My name is Dicky Kasim. I was born in Jakarta but moved to Singapore when I was in primary school and then to Western Australia during high school. I have always had a love for marine life and the ocean, which lead me to study a Bachelor of Aquatic Science for my University degree, majoring in Coastal Zone Management.
Diving was a part of the pre-requisites for my degree. In my second year, I had the opportunity to travel around Thailand to do some surveys on the mass coral bleaching event that occurred between 2010-2011. Looking at how bad the conditions were at the time, made me think of how I could spread the message to people and create the same impact that it had on me, and that’s where the thought of taking up underwater photography started. At the time, when I was a university student, it seemed impossible to be an underwater photographer as it requires a lot of investment for the camera gear and accessories.
Fast forward five years later, I decided to move to Bali for its tropical reefs and the waves. The diving here is just phenomenal and I thought it would be such a great place to follow my passion for underwater photography. It didn’t happen until last year in 2020 when I managed to get myself an underwater set up Olympus TG6 with 2x Sea and Sea YS 01 strobes, and with this, I started my dream to voice what the ocean has to offer and why it’s so important for us to maintain and conserve its ecosystem for future generations.
I decided to run an Instagram account called @indodivephotos. My hope is to not only inspire people to have more affection towards our oceans and marine life but to also show how you can create a beautiful photo with an entry-level camera set up. I don’t particularly have a favourite type of photography (macro/wide angle) as each type offers different challenges. My favourite subjects are animals that are likely to interact with us, such as manta rays, turtles, octopuses, peacock mantis …. although I do also feel excited when I see nudibranchs.
Fortunately, my buddy happens to be my partner as well and she loves videography, so we do make a good underwater team. Our favourite sites so far include Amed, Tulamben, Padang Bai and Gili Islands.
Coconut octopus Lombok
Baby clownfish Bali
Baby green sea turtle Bali
Cabangus regius Bali
Green sea turtle Gili Trawangan
Green Sea Turtle Gili Meno
Pygmy seahorse Bali
Common seahorse Lombok
Juvenile frogfish Bali
Lauriea siagiani Bali
Common octopus Gili Trawangan
Porcelain crab Lombok
Popeyed scorpionfish Bali
Find more from Dicky on his Instagram @indodivephotos
If you’d like to see your underwater photography published on these pages and shared across our social media feed and weekly newsletter, why not drop us a line at info@divemagazine.com.
