Underwater photographer, Antonio Hou, in Indonesia in 2024.Jasa Wisata/Supplied
When choosing a city to study veterinary medicine, Antonio Hou had one unusual – but important – must-have: proximity to marine wildlife.
Hou, a 28-year-old from Vancouver, balances his studies with a growing passion for underwater photography. His Instagram grid is a psychedelic highlight reel of gangly jellyfish, translucent sea horses and wide-eyed otters staring straight into his award-winning lens. Hou was named a winner in Canadian Geographic’s 2024 Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year competition in the aquatic-life category.
Since picking up the hobby in 2021, he’s taken most of his photos around Vancouver Island. Now living in Melbourne, he’s expanding his reach.
Travelling to his new home as an underwater photographer wasn’t easy. He had to pack the cameras, the portable spotlights and the intricate waterproof casings that keep everything dry. Then there were the wetsuits, dry suits and scuba gear, which allowed Hou to dive for hours.
After perfecting his travel system, Hou made the trip of a lifetime. He recently hauled his equipment to Indonesia’s Komodo Islands to swim with and photograph manta rays, dolphins and sharks. On land, he even caught a glimpse of the elusive Komodo dragon. “It was a bucket-list trip for me,” Hou said, “and I have many more that I want to do.” At the top of his list: the Galápagos Islands, missile silos off the U.S. West Coast and the glacial waters of Antarctica.
Still, Hou said that nowhere quite compares to home and that he has yet to find a place more stunning than God’s Pocket Marine Provincial Park – a group of islands and a diver’s haven of vibrant coral, five hours north of Vancouver.
“But there is beauty everywhere,” he said, “so I want to take this hobby across the world.”
The top gear: Sony Alpha 6100 camera
“With it, I bring three lenses: a fisheye lens that works well underwater, a macro lens for close-ups and then a telephoto lens for far shots. The latter doesn’t fit into the casing and is meant for topside shooting. The Vancouver islands also have beautiful landscapes above the surface – I often see seals and sea otters.”
Buying options
$705, buy at Sony
The protective case: Seafrogs underwater housing unit
“The apparatus to keep things dry includes the housing itself, an optical glass flat port, dome port, two powerful strobes for underwater flash, and then a frame that keeps everything together. Light obviously is very limited under water so you need a huge set up.”
Buying options
US $297 buy at Seafrogs
The protective layer: Fusion Bullet Dive Drysuit
“I more often use a dry suit than a wet suit, because I am too cold in a wet suit. I’ll dive in water as cold as five or six degrees Celsius, and I spent a lot of time standing still – so if you get wet, you get cold.”
Buying options
contact for available model and pricing at Whites Drywear
The tech assistant: iPad 10
“I like to edit right after I get out of the water, because then everything is fresh in my mind – but also because I just can’t wait to see what the photos look like. So I just take my SD card from my camera, plug it into my iPad, and get to work.”
Buying options
Prices vary, buy on Amazon
The carryall: Endurax Camera Drone Backpack
“This backpack is amazing for photographers because it comes with holders for your camera, tripod and laptop. It’s also waterproof and covered in a hardshell for extra protection. The drawback is that it’s big, and hard to fit on planes, but I usually get away with it.”
Buying options
$203, buy on Amazon
The everywhere boot: Blundstone Original in Tobacco Suede
“The boots are versatile and became part of my wardrobe while living in Vancouver. They can handle mostly any terrain.”
Buying options
$220, buy at Blundstone
The everyday shell: Arc’teryx Beta Jacket
“The Beta jacket is perfect for the wet and humid weather in Vancouver, and then also elsewhere. It’s easily packable, waterproof, and helps me stay dry between shoots.”
Buying options
$500, buy at Arc’teryx
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