Opinion Leader

Wolfgang Pölzer

Nationality: Austria
Website: www.underwater-photos.net

Opinion Leader

Wolfgang Pölzer

Nationality: Austria
Website: www.underwater-photos.net

BIOGRAPHY

 

Wolfgang Poelzer is a full time photojournalist, professional underwater photographer and Marine Biologist.

Since his childhood he has been fascinated from the element of water. Even being a small boy, there was no Sunday afternoon family trip where he did not put his hands – or more – into any pond or small streamlet on the road.

At the age of 10, he discovered his Austrian Lakes with mask and snorkel. Getting crazy reading all books from Jacques Cousteau and Hans Hass, he was soon convinced to study Marine Biology.

So right after finishing high school he started studying Biology in Salzburg. During the first holydays he made a trip to Egypt where he did his open water course in the Red Sea in February of 1989. He was so fascinated that he suddenly became member of a diving club back home in Austria. During the next few years he improved his scuba skills and in the same year he got his Master degree in Marine Biology, he also became CMAS Instructor and some years later Trimix diver.

In 1992 he got his first own underwater camera and was suddenly infected with the “virus” of underwater photography.

In 1994 he took part in his first competition of underwater photography and promptly was winning first and second prize. Fascinated, he was continuing taking part in many photo competitions till the year of 2002. Among a lot of international prizes, there are specially worthy of note: The gold medals on the CMAS-World Championship Of Underwater Photography in 1998 (category "macro" and in 2002 (category "wide angle"). And also the gold medal on the Antibes Festival in 2000 (category "black & white"). Since he is working as a professional photographer and full time photojournalist, he stopped taking part in any photo competition.

Since many years he is mainly working for the German diving magazine TAUCHEN, but also for quite a lot international stock photo agencies and occasionally other magazines. He is not specialized and limited to a single topic of underwater photography – he likes it all – from tropical muck-diving to freezing cold ice-diving, from spawning mandarin fish till mating dolphins.

When he is not travelling, you can frequently find him sitting apnea at the floor of Austrian indoor pools, taking photos of babies, children and sometimes even mermaids. Just celebrating his 20th anniversary, he was probably the first in Austria taking professional pictures of babies under water.

After some days sitting in his office, Wolfgang has to go back to the sea or at least some lake or pool! For him water is life – just add water!

Wolfgang uses Mares’ X-Stream fins, Abyss 52 regulator, Dragon AT BCD, Matrix and Icon HD computers and the Pro Fit drysuit.

He also uses a Nikon D800 camera.