It's the same story every time. It almost seems like a ritual. A fixed appointment which can not be abandoned. No longer a simple past-time, it is a consuming passion which drives you (but not without considerable sacrifice), to go underwater, immersed in silence and life. After the preoccupations of work, I plan the usual descent into the sea. A few telephone calls and I'm off.
The group of friends for the dive, one of the many in the ever-rewarding Sardinian sea, is ready. Now, everything planned, the first thing to do is to check that all the equipment is in perfect working order. Nothing must be neglected and left to chance. The photographic equipment must be carefully prepared and delicately maintained. Objectives, flashes, lamps, camera body, waterproof case, and so on. Lots of stuff, maybe too much, but not enough to dissuade me from diving into this wonderful world.
The place chosen for the dive is near Capo Ferrato in Muravera, on the south-east coast of Sardinia. Thanks to the indispensable inflatable dinghy we quickly reach the shoal of Cicale. A few more inevitable minutes of preparation and we are in the water. The coastal scenery is unique, wild. Rocks smoothed by wind and sea which sometimes assume Dantesque forms. The Cicale shoal is a particularly rich area for those who want to take underwater photographs. Enormous boulders rise from a depth of 42 metres to just one metre below the surface. Everything is surrounded by huge rocks which form a beautiful spectacle. There are sponges of various colours, sheepshank, yellow and red sea-fans, and beautiful elephant's ear sponges, with a multitude of little fishes all around. A perfect close-up. The time however passes relentlessly. In the sea, and particularly when underwater, you loose all sense of time. The film is finished and after having checked the manometer and other instruments, we decide to surface.
Once back in the boat, we speak about what we saw and the photos we took, with the enthusiasm of someone who sees these scenes for the first time. But it is time to go, and with heavy hearts we reach dry land to go back home to our families.
How many sacrifices we make just for one roll of film! But this is all part of the game. The tiredness is worth the result, as underwater photography is certainly educational, instructive and revealing because not only do you respect the environment, you learn about your subjects, and you can educate others about what lives quietly under the sea.
Even if the Frenchman, Louis Boutan is considered the first underwater photographer in history, it is worth remembering that the date of invention of marine photography is 1855, owing to the brilliant inventor Wilhelm Bauer, a corporal of the Bavarian cavalry. As inventor of a sub-marine, he tried to photograph his surroundings through the porthole. An Italian also tried in 1871: a certain Toselli, 80 metres deep in the Neapolitan sea. The results however were understandably poor until 1893, when the french Louis Boutan managed to build a waterproof case made of copper with three portholes, with a fixed focus camera used by the detectives of Scotland Yard, and 9 x 12 plates. The same Boutan was later in charge of developing the invention for a french optical company.