I met Mok and his beautiful wife, Lavinia, on a liveaboard in French Polynesia. I found it a profound pleasure to spend time with them both above and below the water line. It is always my goal to spend my days underwater with other accomplished photographers because we have similar goals and this trip certainly fulfilled my hopes and expectations. Mok is a photo enthusiast from Singapore with a special interest in underwater photography and marine life. He has been shooting under water for about 10 years. He has a PhD in business and runs an industrial electrical engineering company in South-East Asia and China. Mok is an accomplished individual and answered my questions with acuity, thus, I decided to feature him using his own words.
Q: How did you begin learning underwater photography and/or what made you persue underwater photography?
Mok: I used to be based in Australia, where I spent many years studying and working as an academic in Melbourne. When I returned to Singapore to work in the family business, I felt that my social circle was rather small. Hence, I picked up scuba diving with the intention to make new friends.
Taking pictures underwater was ancillary to my scuba diving adventures. Starting with a point-and-shoot camera inside a plastic housing, I took pictures to document what I saw and to share my experiences with family and friends. The weekend hobby took a more serious turn when I signed up with Michael Aw’s sardine run in 2011. I bought myself an entry-level DSLR because I felt a point-and-shoot camera was not befitting to an epic excursion such as the sardine run. I had the gear, but with zero experience in operating a DSLR. The proper photographers on the trip were kind enough to show me the ropes. The South Africa trip became the first of many. Progressively, my scuba diving destinations became more and more exotic, and my camera and lens grew comparatively in size.
Q: Do you have a location in the world where you prefer to go?
Mok: So far, I don’t think I have been to a dive destination more than twice for photography. I guess that’s because the places on my wish list is pretty long. Hence, I try to visit a different place each time I get to travel. If I was based in the Americas, Mexico would be a place I would frequent because I love large majestic marine animals.
Q: Do you prefer macro or wide-angle photography? Why?
Mok: From the onset, I decided to dedicate my development in wide-angle photography only. I know it is an unusual decision from someone based in Asia, where the best macro dive sites are just a few hours away by flight. At that time, I had less work and family commitments and I felt it was the best time to visit faraway places like Cocos, Bahamas, Socorro, Cuba for the marine megafauna. I eventually developed a knack for wide-angle photography and a palette for the adrenalin it brings.
Q: Have you won any awards you would like to mention?
Mok: There is one award that I hold very dear to me. In the 2013 edition of the Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year competition, I was award the Master of Competition Wyland Award. That was the overall grand prize that came with an exquisite bronze sculpture trophy by Wyland. I submitted a photo essay about shark diving from the perspective of a green horn. That award was probably the starting point for me to take underwater photography more seriously, because I felt for the first time that my images could delight and the stories they bring could inspire others. (editors note: Mok is being very modest. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards in underwater photography, including the Photographer of the Year 2020 in the Black and White category, 2020 Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year, Sony World Photography Award, Our World Underwater, 2019 Ocean Art Competition, and his work has appeared in Nat Geo online, Ocean Geographic, with a special feature of “OCG Emerging Pro Wildlife Photographer.” In 2018, Mok was named Singapore Nature Photographer of the Year)
Q: What camera setup do you use?
Mok: I am currently using a Canon 5D III, in a Nauticam housing. I swap between Inon Z240 and Seacam Seaflash 150D strobes. My go-to wide angle lens is the Caon 8-15mm fisheye with a x1.5 kenko extender.
Q: Do you have a favorite piece of equipment?
Mok: I don’t really have a particular favourite piece of equipment. I have been shooting with my Canon 5D mark III for many years in an old Nauticam housing. The housing is battered and has gone through an overhaul. While the latest camera systems are getting smaller and streamlined, I have no qualms with lugging my outdated camera system around. A lot of wonderful memories and images were made with this camera. I don’t think I can bear to give it up for an upgrade.
Q: What is something that made you a better underwater photographer?
Mok: My wife. She is the first person I show my finished work to, and the only person I consult if I should post something on social media. She also made me realize that accolades are probably not as important as having fun in my photography and my work probably became more creative with that mindset.
Q: What is the most challenging thing you have ever photographed?
Mok: I think it has to be the Sardine Run. The first time I went on the sardine run, I realized that I needed a whole lot of luck to get that picture. My trip did not start well as my teammates and I had all our belongings stolen in Durban, before our trip even started. The sardine run is about spending days at sea, often under unkind weather, waiting for a bait ball to form. Most days we returned to base sea-sick and empty-handed, but I just needed 1 good day out of 10 to make it all worthwhile. On my second sardine run, I came home with nothing to show. While I still have the stamina to chase after baitballs, I would love to do it one more time.
Q: Do you have a favorite photography technique?
Mok: I love shooting subjects against sunburst. One of the earliest photography advices given to me, was when you enter the water, look at where the sun is, and make sure it is behind you. The rebel in me did the exact opposite. Over time, I became in-tuned to observing how sun rays would look in my photos. On a good day when the visibility is unhindered and the sun is radiant with rays piercing, I would just point my camera at the sun hoping for a subject to swim by.
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to a new photographer, what would it be?
Mok: As there is an element of risk involved in underwater photography, perfect your scuba diving skills first before working on the camera techniques. Underwater photography can be a very frustrating journey so it is important to stay positive and keep learning. That winning shot will come eventually.
You can see more of Mok’s work on his website at www.mokwaihoe.com and he can be found on Instagram.com/mokwaihoe2001 and Facebook at www.facebook.com/whmok
If you would like to be featured as an under water photographer, please email waterdogphotography@gmail.com and request more info. We are looking forward to seeing some great work on this page!
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