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Nov 10, 2021 · Mark is famous for his incredible photographs which show what hides just been the surface in Scotland's seas (Image: Mark Kirkland) Though he admits it's not the easiest (or the warmest) to...
Mark Kirkland Underwater Photography. 884 likes. Mostly diving in Scotland. Usually green. Occasionally blue.
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Mark Kirkland demonstrates how to use a vintage Bell and Howell 2709 camera used in the silent era, designed in 1912. Mark is known for his work on The Simpsons, A Letter from Home and most recently, his short, The Moving Picture Co. 1914, which is up for Academy Consideration.
- What Came First – Diving Or Photography?
- What's in Your Underwater Photography Kitbag?
- Favourite Location For Diving and Underwater Photography?
- Most Challenging Dive (and why)?
- Who Are Your Diving Inspirations?
- What Advice Do You Wish You'd Had as A Novice Underwater Photographer?
- Hairiest Moment When Shooting Underwater?
- What Is Your Most Memorable Dive and Why?
Diving came first. I've always had a fascination with the sea, which I think stemmed from early childhood holidays around the UK coast, so it was logical I'd get into diving at some point. I've been diving for around nine years and been taking photos for the last five.
I use an Olympus OM-D EM5 MkII with a PT-EP13 underwater housing with flat port, and a four-inch precision mini-dome port. I've also got a large custom dome port which I'm hoping to get results from next summer. I use four lenses. The Panasonic 8mm fisheye is a surprisingly versatile all rounder due to its close focal distance, however, sometimes i...
The coast around Cape Wrath in the far North of Scotland is spectacular just for the sheer abundance of lifeand clarity of water. Visibility of 15-20 metres is common, and on one dive this year I could see the surface ripples from 34 metres down. It's an area that’s new to me and I now aim to go at least once a year. I also love Scotnish in Loch Sw...
My focus is always on photography. I tend to stay shallow to take advantage of natural light and ‘no deco' time so rarely do ‘challenging' dives. Wreck diving in the Firth of Clyde is as challenging as it gets as the light can disappear rapidly, visibility is hit or miss and the currents can really whip across the wrecks.
There are three photographers whose work I'm continually drawn to: Viktor Lyagushkin shoots in northern Russia and the sea life isn't dissimilar to that in the UK. His use of light is outstanding and he finds real beauty in the weirdness of life found in cold waters. Angel Fitor's location is at the other end of the spectrum – the Mediterranean. Hi...
Prepare for your subject. I spent the first few years chucking different lenses on without considering the likelihood of getting the right subject, what the natural light might be and how my camera should be set up.I'm much more meticulous in planning my photographs now and dive with a potential photoin mind. Learning is also continuous – until rec...
Last year's dive of the Tabarka in Scapa Flow felt like a close call. While it sits in just 15 metres of water, the tides can be extreme, so slack diving is essential. Unfortunately our timing was out and the tide turned just a few minutes into our dive. It proved almost impossible to navigate around the wreck and after getting separated from my bu...
Not a dive, but a trip to snorkel with Blue Sharks off the Cornish coast turned into something even more special when we came across “the boiling sea”. We jumped in the water to witness a bait ball of juvenile horse mackerel being decimated by bluefin tuna, dolphins and blue sharks with hundreds of seabirds plunging in from the top. I know I'll nev...
Feb 9, 2021 · Mark Kirkland was named British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021 for his inner-city wildlife vision “While You Sleep,” captured close to his home in Glasgow. Kirkland said the shot...
@Mark Kirkland/UPY2021. The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and Mark Kirkland, from Glasgow (Scotland), was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021 for his inner-city wildlife vision “While You Are Sleeping” taken close to his home, in early March 2020. “This small muddy pond is an ...
Dec 17, 2020 · But when it comes to Scotland, if you want to know what cold-water treats await, look no further than the stunning portfolio of our Photographer of the Week, Mark Kirkland. Since 2012, this Glaswegian shooter has been hopping in his car after work and on weekends and photographing the fascinating critters in the lochs a couple of hours’ drive ...
