@ricksammonphotography’s journey to becoming a #CanonExplorerOfLight: “When I’m asked about my specialty, I say, ‘My specialty is not specializing, because I like to do it all – landscape, travel, studio, street, and wildlife photography.
With that thought in mind, it may surprise some photographers that I started my photo career as an underwater photographer.
From 1980 to 2000, when I was president of CEDAM (Conservation, Education, Diving And Marine-Research) International, 95% of my photographs were taken beneath the waves, and these photographs appeared in five of my books, in dozens of magazine articles, and on several large posters.
My underwater photography and writing actually won me the NOGI Award, ‘The Underwater Oscar,’ which is a coveted award in the scuba diving community.
My world-wide travels introduced me to different culture around the planet. So, on my adventures, I started to photograph ‘strangers in strange lands.’
How exactly I became an Explorer of Light is an interesting story. Canon USA had noticed my topside and underwater work, and I had been in touch with the head of the program at the time, sending him some of my books.
Those efforts led to an invitation to host episodes of the ‘Canon Photo Safari’ television program in Belize, Thailand and the Galapagos, which were great fun!
One day, in 2003, my contact was at a doctor’s office on Long Island, New York. On the wall of the office was one of my posters, which my dad had given to the doctor. He saw the poster and thought, and later recounted to me, ‘Hey, I know that guy! I did not know he was famous.’ One week later, he invited me to his office, and then invited me into the Canon Explorer of Light program.
Today, I am still an A-Z photographer, using Canon mirrorless cameras exclusively. I try to keep improving and changing…because as the saying goes, ‘When you are through changing, you are through.’”
📸 #Canon EOS-1V in underwater housing with a dome port
Ciao, Nihon.