Mark Tipple is famous documentary photographer who currently lives and works in Australia. For him photography is a way to tell stories. The series by Tipple include lots of projects devoted to the ocean. Like many others he is captivated by the ocean. He says that the ccean makes feel him comfortable but it scares at the same time. His works have been featured in the Australian, The Telegraph, The BBC, The Independent, National Geographic and Discovery Channel.
One of the most famous series by Tipple is definitely Underwater Project. The pictures by Tipple depict swimming people underwater and moving beneath waves. The images are breathtaking and beautiful. Tipple managed to reveal the power of the ocean. Tipple took pictures staying underwater himself. “Their faces contort, their muscles tighten in reaction to the struggle for power with the ocean. They surface when the surge has passed. Then breathe. They are unaware that a camera has captured it all; from straining arms clawing at sand to eyes squeezed shut against the bite of salt”. Some of the pictures are extremely cinematographic. He has been working on the project for 3 years.
Tipple likes to surf. That's why you may find lots of pictures depicting surfers struggling with waves and water. Looking at these images it seems sometimes that you may feel the water, its energy and power. The most interesting shots dedicated to surfing were taken in winter 2010. Every series is accompanied by vivid description. “We managed to link up and capture one image that conveys the sheer size and dominance of the ocean before we both got caught in a travelator of whitewater and swept down the beach, slowly crippling us back to shore […] Having played with the waves and lazy swimmers in summer, this winter definitely showed a side I wasn't expecting”.