7 minute read

Deep and Meaningful

Underwater specialist Nick Lavecchia on his celebration of the ocean and how his FUJIFILM GFX100S and its AquaTech housing is feeding his inspiration

From an early age, photographer Nick Lavecchia knew what thrilled him. It was bringing back a story from wherever he’d traveled and showing it to friends and family. The ability to take the hidden and make it seen – to spread knowledge and beauty. And there’s not much more hidden and beautiful than the world under the waves.

“As a professional, I’ve spent a long time photographing underwater subjects and surfing. And while I now make images in more of a fine art style, they’re still all about the ocean,” he explains. “A lot of that came from the pure wonder of the environment, but also working as a photographer for Vermont newspapers. Even when covering brands or stories about surfers, I’d always record everything about a trip. So, my style became more like travel or documentary photography, than pure sports. I’d make sure to capture our journey, the people and culture around us, and the details.”

John Dory fish underwater

Photo 2022 © Nick Lavecchia | FUJIFILM GFX100S camera and FUJINON GF63mmF2.8 R WR, 1/250 sec at F2.8, ISO 200

Nick also has a background in graphic design and feels that his layout skills still strongly influence compositional choices. This is obvious in his beautifully framed underwater and surface photos. “I definitely look at imagery in a way that’s informed by design. That means finding balance in the frame, or keeping in mind negative space type,” he says. “And, of course, the ocean has a lot of space!”

In Nick’s line of work, the freedom to compose and follow the story wherever it takes him requires a suitable underwater housing. Having used AquaTech housings for many years with his FUJIFILM X-T3 and X-T4 cameras, it was the release of the EDGE Pro Water Housing for FUJIFILM GFX100S which triggered his upgrade to a large format body.

It’s fair to say he hasn’t looked back since. “I certainly see the housing as an integral tool in telling the whole story. Combined with GFX100S, it puts me in a unique place, because having a 100-megapixel camera in the ocean is amazing.

“This EDGE housing means I can work at the waterline, but can also easily dive down to around 30ft,” Nick says. “In that way, it’s extremely versatile and well thought out. It’s also tooled so a photographer can enjoy as much function out of the camera as they need. You can get a stripped-down version, but also customize the back-plate to work with as many of the buttons as you want. The version I have has full control over everything in stills and video, manual control of exposure, autofocus, the lot! And part of the pleasure of working digitally, particularly with GFX100S, is that I don’t have to get the camera out of the housing, apart from to change lenses.”

Out of focus sunset

Photo 2022 © Nick Lavecchia | FUJIFILM GFX100S camera and FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR, 1/2200 sec at F4, ISO 100

Having such a powerful camera underwater has made a huge difference to not only the quality of Nick’s photography, but also how he works. “I’ve been making more fine art images, and GFX100S suits that perfectly,” he says. “I can create surfing images with it, but what I really want to do is make large prints of the environment and see the details and color as they’re supposed to be. Although I don’t do a lot of post processing, I just love Fujifilm’s RAW files – and the lenses are perfectly matched with the sensor. Having 100 megapixels to capture the ocean is like nothing I’d ever imagined.”

Child in the sea

Photo 2022 © Nick Lavecchia | FUJIFILM GFX100S camera and FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR, 1/850 sec at F4, ISO 100

The dynamic range of GFX100S’s sensor means Nick can work more easily between the bright surface and darker depths. “My underwater stuff tends to be in the middle of the day, when the sun is penetrating as far into the ocean as possible,” he explains. “But I also want to work on the surface both then, and when the sun is setting. As I create more with this system, I’m finding that there’s incredible latitude in what you can do.

Extremely out of focus sunset

Photo 2022 © Nick Lavecchia | FUJIFILM GFX100S camera and FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR, 1/3800 sec at F2, ISO 200

“You can see that in one of my favorite images, taken on the surface at sundown with FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR, wide open. There’s this focus on the sunlight as it’s reflected off lines in the water. Being able to zoom in on those details and really look at the pattern of what’s happening on the surface… I could never have achieved that with another camera that did not have this sensor size and quality.”

But it’s not just a case of having a fantastic camera in a great housing. Diving skills are instrumental in underwater work and knowing the ocean as well as your camera will get you better images. “On the surface, you’re treading water and moving with currents or dodging giant waves. Underwater, everything is in motion, too. Add to that composing through goggles and it can be difficult if you’re not comfortable when swimming.

Person diving swimming towards camera

Photo 2022 © Nick Lavecchia | FUJIFILM GFX100S camera and FUJINON GF23mmF4 R LM WR, 1/2200 sec at F5.6, ISO 400

“In fact, I have taught some small classes,” he continues. “The camera and housing don’t even come out of the studio until we’re all comfortable entering, and exiting, the water. We also spend time taking waves on the head or washing up on reefs.”

That outlook extends to the appreciation of his environment. “Whether it’s on land or the ocean, I like to spend time without the camera, just kind of watching and seeing what inspires me. If you’re always with your camera, there can be a pressure to make an image, rather than the real inspiration to do so,” he explains. “I’ll swim in different locations, find somewhere new in the world, feel the currents and power of the waves, then come back the next day if it’s stirred me.”

Underwater coral reefs

Photo 2022 © Nick Lavecchia | FUJIFILM GFX100S camera and FUJINON GF23mmF4 R LM WR, 1/680 sec at F7.1, ISO 400

That perspective ties into another of his favorite images with GFX100S and AquaTech EDGE housing. “I was swimming through the coral and there was a little blue fish in the center of two outcrops, with sun rays shining through behind. Even though I’ve worked in this world for so many years, it’s still such an escape from land life! It’s amazing to me that we live at this intersection of such a different place.

Camera and flippers on a beach towel

Photo 2022 © Nick Lavecchia | FUJIFILM GFX100S camera and FUJINON GF63mmF2.8 R WR, 1/125 sec at F5, ISO 160

“Then as quickly as that, I can swim and walk out to the beach and be in my own world. All this stuff that I was just experiencing is still happening. The fish are swimming, and the sun is lighting up the coral. But it’s only by looking at it through high-quality images like these, that I can educate and amaze other people. So, really, right from the off, it’s been the same thing that’s driving me. Bringing those images back to land, and back to people who might never see those sights themselves. It’s incredibly important from a conservation point of view, and GFX100S is helping me do it.”

Discover AquaTech’s comprehensive selection of Fujifilm housings today. Click here for more info!

Sun rays under the water with coral

Photo 2022 © Nick Lavecchia | FUJIFILM GFX100S camera and FUJINON GF23mmF4 R LM WR, 1/1900 sec at F4, ISO 200


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