"Descent into Earth" A diver descends through a murky Orange Grove Sink into the Upper Orange Grove Tunnel in the Peacock Springs cave system. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
Frank Stopa is a Washington, DC area fine art photographer who creates landscapes and seascapes with emphasis on minimalism and black and white. Frank began diving in 2013 and started capturing images soon thereafter. He enjoys shooting silhouettes, ambient light cavern images and low key cave diving images.
Additionally, Frank enjoys combining his photography work with his love of history and diving. For four years, he contributed photography and videography work to a marine non-profit that created virtual reality and computer-based models of shipwrecks. In the last few years, He's captured images at the Mallows Bay Ship Graveyard on the Potomac River, underwater and surface images of the Florida Springs, and seascapes of the environmentally-challenged Chesapeake Bay Region.
Frank uses the Canon Mirrorless EOS R for his surface imagery and the EOS Rebel SL2 (200D) with Ikelite's 200 DLM/C housing for his underwater shots.
"Ascending to Peacock" A diver swims toward shafts of sunlight piercing down into the cavern zone of the Peacock Springs cave system. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"After the Dive" I shot this image of my dive buddy after we completed a long afternoon dive in the Peacock Springs cave system in Florida. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"Exploring the Constellation" Divers return to their boat after exploring the 1943 wreck of the Constellation atop the wreck of paddle steamer Montana lost in 1863 in the same location off the coast of Bermuda. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"Cave Diver in Sunlight" A cave diver enjoys a moment in the sunlight as he rises to the surface in the Peacock Springs cave system in Florida. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"Emerging from Below" A diver ascends through the Little Devil Fissure to the surface of The Devil's Spring in Florida. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"Furtive Diver" I couldn't help but capture this image of a diver peering furtively across the surface of Lake George, New York after a dive. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"Go to the Light" Shafts of sunlight welcome cave divers to the surface after long dark dives into the Peacock Cave System. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"Red Helmet Cave Explorer" Want to see what it really looks like in an underwater cave? Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"Ascent from Bedfordshire" Divers return from the remains of the HMT Bedfordshire off the North Carolina coast. German submarine U-558 sank the British anti-submarine trawler in 1942 with all 37 hands lost. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"The Dish" A diver makes his way across one of the iconic telemetry dishes of the former USNS Vandenberg now serving as an artificial reef south of Key West, Florida. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
"Cavern Diver" A diver prepares for a week of cave diving during a preparation dive into the Ginnie Springs Ballroom near High Springs, Florida. Photo © 2021 Frank Stopa
Washington, DC area fine art photographer Frank Stopa launched his career only a few short years ago. The lead-in to that career began over 30 years ago when he trained in photography and darkroom techniques for work in the civil service. Later, he began shooting cloudscape and then underwater images before shooting and producing video and still imagery for ocean non-profit Discovery Deep. He's shown his work in group and solo exhibits in the United States, Europe, The Middle East and Australia. See more of Frank's work by visiting www.fssphotography.com or adding him on social media: Instagram @frankstopa and Facebook @FrankStopaPhotography
Additional Reading
Cenote Commando | Fly & Dive Photography
Black and White Conversion for Underwater Photography
Canadian Splash: Destination Nova Scotia
Silhouettes Underwater Camera Settings and Technique
Behind the Shot: Until the Ice Melts in the White Sea
Caverns and Cenotes Quick Settings
