Francis Glassup is an underwater and terrestrial photographer from Cornwall, UK. Like many of us, his biggest passion is travelling the world and capturing the beauty of Earth’s wildlife. This passion has led to him being published in numerous magazines (online and print) and winning or placing in several national and international photography competitions.
He has a degree in Oceanography from the University of Plymouth and has worked as an oceanographic researcher and consultant. It was on a trip to the Maldives that he brought along his first underwater camera, a simple SeaLife. Modest camera it may have been, but it sparked the passion that all of us underwater photographers possess: a desire to experience, capture and share the beauty of the marine world.
It wasn’t until ten years later that this passion fully resurfaced and took hold. Francis moved to Mozambique and got to dive alongside the great macro photographer and biologist Jenny Stromvoll. It was this experience that motivated him to invest in a more sophisticated underwater setup in order to fully take advantage of the region’s natural beauty.
‘Mozambique has many unique diving areas; owing to the tropical climate in the northern part of the country and the cold waters down south near the South African border, it offers some spectacular photographic opportunities’, said Francis.
Since those first days shooting underwater, Francis has been lucky enough to visit the Galápagos Islands, various locations in the Caribbean, the Azores, and even Antarctica. Francis recently moved to Brazil and hopes to explore and photograph some of the unique flora and fauna that the country has to offer.
Francis shoots his images these days with a Nikon D810 in a Hugyfot housing and dual Ikelite 161 strobes.
** Francis is one of the highly commended photographers in our recent Big Shot Megafauna underwater photography competition. Click here to see his amazing portrait of a Red Sea dugong, and the rest of the award-winning photographs **
The whale-like tail of a dugong as it heads towards the surface for a breath, Abu Dabbab, Egypt
An endangered dugong comes to the surface for a precious breath, Abu Dabbab, Egypt
The intimate details of a blue shark coming in close, Azores, Portugal
A green sea turtle striking a pose, Providencia Island, Colombia
A thorny seahorse peering straight into the camera, Naurro, Mozambique
The striking eye of a blue shark coming in close, Azores, Portugal
A flock of devil rays cruising the blue waters of the Azores, Azores, Portugal
A dugong comes down from the surface, peeking out its tongue, Abu Dabbab, Egypt
A marine iguana, endemic to the Galápagos, heads back to shore after foraging, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
A clownfish caught in motion as it protects its eggs, Marsa Shagra, Egypt
A frogfish keeps a careful eye on some drifting sediment. Guadeloupe, French Caribbean
Humbug dascyllus photographed with slow shutter, Marsa Shagra, Egypt
A seahorse photographed with slow shutter, Guadeloupe, French Caribbean
A seal peeping into the underwater world, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
A monochrome eagle ray as it slices through the water, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Colourful reef reflections, Marsa Shagra, Egypt
‘The Imp of the darkness’ – a marine iguana feeding on algae, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
To see more of Francis’ superb imagery, check out his website, www.francis-glassup.com, and his Instagram page (@francisglassup).
f 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.
