About Shane Wasik Photography
Spending over 60 days of my life underwater in the last 16 years I have loved the ocean since I was a wee boy growing up in Scotland.
Gaining an honours degree in Marine Biology put knowledge behind the passion and has taken me all over the world.
The main focus of my imagery is in the underwater realm, with travel photography and photo journalism also being firmly in my portfolio. I love a challenge and shooting underwater is one of the biggest when actually getting to the right place is a feat in itself!
My images have featured in broad spectrum media worldwide such as websites, magazines, books, billboards or TV. Clients have ranged from tourism promotion authorities to local hockey clubs. My current equipment equipment include proffessional Nikon cameras, Aquatica housings with Sea&Sea and Light & Motion light sources.
I am based between both Scotland and New Zealand, and available for assignments both in these locations and worldwide. I am very accomodating so happy to discuss schedules and travel.
I have been a commercially trained diver since 2001 and hold current diving clearances and medicals for work in both the UK and NZ. I run commercial diving operations in both locations and these are generally based inshore on inspections, shallow water work and imagery and video work.
My choice of diving equipment includes the bubbleless closed-circuit rebreather, and in particular the AP Diving - Inspiration Vision. This assists photography by prolonging diving time and producing less disturbing conditions for marine life - a perfect combination. This equipment enables efficient use of mixed gases and exploration and discovery of deep shipwrecks far offshore. I have been part of teams that discovered wrecks off the coast of east Scotland including the Boyne Castle, Exmouth, Burnstone and St Briac.
I cut my teeth on wreck diving as a young diver in Scotland and as such I have a great passion for them. My grounding in wreck diving and researching their connection to Scottish history has led to many dives and projects. The latest being the S.S. Taupo, a Denny Bros built ship, that served as part of the Union Steamship Co of NZ and sunk in 1881 in the Bay of Plenty. I have been working on a documentary of the ship and her wrecking along with leading a biological and archeological survey to coincide with the 130th anniversary of her sinking. See the links below for more information.
http://www.shanewasik.com/#/sstaupo-project/4566112867
Amongst the other diving I also run Basking Shark Scotland (www.baskingsharkscotland.co.uk). We run Basking Shark snorkelling and watching trips to one of the (if not THE) best place in the world to see these sharks! Our best day in 2013 was 31 sharks and we had a 75% sucess rate! Lots of snorkelling, diving and exploration in our multi-day trips too, along with specific trips fo underwater photographers. See the link for more details.
Media Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DPw47uuIHM
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/wednesday-october-12-4462205/video