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“Two Worlds: Above and Below the Sea,” published by Phaidon Press, marks David Doubilet’s 50th anniversary working as a photographer for National Geographic, and features his signature, “above and below” viewpoint. Phaidon Press
“Two Worlds: Above and Below the Sea,” published by Phaidon Press, marks David Doubilet’s 50th anniversary working as a photographer for National Geographic, and features his signature, “above and below” viewpoint. Phaidon Press
David Doubilet’s new book, “Two Worlds: Above and Below the Sea,” at 128 pages and with a footprint of 9¼-by-13-inches, features signature images drawn from his collection, spanning from Papua New Guinea to Grand Cayman Island, the icy waters of the Antarctic Ocean to the tropical Grand Barrier Reef.
The book, released in November, marks Mr. Doubilet’s 50th anniversary working as a National Geographic photographer. He has produced more than 70 stories for the magazine and several books and has received the Explorers Club’s prestigious Lowell Thomas Award and the Lennart Nilsson Award in Photography.
In “Two Worlds,” Mr. Doubilet unites life above and below the water’s surface.
The photographer, reached by phone earlier this month on the edge of St. John River in New Brunswick, Canada, was asked to comment on three randomly selected images in the book.
■ Page 28, “Stingray and Sailboat, North Sound, Grand Cayman Island, 1990.”
In the photo, a stingray glides through a stage of wave-raked sea, sand and clouds.
“This picture is one of my earlier half-and-half pictures,” Mr. Doubilet said. “Think of it this way: the water and the sky are the same temperature. Fishermen in Grand Cayman Island would clean their catches behind a little piece of reef where there was this white sand bar in the north sound. They would throw the scraps overboard and the rays would come and gobble those scraps.”
Now, 30 years later, the area is one of the most popular shallow dive sites in the world. Within minutes, divers are greeted by numerous Southern Stingrays, thanks to guides who provide sting ray food to guests.
“It’s a place where humans and sea life come together,” Mr. Doubilet said. “They (sting rays) are ambassadors to the ocean.”
As for the photo itself, Mr. Doubilet said, “It’s one of those moments that an underwater photographer hopes for. The breaking wave curved to mimic the sting ray’s wing.”
■ Page 50, “Grey Triggerfish, Saragasso Sea, Bermuda, 2013.”
In the photo, two triggerfish look up under a covering of sargassum, a type of floating algae. There’s also a piece of plastic debris, apparently the remains of some sort of crate.
“Underneath these rafts are a whole different world: a nursery for many species in the open ocean, a gathering place where fish can take refuge,” Mr. Doubilet said. “When you look up at it, it looks like a floating ceiling. When the sun goes through, it’s golden.”
Jennifer S. Hayes, Mr. Doubilet’s wife and storytelling partner, said triggerfish are nothing to take lightly.
“They find floating debris and claim it as theirs and will defend it with absolute vigor,” she said. “If you’re photographing them and get too close to their found item, they will charge your (camera) dome, or go after your ear. If you waggle a finger at them, there’s a good chance that digit is coming off. They also have an incredible sense of humor.”
■ Page 106, “Kawanishi H8K2, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, 1986.”
The Kawanishi H8K2 was a flying boat used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during World War II. In the photo, the boat lies in water just off the airfield. Above it on a raft, children are seen, with one underwater exploring the wreckage.
Mr. Doubilet said that the photo scene is one that doesn’t exist anymore. In 1994, the wreck was buried under layers of ash from the eruption of nearby Mount Tavurvur.
The 1986 photo, unlike most others in “Two Worlds: Above and Below the Sea,” was shot using film.
“The technology for making underwater pictures of course has improved light years with the advent of digital photography,” Mr. Doubilet said. “We have wider angle lenses, and two, the digital capture is much more inclusive of all sorts of light, from over-exposure to under-exposure. And number three, we can see exactly what we shoot.”
CLAYTON — The June 2022 issue of National Geographic includes a feature by Clayton residents and renowned underwater photographers and storyte…
Multiple award-winning writer of life in the north country
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