Saturday, June 2, 2012

UWP: CAROL GRANT






















Carol Grant is an underwater photographer, living in Florida, who is captivated by life below the water’s surface - especially the intriguing Florida manatee! Her manatee photographs have won awards and been published widely in publications such as National Geographic Kid’s Magazine, Scuba Diving Magazine and the cover of the 2011 Nature Conservancy Calendar which was distributed to over a million households. Carol made sure she was an experienced diver with over 500 dives before she even took a point and shoot camera underwater. This enabled her to know what to photograph and to become familiar with various creature behaviors before she included a camera in her underwater kit. In 2006 Carol obtained her first DSLR, a Nikon D200 in a Subal housing, and was “hooked” with the camera’s quality and versatility. Now using a Nikon D300 she is still absolutely enthralled every time she submerges. In 2011 Carol successfully completed a year of treatment for breast cancer and was back in the water immediately upon receiving the go-ahead. She would like anyone facing challenges to know she believes there is always hope and a positive direction can be achieved despite seemingly huge obstacles.

 As an interviewer from the Nature Conservancy said: “The world beneath the water’s surface has given Carol a playground for her imagination, a source of adventure and inspiration and a place to draw strength and renew courage. She hopes her images can ‘inspire more awareness and caring about our underwater world by showcasing unique creatures and their behaviors.
‘People will rally to protect what they know and understand, and sometimes it is up to photographers to convey the essence of little-visited environments.’