Underwater Photography

Caroline Istas 

Caroline is Belgian and graduated from the University of Brussels with a double Masters in History of Arts and Photography. She speaks French, Dutch, English & Indonesian.

On a photographic trip throughout Vietnam, she met and worked with Long Thanh, the internationally acclaimed black & white Vietnamese photographer. He introduced her to his friend Jeremy Stein, PADI Course Director and owner/founder of Rainbow Divers. This is where she learned to dive and started her love for underwater photography.

A couple of years later, she married Jeremy in Tokyo.

She soon became a PADI Divemaster and then took her IDC in Vietnam, passing her IE under the scrutiny of PADI Examiner Mike Holme.

Her choice of equipment is a Nikon D80 with Ikelite housing and twin Ikelite DS125 strobes. Choice of lenses include a Sigma 17-70 & 10-20, Nikon 60 & 105. This allows for most types of shot from macro to wide angle.

Favourite subjects to shoot include Nudis, Lionfish, Shrimps and Jawfish for the critters, and then Turtles, Mantas & Cuttlefish for the bigger stuff.

Most shoots have taken place throughout Vietnam, Malapascua, Sipadan and Sangalaki.

Caroline recently spent 18 months on Sangalaki to capture the beauty of the Mantas, Turtles & Cuttlefish. She probably has the most extensive library of marinelife around Sangalaki.

Due to the commonplace corruption in Indonesia, the venture on Sangalaki has now been cancelled.

Caroline & Jeremy spend their time now in Vietnam & Belgium.

You can see more of Caroline Istas' photography on her flickr page