Teams of colorful sea life surround the Hawaiian Islands, creating moments that would be mesmerizing – if we were able to encounter them. Most of us will never see these views with our own eyes, but happily the world has photographer artist Benja Iglesis, who has spent the majority of his life capturing the wonderful world of the underwater life and brought it back to land for us all to enjoy.
    
"Shooting underwater is about patience and timing," explains Iglesis. "You need to measure the light to see how much power you need, trigger the right time to get the fish or subject close enough and well lit, and did I mention that you also need to deal with currents, particles in the water, try not to hit the reef, and so on? The most important aspect of underwater photography is to move slow and study your subject."
    
Using a Nikon N90 and F5 film camera, as well as a Leica from 1941, Iglesis captures the rich colors of the reef sea life as well as the deep blues of the big blue. Iglesis also uses a digital Nikon D200 with an Aquatica Housing with Nikon flashes. "I need lots of light to make these kind of images underwater," notes the artist.
    
Born and raised in Santiago, Iglesis was introduced to photography as a young boy when a friend lent him a camera. A year later, he met legendary waterman Sebastian Nunez, who introduced Iglesis to scuba diving and a passion was born.
    
In the 17 years since that fateful encounter, Iglesis has explored 48 countries. His work has graced the covers and pages of numerous magazines, newspapers, books, and calendars around the world. His passion and appreciation for the ocean caused him to found Marea del Sur, a non-profit organization that seeks to help protect the planet’s oceans.
    
Today, Iglesis makes his home on the island of Maui and says he spends his time equally between the ocean and the mountains. "I had been in over 40 countries in the last 20 years," he notes. "But, if I have to chose between everything, then an encounter with whales underwater is a true life experience."
    
You can see more of Benja Iglesis work at www.benjaiglesis.com.