IlluminOcean
Stories from the sea
The World Beneath – The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs
Dr Richard Smith
”In the declining early evening light forty-five feet beneath the surface on a remote Indonesian coral reef, a tiny seahorse strangles another with its tail”
So begins a beautifully written immersion into the underwater world whereby Richard introduces readers to the marine environment he loves. With over 300 stunning images, Richard engages us in science wrapped carefully and gently in superb story-telling. Crime, passion, mystery, sci-fi and horror – it’s all there on the reef!
This exquisite one of a kind volume gives extraordinary insight, shows the striking colours of the sea creatures, and gives a rare up-close view of their world.
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UNDERWATER Australia
Darren Jew
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Underwater Australia is brimming with dazzlingly photography of sparkling coral reefs, diverse plant life and spectacular creatures both large and small.
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Darren's career photographing the planet’s wildlife and landscapes spans over 30 years and in that time he’s come face-to-face with Great White Sharks, hunted with Barracuda and captured some of the oceans more tricky to spot creatures like the well camouflaged stone fish. Whilst underwater photography is a difficult business – water clarity varies from day to day; the weather can turn rough; the gear is heavy and clumsy and any leak means expensive repairs – here Darren brings the majesty of the underworld sea to the surface. Darren shares his expertise, providing his top tips for those looking to get acquainted with underwater photography and, throughout the book, demonstrates his personal wonder of Australia’s oceans through these glorious images.
You can find Underwater Australia sold through several online stores.
Blackwater Creatures
A guide to Southeast Florida Blackwater Diving
Linda Ianniello & Susan Mears
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Blackwater diving is a skilled and highly specialised type of night diving in areas of deep ocean away from the shore. Photography in this realm is as hard as it can possibly be, due to the environmental, physical and technical photography constraints. Add to this, many creatures are almost entirely transparent and less than 2cm in size and hard to see, let alone photograph.
Blackwater Creatures authors and consummate blackwater photographers, Linda Ianniello and Susan Mears have compiled a magical image collection of South Florida’s zooplankton on their nightly migration in the deep sea. Originally produced for scuba divers and underwater photographers to assist in the understanding and identification of the ‘sci-fi-like’ subjects they encounter, this stunning book appeals to anyone curious about the underwater world.
You can find it here…blackwatercreatures.com
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Small Blue World
Little People. Big Adventures
Jason Isley
Underwater cameraman, photographer and behind the scenes documentary maker, Jason has created a coffee-table book so clever on many levels. Stunning and quirky, thought provoking and funny, Jason’s miniature model people deliver a playful look at big issues. Each page is brilliantly perceptive. The underwater images are beautifully shot and visually striking, and the witty British humour is spot on.
You can find Small Blue World sold through several online stores.
Wildlife Under the Waves
Jürgen Freund & Stella Chui-Freund
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Award-winning husband and wife team, Jürgen and Stella Freund have been documenting the rich biodiversity of the oceans for several decades. They have encountered hundreds of species; everything from the tiny pea-sized pygmy seahorses to 15m long humpback whales, from gentle dugongs to deadly saltwater crocodiles.
Divers, snorkelers and wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate the Freunds’ stunning photographs with their lively, informative captions. They offer an insight into a world rarely seen – a world with vibrantly coloured fish, nudibranchs, sponges and corals, perfectly camouflaged octopuses, poisonous sea snakes and magnificent whale sharks where fascinating behaviour and symbiotic relationships exist.
This book shows some of the highlights of their travels in the Coral Triangle, Australia, the Pacific and North America: in coral reefs, mangroves, the open ocean and temperate waters. There are mesmerising images of glimmering shoals, colourful, patterned reef fish and nudibranchs, awe-inspiring dives with whale sharks, giant manta rays, sea turtles and dwarf minke whales and close encounters with venomous box jellyfish and blue-ringed octopuses. Jürgen’s split-level photographs beautifully illustrate just how much is hidden under the waves, and this book gives us a glimpse of some of the best that the oceans have to offer.
You can find Wildlife under the Waves sold through several online stores.
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