for these amazing underwater cave shots. 

A:
The photographer : Victor Lyagushkin, 40, Russia, National Geographic photographer.
We lived in the cave for six months and did about 150 dives, we got shots of all 5km of its underwater passages.
All this time teams of cave divers from different Russian cities succeeded one another, posing as models and helping with strobes.
The core team, however, ran continuously. It was made up of photographer Victor Lyagushkin, and Bogdana Vashchenko, journalist and photo assistant.
We joined forces as PHOTOTEAM.PRO, the site of our team will be launched soon.

Q: What drove you into this not so common hobby and when did you start practicing it?

A:
Everything important in my life happens incidentally. For 17 years I’ve worked in magazines as designer, journalist and photographer.
I became professional photographer in 1998. It happened so, that our staff photographer was busy and editorial office had to send me as photographer.
It was the beginning. Just by chance, I began to dive, and then almost casually passed technical diving courses.
From the 2003 I hold in my hands underwater camera.

Q: The photos taken underwater are spectacular! What kind of gear do you use?

A:
Now I am official Nikon photographer, and my favorite camera is Nikon D3S. When we started Orda Project, I had only Nikon D200 and Fuji S5Pro.
The entire project had been shot on these two cameras. If you want to know about my lenses, first of all I have to explain that underwater photography has its special nature.
We have to use shorter focus lenses then on the shore; that is why I used Nikkor 10.5/2.8 for my underwater landscapes.

To have the possibility operate camera underwater I use Subal housing.
This is waterproof box with flash connectors and controls which allow access to all functions, for convenient and comfortable handling of the camera functions.

And light! There is complete darkness in a cave; no sun beam comes through the rocks over your head, so you need a lot of light.
I use underwater strobes, specially designed for UW-photographers – Ikelite DS160. Actually, I used up to 8 strobes simultaneously.
Probably, you may think, it is not big quantity, – just imagine that you cannot place them on tripods (because of silt on the floor).
So you have to operate them holding them in your hands.

 Q: Please give some ideas and a little piece of advice for the readers that share the same passion as yours.A:
If you want to be professional you have to work hard, never stop and think that now you are the best.
I prefer to study from photos by the greatest photographers; it gives me new inspiration.
Actually many of them have their master classes, so it would be good idea to visit them

.Source: http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2012/07/underwater-cave-photography