Black-Tip-Reefshark_2016 Great-Hammerhead_2017 Great-White_2015 Lemon-Shark_2009 Tiger-Shark_2009 Whale-Shark_2016 Zebra-Shark_2009

I studied Marine Biology at the University of Ghent, Belgium and got Scuba certified in 1977. As a biology student, I organized expeditions to the Red Sea and got stranded in 1982 in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) for 6 months, lived in the dessert on pita and cheese and dove Ras Mohamed before the tourists came. I have been back many times.

After flooding a few Nikonos cameras I bought a second hand Canon Marine Capsule A and modified it to hold the Nikon N2020, an auto-focus SLR. I still like to tinker with and build or modify UW photo equipment to better fit my needs.

Today I use a 13mm Nikonos RS fisheye modified for Nikon D800 on an Aquatica housing. I am an all-round UW photographer with a preference for portrait and wide-angle. My favorite dive sites include the Red Sea and Irian Jaya. For cold water I prefer the colors of California and British Columbia.

Roeland PapenMy trophies include medals at international and local UW photo competitions:

  • Monterey Shootout 2017: 1st place Advanced Wide Angle unrestricted
  • Nelos (Belgium) UW festival: 1986, 1994, 1996, 1998 (1st place diaporama)
  • Monterey Nikonos Shootout: 1997, 2002, 2003 (1st place and best of “Wide Angle”)
  • Turks & Caicos World Open: 1998 (image on postcard and stamp)
  • NCUPS SEA: 2002, 2003 1st and 2nd place (the prestigious “Bob Commer” Award)
  • Bluewater Photo SoCal shootout: 2011, 2012 (1st place Portrait)
  • OCUPS: 2012, 2013 (3rd and 2nd place open category)