Elena Kalis

Elena Kalis

Elena Kalis is an underwater photographer based in the Bahamas'. She lives on a small tropical island and spends a lot of time in the water, which for felt that it would be the best place to experiment with her work.

Kalis originally trained as an artist but decided to take up photography as a new way to express herself. she shoots in both pools and the ocean but prefers the ocean even though it is more difficult due to currents and it is difficult to control your movement therefore it takes many shots to get it right, however the ocean has a beautiful natural stage of fish, corals and it provides spectacular lighting.
Kalis says: "The underwater environment is dreamlike and lucid and just a different world overall. I feel fusion of respect, awe, sensuality, and mystery when shooting underwater and in the ocean in particular". Elena uses a Canon 5D and 5D mark II and selection of canon prime lenses and underwater lighting if there is not enough illumination. With this equipment she creates photo essays and photographic series the she describes as "emotional fairytale". The fairytale-like part is very vivid in her own version of "Alice in wonderland".  It struck Kalis that being underwater was like the place Alice found herself in when she fell down the rabbit hole-this instance being a different perception of reality. From here on out Kalis pushed her imagination, which cam to interesting oppurtunities for Alices adventures in a parallel universe.
These series of images took two long years to create Kalis says: "I can't say that the series is finished even now, I still have a lot of ideas I want to try". Just like majority of her creations "Alice in Wonderland" is a "work in progress".
Kalis has said that she is very proud of the fact that her work has encouraged and inspired hoers to follow this particular style of photography and experiment with their cameras. She says she is also incredibly proud of her daughter Sacha who is a recurring model in her images specifically the "Alice in Wonderland" series Elena says: "she is my muse and my little mermaid".
Kalis has advice for anyone who wishes follow down this path she says: "Don't let the equipment stop you from experimenting and trying new ideas, even the iPhone has a housing these days and you can get a simple protective bag for your to try it out. Even with fairly basic equipment, there are still many effects to be explored and all it takes is a few days on a holiday near clear and warm water".

http://www.elenakalisphoto.com

http://issuu.com/elenakalis/docs/ragmag

http://issuu.com/elenakalis/docs/digital_photo_uk

Post by Jackie