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Photo by Benjamin Von Wong
Photographer Benjamin Von Wong has released photos and a video from his new Shark Shepherd photo shoot, which features a model in a white dress in the sea as sharks swim nearby. The shoot took place in Fiji and aims to expose a less-often seen side of sharks as peaceful creatures. ‘I wanted to create a series of images that would help break those stereotypes and show that it is possible for us to co-exist together in perfect harmony,’ said Von Wong in a post on his blog.
In his PIX 2015 talk, Benjamin Von Wong discusses his journey from taking what he describes as ‘ordinary’ photos to creating ‘extraordinary’ imagery. Throughout his career, he’s made a name for his surreal images that blend practical elements, fantastic locations and post-processing. For Shark Shepherd, nothing has been added in post-processing – the photo shoot features model Amber Bourke, a champion free diver, with assistance provided by divers Steve Hathaway and Kris McBride. According to Von Wong, the shoot took place over three days with more than six hours of waiting for curious white tipped reef sharks to swim up close. The sharks were described as being like ‘squirrels at a park,’ getting close out of curiosity but darting away quickly when someone moved.
Benjamin Von Wong profile, part 1: Engineering a Dream
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)