Opinion Leader

Samir Solakovic

Nationality: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Opinion Leader

Samir Solakovic

Nationality: Bosnia and Herzegovina

BIOGRAPHY

 

Samir Solakovic is a professional underwater photographer from Sarajevo as well as an architect, designer, painter and sculptor. He is also a scuba diving and underwater photography instructor with CMAS and a licensed Nitrox diver.

Since his early childhood, he has been in love with the sea, the underwater world and photography. His first photos were taken with single use cameras that were available at that time.

In his youth time, every year, he spent his entire summer vacation in Dubrovnik, Croatia, diving all day, and working as a portrait painter at night.

He has spent some time living and working in Pietrasanti, Italy, where he made sculptures in marble, and some time in Antwerp, Belgium, where he worked as a designer and architect, even becoming a Belgian citizen.

Samir is now a permanent resident of Sarajevo where he works as an architect, designer and photographer. He often combines underwater photography and fascinating underwater elements in his design.

He exhibits his works in numerous individual and collective exhibitions as an architect, photographer, sculptor and designer.

On his return to Sarajevo in 2008 he actively started scuba diving and underwater photography again.

Samir has participated in numerous national and international competitions where he has won many prizes, among which 6th place at the 2nd CMAS European Underwater Photography Championship (2016) in La Herradura, Spain, in the wide angle with model category.

Samir is a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national underwater photography team.

Since 2015 he has been a member of the National Geographic 'YourShot' community where he publishes his photos. He is also a Mares ambassador and works as a diving instructor as well as running courses and education on underwater photography.

He has participated in several research projects related to the protection of the sharks and rays of the Neum Aquatorium as an underwater photographer in collaboration with Sharklab Adria. He also participates in various expeditions for the preservation of waters, rivers, lakes and the sea, as well as the protection and preservation of cave heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Samir uses a Nikon D7000 camera in BS Kinetix underwater housing.

He also uses the Mares Flexa wetsuit, XR dry suit, Fusion regulator, Icon HD and Smart computers, Power Plana, X-Stream and Excel + fins, the Hybrid AT BCD and I3 mask.