seawildearth is a professional wildlife and landscape media service based in Okinawa, Japan, owned and run by an Emmy Award winning wildlife cameraman.
Rather than portraying the sea as force alone, this moment reveals it as something expressive and atmospheric, capable of carrying light the way fabric carries wind.
The ocean becomes almost weightless beneath the swirling sky, and the entire frame carries the meditative quality of a remembered moment, where motion, light, and emotion merge into a single continuous breath.
Rather than demanding attention through detail, the image invites stillness, asking the viewer to feel, and contemplate, the rhythm of the sea rather than simply observing it.
A thought provoking shallow depth of field photograph of a setting sun from the island of Okinawa, Japan. Gentle ripples of the calm Ocean surface top off this dreamy scenario, perpetual bliss.
Inside the falling lip of a wave along the Sunabe Seawall. Even smaller waves like this can pack a punch if you're not careful. Hence the protective helmet whenever I set out to snag this kind of imagery.
When two bands of energy meet at opposing angles they can, at times, create unique little peaking waves that can collapse as eloquently as they rise. All in the blink of an eye.
A totally unique and aesthetically wild result of a backwash collision on an incoming wave. Shot in the very early morning hours on the west coast of the island allowed me to get sunrise colors on the final image.
A small rolling wave conveys a magical image of uncontrolled energy. The beauty of any wave is that it is, like a fingerprint, totally unique in its design and imprint. Just as nature intended.
An ocean swell morphs the liquid of an arriving energy band into something that looks like it's emerging from the depths, awakening. getting ready to unleash it's power onto the Okinawa coastline.
A marauding school of Convict Tangs patrol the coral gardens of the Tahitian island of Tahaa'a as they search for nesting sites of other fish to raid. Their numbers overpowering any retaliation from their victims.
The Ocean is not always that translucent layer of water above a stunning coral reef. At times it can be the gateway to something less than inviting, dark, sinister even. It all depends on your interpretation.
Nothing gets the squeals going than a chance encounter with one of the Ocean's most iconic of all wildlife species, the Sea Turtle. Okinawa abounds with nesting beaches favored by these ancient mariners.
A pack of black tip reef sharks greeted us as we stepped from our boat into the warm and welcoming waters of the Bora Bora Lagoon during our recent Tahiti vacation. Meeting nature, on her terms.
A stunning scene from the Kerama Islands of a vibrant coral reef sitting below a calm and transparent Ocean. Blue skies with white puffy clouds finish off this stunning view.
An eruption of motion, tones, and light in this motion panorama captivates the viewer. Shot around 30 minutes before sunrise on the east of the main island of Okinawa after a night of wild camping in the Yambaru region.
Slab waves abound in Okinawa when the swells become more significant. They tend to be squat, thick, and incredibly powerful. They always make for great photographic subjects too.
To be able to capture the full gamut of Ocean tones one also has to wait for days when the sun doesn't shine, day's when after significant rains the waters become green and turbid.
Using a slower-than-normal shutter speed when water impacts rocks or other immovable objects allows me to try and convey that incredible force using motion blur.
Under a blood-red sky as the sun sets in Okinawa. The sunset hues are not always this vivid, but when they are they stop most folks dead in their tracks.
A panorama of the horizon at sunset, when taken with a supremely wide-angle lens, will result in a somewhat bowed perspective. Depending on the sweep of the arm will determine just how severe that bow will become.
Toguchi beach in Yomitan is one of the favored beaches in the southern regions for photographers serving all genres. Whether it's for landscape, family or wedding shoots this is the perfect backdrop for all.
A wavelet arrives on a beach in the northern confines of the main island at sunset. Could it have originated in the neighboring island of Yoron or Amami Oshima? Could it be from further afield, yet from within national boundaries?
At the end of their journey, waves wash ashore amidst a riot of motion and turmoil. Their death throes, be they loud and violent or subdued whispers are all nonetheless aesthetically unique.
Intentional Camera Movement is an emerging genre within photography. It allows the artist to create artwork that appeals to their interpretation of the scene when absorbing the textures, colors, and motion before them.
A handheld pan using a longer shutter speed is normally associated for a genre of shooting called ICM or Intentional Camera Movement. In this case the ghosting waves drive the imagination and transport the viewer to their own time on the shores of Toguchi Beach.
As small waves near the end of their journey, I track them with a slower-than-normal shutter speed. This in turn renders them with a palette more associated with pastel hues. It also creates a riot of motion.
Depending on how it is accomplished, motion or speed blur allows the viewer to sit in awe of a segment of the Ocean as it comes to life before their very eyes. New textures, shadows and shadows convey the sense of movement as one simply watches.
Slab waves tend to be more prominent over very shallow reefs. They draw the water back across the reef to feed their impressive size. Getting caught out by a slab wave often translates as 'pain'.
Toward the end of the photographic session. With most surfers out of the water and the sun setting, I turned to see just dark cobalt blue off into the distance. It signalled the end of my swim for that day.
Bathed in the golden glow of a setting sun, the Kerama Islands dance on the horizon. When seen through a telephoto lens they adopt and almost levitating quality, adding to their mystique.
A detailed look at a wave. It may not be a big wave, but it is photogenic, full of character, and has incredible tones and color. I could sit and shoot these all day long.
Peeking behind the aquatic veil at the iconic location in Okinawa that is Cape Zampa. I cannot get into the water often to get this kind of image, and I don't suggest others follow my example.
Cape Zampa is by far one of, if not the, best location to watch and photograph monster waves as they crash ashore during times of big Ocean swell and more dangerously during typhoons that hit Okinawa through the Summer months.
The subdued evening hues in Northern Okinawa with a trace of the receding sun. A slow shutter panorama that enthuses the viewer to bask in the warmth of a tropical evening.
Using specific equipment and photographic techniques, one can see both sides of the Oceans surface in one image. This style of imaging is conducive to bespoke advertising and fine-art options.
Whether a rough, grey day or one of tranquility filled with the vibrant hues of a tropical sunset. This imaging style creates ponderous scenes in all settings.
Like fingerprints, these textures and swirls of motion are unique to every liquid passage. A moment in time captured, never to be repeated. This makes these moments so very unique and special.
These fantastic tones and textures are created when a wave starts to barrel toward shore when photographed and tracked using a slower-than-normal shutter speed. With enough practice, I've been able to track waves such as this throughout their trajectory to achieve a very particular aesthetic.
I tame the raging seas with a super long exposure, in this case 300sec or 5min. The waters become a silken carpet transporting a sunset of tropical hues.
