Online archive of the Association of Underwater Photographers and Filmmakers (SUFOD)

One of my former graduate students has become an underwater photographer and has shared their work presented on this website.

We always emphasize that divers who take photographs and film underwater serve as the eyes and ears of our seas and inland waters. As individuals who have taken on this responsibility, we are fully aware of the immense value of the images of species we capture. For this reason, as the Association of Underwater Photographers and Filmmakers (SUFOD), we have launched the Turkey Underwater Life Platform (TUSACAN).
Our goal is to ensure that the species encountered and documented by our divers in Turkey’s seas and inland waters are featured on the platform, and to present, through the collected images, documented findings regarding the species’ existence, distribution areas, and annual increases and decreases on the website. In this way, in addition to raising awareness about underwater life, we will also provide researchers with the images they need.
This long-term platform serves as a vital information hub for Turkey’s underwater wildlife. In line with this objective, during TUSACAN events held in various locations across the country, our members have enhanced their skills in species photography techniques and received proper guidance on photographing underwater and natural life in accordance with ethical standards. Following this phase, our members have become the platform’s permanent source of photographic content. Through this cycle, the number of TUSACAN-certified photographer members continues to grow.
Whether in the sea or in our inland waters (lakes, rivers), photos taken in areas where species are sighted are posted on the site. For this reason, the site also features photos of the same species taken by the same photographer in the same region but at different times. For this reason, photographers are encouraged to observe and photograph a species at different times and locations and upload the photos to the site. Similarly, multiple photos of the same species taken during a single dive can be shared at the same time. Photos of species are published on the site only after being approved by the authorized committee, even if the species identification was made by the photographer.
The site does not provide any further details about a species beyond its identified scientific name. However, by searching for the scientific name via search engines, users can access numerous resources related to that species.
The photographic quality of an image is not a factor in whether a species is featured on the site. What matters is that the species has been documented. Additionally, photographs of high photographic quality may be selected by the relevant committee (with the photographer’s consent) to be included in the annual SUFOD calendar or in similar SUFOD projects.