Big Animals

Name

Andrey Shpatak

Where are you from?

Russia.

How long have you been shooting photos?

Since 1998.

How long have you been diving?

Since 1977.

What is your highest certification level?

I became a PADI instructor in 2010 but am not active now.

Is photography your full-time job?

Underwater photography is my favorite hobby. I am retired.

Your favorite camera?

Nikon D800 (wide angle) and Nikon D500 (macro).

Have you won any awards?

I’ve won many photo contests both in Russia and around the world.

How did you get started in underwater photography?

Besides diving, I loved underwater hunting in freediving mode. But I got tired of this activity and decided to show those creatures that I saw alive filmed underwater.

Related Reading: ScubaLab Gear Reviews and Videos

What's your favorite place to shoot underwater?

Rudnaya Bay in the Sea of Japan and Anilao, Philippines.

What's your most unforgettable moment underwater?

Filming newly hatched Doflein's giant octopus larvae in the water. They had not yet shed the nutrient sac they feed on in the egg.

What inspires your photography?

Getting a good shot. I often realize that I have taken a really cool photo right after pressing the shutter button on the camera. And it is very exciting. It is worth living and shooting underwater for this.

What's your #1 bucket-list dive destination?

My native Rudnaya Bay. I have been diving here for many years, but I still can't help but be surprised by new discoveries. Several years ago I found and photographed two unknown nudibranchs in Rudnaya Bay. Now one of them bears my name Dendronotus shpataki, and the other—Eubranchus malahovi—the name of a professor from Moscow State University.

Related Reading: PADI Club Member Spotlight: Felipe Martins

What underwater photographer do you most admire and why?

I love looking at underwater photos, and I like many of the world's underwater photographers—Alex Mustard, Franco Banfi, Wayne Jones and others.

Is there an emerging photographer you would like to give recognition to?

Alex Magai and Vadim Legenkin.

What's your advice for underwater shooters entering their first photo contest?

Watch how other photographers shoot, understand what they do and take photos yourself. A lot.