‘Cephalotography’ Of The Week: Carlo Cogliati
Howdy Nation! In today’s post, we are going to be featuring some of our favorite cephalotography by underwater diver: Carlo Cogliati. Carlo is a marine biologist and owner of the iDive Diving Center out in the Red Sea. Besides training underwater divers, he is very passionate about photographing sea creatures, specifically cephalopods!
Meet Carlo Cogliati!
With a passion for underwater photography and marine biology, Carlo has dedicated a huge part of his life to the sea. His passion and dedication are aimed at spreading the love for the sea to all those who dive with him.
He lives in the Red Sea, where he manages the iDive Diving Center, but also dives in many other countries!
How long have you been an underwater photographer?
“I have been photographing the underwater world for about 25 years.”
Where do you mainly dive and take underwater photos? How often do you go?
“I am lucky enough to dive almost every day mainly in the Red Sea in the wonderful Makadi Bay but also in Zanzibar and the Philippines.”
Are you known for having certain types of style when it comes to your photos? How do you capture the creature that is in front of the camera just the way you want?
“I try to take photographs as natural as possible without upsetting or disrupting the octopuses.
I perosnally love macro photography! It gives me the opportunity to be able to show all the details that would otherwise escape the human eye.
Ambient photography allows me to capture the best that light gives us in a truly wonderful sea like the Red Sea.”
What do you like most about being an underwater photographer?
“I like being able to stop/capture the moment and be able to let other people experience it as if they had been diving with me all along.”
Who (or what) are your biggest influences?
“The love for marine biology and nature influences me every day, always looking for something more. There are also many underwater photographers who, thanks to their work, allow me to be inspired to do better and better!”
Have you received any awards or recognition?
“I received an award as a diving center in terms of underwater photography and customer services.
I don’t participate much in photo contests. I did it in the past and some magazines have published some of my photos! Many still ask for them but I prefer to do the great work at my diving center in Makadi Bay where I can exhibit my photos and explain octopus’s emotions directly.”
Do you have a favorite species you like to take pictures of?
“I love octopuses and nudibranchs but I am also fascinated daily by encounters that may seem trivial to many. Underwater…nothing is trivial!”
How do you know where to find an octopus or cephalopod to take pictures of?
“Our housereef is really crazy and I am lucky enough to be able to often photograph the Octopus cyanea (or what we call the Day Octopus!). Squid and cuttlefish also inhabit our bay and we observe them often.”
What draws you in or fascinates you the most about cephalopods? When did this start for you?
“Everything about cephalopods have always fascinated me. Their intelligence, their complexity and uniqueness have always intrigued me.”
What’s your most memorable underwater photoshoot?
“One of the most beautiful photos is that of two octopuses that drag each other arm to arm during the mating period. I actually love the video of that moment very much!
I also have many macro photos of really interesting nudibranchs.”
What’s the best place for people to discover your work (website, social media)?
“Keep up with me and my diving adventures on my Instagram page!”
Thank You For Joining Us For Cephalotography!
First, we want to give a big thank you to Carlo Cogliati for allowing us to showcase this octopus photography on OctoNation. To continue supporting Carlo and his underwater diving adventures, make sure to follow them on Instagram @idivemakadibay and on Facebook. If you have any interest in commissioning a piece from them, make sure to fill out the contact form on his website!
If you want to educate yourself some more about all sorts of different cephalopods, take a look at our encyclopedia. Or, what we call it, our Octopedia!
Connect with other octopus lovers via the OctoNation Facebook group, OctopusFanClub.com! Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with the conservation, education, and ongoing research of cephalopods.
More Posts To Read:
- ‘Artist Spotlight’ Of The Week: Victor Grasso
- ‘Artist Spotlight’ Of The Week: Laurel “Yoyo” Scheel
- ‘Artist Spotlight’ Of The Week: Carley Pettitt
- ‘Artist Spotlight’ Of The Week: Sahasa
- ‘Artist Spotlight’ Of The Week: Abbas Husain (Bagman Studios)
Vee is the blog manager here at OctoNation. Her love and knowledge for all things cephalopods has grown immensely since joining the OctoNation team- and continues to grow daily!
Vee uses her skills of writing, editing, and brainstorming to help create fun, yet educational posts about cephalopods- Something everyone can read and enjoy! As someone who spent the better part of her childhood near the ocean in Miami, Florida, she grew up learning to appreciate all sea life. Her love for the sea inspired her to do something daring- she dyed her hair blue!
