Name: Martin Broen
Picture title: Blue Cave Crab
Category: Underwater
Nationality: Originally from Argentina, currently American
Occupation: I’m a full time Design and Innovation leader, with the hobby of underwater photography
Technical information
Camera: Sony a7RIII
Lens: Canon 8-15mm f/4L
EXIF: 1/30sec at f/8.0 ISO3200
Accessories: Nauticam underwater housing, BigBlue 15000lumen Video Light
RUNNER-UP CATEGORY UNDERWATER
Martin Broen | Blue Cave Crab
Name: Martin Broen
Picture title: Blue Cave Crab
Category: Underwater
Nationality: Originally from Argentina, currently American
Occupation: I’m a full time Design and Innovation leader, with the hobby of underwater photography
Technical information
Camera: Sony a7RIII
Lens: Canon 8-15mm f/4L
EXIF: 1/30sec at f/8.0 ISO3200
Accessories: Nauticam underwater housing, BigBlue 15000lumen Video Light
Martin Broen says:
In the last couple of years, I have been fortunate to photograph over 200 different cenotes of the Riviera Maya in Mexico, capturing their surreal environments and the unexpected diversity of its caves. Looking for unique photographic opportunities of light and textures in the transition area between cave and cenote or light and darkness. During a traverse cave dive connecting seven different cenotes, we passed by this strange figure of a blue cave crab standing on a rock while fishing in the cave current, perfectly define against the background. This menacing silhouette looked like a Samurai with shiny blue armor, perfectly centered by the natural vignetting offered by the light fall-off of the cave, standing against the mangrove texture and green light of the sun passing through the tannic acid present on the surface. I got as close as possible to the subject to make him the hero of the scene and balance the elements of a perfect representation of the mangrove ecosystem
About Martin Broen:
Argentina/ USA
Despite diving for almost 30 years I’m quite new to photography. Which is allowing me to have meaningful interactions and close encounters in nature. As I started photographing within the dark flooded caves, I lean into the use of natural light or off-camera lights and super-wide angle lenses, playing with the scene in a theatrical way with the use of light and even more with the negative space. I enjoy the process of learning a new photographing technique or the need to craft special gear to capture a photo. From shooting big mammals, shipwrecks, or big groups of animals, to super macro or underwater landscapes, to infrared or deep-space narrowband, or even photogrammetry of extinct megafauna. Every opportunity is great to get fascinated by the beauty of nature.