George Karbus

Wildlife

I want to show that nature is here for us. I believe in order to save our world, we must love it – that’s what I want to inspire in people.

About the Special Project

Nikon Ambassador, George Karbus, shares a glimpse of what life is like below the surface of our vast oceans, travelling the globe and capturing the unique beauty of the underwater world and its remarkable species.



Q: Where did your photography journey begin? What inspired you to photograph underwater sealife?

When I was little, my father taught me how to snorkel in the black sea and I always spent a lot of time freediving in Mallorca. I later moved to the west coast of Ireland, and everything came together. I found this incredible solitary bottlenose dolphin off the coast, and using my Nikon D70 and D200, spent time photographing it and its movements..

An extraordinary moment with a wild bottlenose dolphin in the Atlantic Ocean.
Nikon D850 | 1/250 sec | f/8 15mm | ISO 220 | AF-S FISHEYE NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED



Wild solitary dolphin in shallows.
Nikon D850 | 1/250 sec | f/4.5 15mm | ISO 1100 | AF-S FISHEYE NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED

I gradually learnt how to read the body language of sea mammals, and how to behave around them with respect and care. This genuinely gave me a new perspective on how I saw the world and what I wanted to photograph. I managed to develop the skills, content and inspiration to photograph ocean wildlife all over the world.

Playing the classic game of hide and seek.

Nikon D850 | 1/250 sec | f/6.3 15mm | ISO 1800 | AF-S FISHEYE NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED

Large male orca going through bubbles created by his own pod during the hunt 

Nikon D5 | 1/250 sec | f/4.5 16mm | ISO 2800 | AF FISHEYE NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8D



Q: What challenges do you face when shooting animals underwater?

I mainly work with large and fast mammals such as whales and dolphins, so being prepared to move quickly is the biggest challenge.

Orcas working on a huge baitball of herring in the Norwegian Arctic.
Nikon D5 | 1/200 sec | f/4.5 16mm | ISO 2500 | AF-S NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8D

Orca penetrating big ball of herring from below
Nikon D5 | 1/250 sec | f/4.5 16mm | ISO 11400 | AF FISHEYE NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8D

I have to react to any given situation immediately, and instantly adjust my position to get a great angle and composition – all while making sure I’m completely considerate of the creatures I’m photographing.

Orcas attacking baitball of herring.
Nikon D5  | 1/250 sec  |f/2.83 16mm | ISO 10000  | AF-S NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8D

Humpback whales catching a breath in the Norwegian Arctic.
Nikon Z 7 | 1/2500 sec | f/6.3 200mm | ISO 500 | AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR

For the kind of photography I shoot, it is also crucial to be extremely fit physically and to have a profound knowledge of the animals’ body language. I gained this through almost two decades of swimming off the west coast of Ireland alongside a solitary bottlenose dolphin.

Freediving training in cold Irish waters.
Nikon D850 | 1/250 sec | f/8 15mm | ISO 250 | AF-S FISHEYE NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED

Humpback whale before it goes to deep fjord to hunt shoals of herring.
Nikon Z 7 | 1/2500 sec | f/6.3 200mm | ISO 500 | AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR



Q: When freediving with ocean wildlife, how do you ensure you do not disturb these animals in their natural environment?

I had the best teachers! Fifteen years of freediving and thousands of hours in the water, respecting sea creatures as I’ve learnt to swim alongside them.
These experiences taught me how to dive down without any effort and glide through the water. I’ve learnt to read the body language of sea mammals, a skill which I use in every single location I visit around the world.
I believe the greatest pictures come from having a connection with the animal subject, when it is relaxed and comfortable in your presence.

Hunting pod of orcas in dark Arctic waters.
Nikon D5 | 1/250 sec | f/4.5 16mm | ISO 5600 | AF FISHEYE NIKKOR 16mm f/2.8D

Orcas in Arctic paradise.
Nikon Z 7 | 1/2000 sec | f/2.8 145mm | ISO 1250 | AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR



Q: How does your Nikon equipment help you shoot ocean and landscape photography, as well as underwater?

The Nikon D850 together with the AF-S FISHEYE NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED lens is a great set-up for most of my underwater photographs. I love the D850’s autofocus and high resolution, and its speed and low-light capabilities make it an amazing all-round camera.

Group of green turtles resting at fish cleaning station in Hawaii
Nikon D850 | 1/250 sec | f/9 15mm | ISO 450 | AF-S FISHEYE NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED

A large pod of vocal Hawaiian spinners produce an underwater concert.
Nikon D850 | 1/250 sec | f/8 16mm | ISO 320 | AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

I have also shot with the Nikon Z 7, and love the focusing points over the entire sensor, along with the silent mode that can be very useful when you are in such close proximity to animals. It took me a while to get used to the electronic viewfinder, but I like it now and think Nikon did a great job on it!

Blowing orca in the arctic midday light.
Nikon Z 7 | 1/2000 sec | f/5 165mm | ISO 400 | AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR

Diving humpback whale at fjords of Norway
Nikon Z 7 | 1/2000 sec | f/5.6 200mm | ISO 560 | AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR



Q: What message do you want to convey with your Special Project?

With my story, I want to show that nature is here for us. I want to inspire people to go back to nature and connect with it.
We are constantly wiping away food sources from animals in the ocean, which will have serious implications for natural ecosystems, while the impact of climate change on our natural world and its species is now impossible to ignore.
Thanks to the internet and social media, we have greater access to information and content about our planet and how we can help restore it. I believe in order to save our world, we must love it – that’s what I want to inspire in people.

Meet the other Nikon ambassadors