Timo Dersch

Photographer, Germany

I have been passionate about water my whole life. I became a competitive freediver and scuba diving instructor at a young age and loved travelling and teaching during my university years. After my studies I became an editor at Europe’s largest Scuba Diving Magazine, TAUCHEN. My admiration for the work of the contributors led me into underwater photography, where I found a passion and a perfect way to combine my passions for diving, travelling and journalism. I then became a freelance underwater photographer working with magazines, advertising agencies, underwater video production teams and TV stations.

My photographs have won awards and have been published in many national and international magazines and newspapers. My work has appeared in National Geographic, GEO, Sport Diver, TAUCHEN, EZ Dive and many more.

I am fascinated by any entity of water. I love to explore pristine caves, reefs, rivers and lakes: “There is life in every body of water on our planet”, I always say, “this is what makes diving so fascinating to me”. I enjoy diving with my DYNAMICNORD equipment. “I am happy to have found a partner that produces gear that I can rely on, even for the most challenging dives and missions.

The prestigious Dive Photo Guide magazine describes me as follows:

“Magazine editors often joke that they took a job in editorial because they didn’t have enough talent or couldn’t make enough money as a contributor. Well, that’s definitely not the case for this week’s Photographer of the Week, Timo Dersch, who – despite being a competitive freediver and diving instructor from an early age – had never dived with a camera when he joined Europe’s largest scuba diving magazine, Tauchen, after graduating from university. For Timo, it was his admiration for the images in the German magazine that led him into underwater photography and ultimately paved the way for a freelance career combining his passions for diving, travel and journalism.

As the photos in this feature show, Timo has indeed become an accomplished underwater photographer in his own right. As well as showcasing the creative and adventurous exploits of his fellow freedivers, this Hugyfot ambassador has captured some of the planet’s most thrilling underwater spectacles, from Iceland’s awe- inspiring Silfra Rift to the crystal-clear lakes high in the Austrian Alps and the feeding frenzy of Southern Africa’s ‘sardine run’ – with plenty of great big animal portraits along the way.

Needless to say, next time you’re flicking through the latest issue of a prestigious publication such as National Geographic, Sport Diver or GEO, be sure to look out for Timo Dersch in the “Contributors” section, alongside the other talented journalists and photographers.”