Pietro Formis, a highly talented Italian underwater photographer, has captivated viewers with his extraordinary underwater imagery. His journey into the underwater world began with a simple dive, but it quickly evolved into a professional calling. Speaking with Pietro reveals not only his passion for photography but also the cultural and ecological richness of Italy's underwater landscape. His story offers insight into the life of someone who has made the sea both a workplace and a lifelong muse.
Pietro’s introduction to diving came through his father. As a young man, he was invited to take an open water diving course. That experience marked a pivotal moment in his life. From the very beginning, he was drawn to capturing the unseen beauty beneath the surface. Starting with a compact camera, he soon discovered the joy of underwater photography and never looked back. What began as a personal passion quickly turned into a professional pursuit, blending technical skill with artistic vision.
He describes how the transition into full-time photography was gradual yet natural. Eventually, he left his previous job to dedicate himself entirely to freelance photography. Today, he leads underwater photography workshops and trips across Italy and internationally, in locations such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Red Sea. Through his lens, he not only documents marine life but also tells stories that inspire others to protect these fragile environments.
A Photographer’s Underwater Italy
Italy, with its extensive coastline, is an ideal playground for any underwater photographer. Pietro’s favorite location, surprisingly, is not one of the globally celebrated dive destinations. Instead, it is Noli, a small village in Liguria along the Mediterranean coast. While it may not be renowned worldwide, for Pietro, it holds immense personal and creative value. He dives there frequently, sometimes weekly, and many of his best photographs have been captured in its waters.
Italy's geographic and ecological diversity is reflected below sea level as well. Pietro describes a broad variety of marine environments stretching from north to south. The Adriatic Sea offers murky waters suitable for muck diving. Sardinia, in contrast, boasts crystal-clear visibility and intricate cave systems. The Ligurian Sea and areas near Sicily feature vibrant walls of gorgonians. Historical wrecks and submerged ruins, such as those near Baia by Naples, add an archaeological layer to the diving experience.
The Mediterranean itself is a unique marine ecosystem shaped by a temperate climate. The strong seasonality—from cold winters to warm summers—affects water conditions and marine life patterns. This seasonal variability adds a level of complexity and richness to the underwater photography Pietro practices. It requires not only technical knowledge of diving and photography but also a deep understanding of marine biology and weather systems.
Hidden Freshwater Worlds
Although most of Pietro’s images come from the sea, he also explores freshwater environments. His approach here is subject-focused. He often dives in rivers, streams, and ponds to photograph elusive or seasonal species like newts, freshwater crabs, and snakes. These excursions are less about the dive itself and more about capturing specific creatures in their habitats. Often, the best shots are taken just inches below the surface.
One particularly fascinating subject is the sea lamprey, a species that makes a dramatic final journey upriver to reproduce. Pietro has captured powerful images of these animals during their upstream migration. This is a challenge that requires careful planning, as the conditions are often unpredictable and the water clarity can vary dramatically.
One of the more scenically unique locations he mentions is the Orrido di S. Anna in Piedmont. This submerged canyon, characterized by its emerald waters and mesmerizing light play, is a favorite for divers seeking an unusual freshwater experience. It's a location where Pietro has created hauntingly beautiful images, blending geological drama with the elegance of human presence underwater. The interplay of light, water, and rock gives the photographs a mystical quality.
Developing a Personal Style
When asked what sets him apart from other underwater photographers, Pietro hesitates to define his uniqueness in technical terms. Instead, he focuses on the emotional impact of his work. His goal is to capture images that spark wonder, curiosity, and a thirst for knowledge. He wants viewers to imagine the scene, to question what they are seeing, and to feel a connection to the underwater world.
For Pietro, photography is not simply a documentation process. It is a way of communicating with the viewer. He strives to balance realism with imagination, often framing marine life in ways that elevate their beauty without distorting their truth. Lighting, composition, and timing all come together to evoke emotion and provoke thought.
His artistic approach is informed by both scientific interest and creative vision. He doesn’t just photograph animals for identification purposes; he portrays them as individuals in a living, breathing environment. This fusion of science and art makes his work resonate with a wide audience, from marine biologists to art enthusiasts.
Pietro’s style also includes the careful use of natural and artificial lighting to highlight features that might otherwise go unnoticed. His mastery over exposure settings, lens choices, and housing equipment plays a crucial role in the final image. But what truly drives his work is not gear—it’s the desire to tell stories that matter. Whether he is photographing a jellyfish in the Mediterranean or a lamprey in a mountain stream, his images carry a signature voice: one of reverence for the natural world.
The Technical Craft of Underwater Imagery
Underwater photography poses unique challenges compared to traditional photography on land. Light behaves differently, visibility changes frequently, colors shift with depth, and the subject matter is always in motion. Pietro Formis approaches these challenges with technical precision and creative sensitivity. His understanding of underwater light, camera settings, and marine behavior all contribute to his ability to craft striking underwater images.
One of the foundational concepts Pietro emphasizes is understanding the limits and behavior of light underwater. Water absorbs and scatters light rapidly. Red and warm tones disappear just a few meters below the surface, leaving scenes dominated by blue and green hues. To restore color and detail, Pietro uses external strobes to illuminate subjects. This requires careful balancing of ambient light and artificial lighting, which is an art in itself.
He often shoots in manual mode to maintain control over exposure. Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO must be coordinated with strobe power and positioning. For macro shots, he typically uses small apertures like f/18 to f/22 for greater depth of field. For wide-angle shots, he opens the aperture slightly to capture more ambient light while still freezing the subject with strobe bursts. The results are images with depth, color, and clarity that cut through the visual noise of the underwater world.
Lighting Techniques in Underwater Environments
Lighting is one of the most complex and creative tools in underwater photography. Pietro Formis has developed a unique approach to lighting his subjects, one that balances natural ambiance with artificial clarity. Depending on the subject, water clarity, and artistic intent, he may use a variety of lighting styles: front lighting for clarity, side lighting for texture, or backlighting for drama.
He often carries two strobes mounted symmetrically on long arms. This setup allows flexibility in light direction and intensity. He adjusts the strobe angle to avoid backscatter, a common problem in murky or particle-filled waters where the flash reflects off suspended matter. For macro photography, he positions the strobes closer to the subject with reduced power to avoid overexposure and harsh shadows.
Pietro also uses snoots, small attachments that narrow the strobe beam to a concentrated point. This technique is ideal for isolating small subjects like nudibranchs or crustaceans from the background. It requires patience and precise strobe placement but produces images with dramatic lighting and a spotlight effect that emphasizes form and detail.
Ambient light is another tool he uses effectively, especially in wide-angle photography. During dives in clear waters such as Sardinia or certain freshwater canyons, he takes advantage of natural beams of light filtering through the surface. These sunrays add mood and depth to the composition, particularly when shooting vertical walls or scenes involving divers. When balanced with strobe lighting, the result is a well-lit foreground subject set against a dynamic, atmospheric background.
Mastery of Gear: Camera, Housing, and Accessories
Pietro uses professional DSLR cameras housed in specialized underwater housings. His primary camera has long been the Canon 5D Mark III, known for its color accuracy, image quality, and durability. Combined with Tokina and Canon lenses, he achieves versatility across macro and wide-angle formats. For macro work, he prefers the Canon 100mm USM Macro lens, which allows close focusing distance and sharp rendering. For wide-angle shots, he often uses the Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, sometimes paired with a 1.4x teleconverter for tighter compositions.
His housing of choice is a Nauticam unit, which is rugged, ergonomic, and allows access to all camera controls underwater. He uses a 4.33-inch minidome port for wide-angle and fisheye lenses, which helps reduce distortion and allows closer subject framing. For macro photography, he employs flat ports, often with wet diopters to magnify tiny creatures.
Beyond camera and housing, Pietro carries a variety of tools to adapt to different dive scenarios. These include strobe arms of varying lengths, focus lights for assisting in dark environments, color-correcting filters, snoots, and occasionally a tripod for shooting in stable freshwater environments. His gear setup is modular, allowing him to adjust depending on whether he is diving in the Mediterranean, a freshwater stream, or an overseas tropical reef.
Maintenance is an essential part of the workflow. Pietro performs rigorous checks before every dive. He inspects O-rings, seals, and port integrity to avoid floods. After each dive, he rinses all equipment thoroughly in freshwater to remove salt and debris. He also ensures that batteries are fully charged and memory cards are formatted in advance to avoid unnecessary complications underwater.
Composition and Storytelling Underwater
For Pietro, the difference between a good photo and a great one lies in composition. He uses compositional rules intuitively—such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, and negative space—to draw the viewer’s eye to the subject. But beyond technique, his goal is to tell a story through the frame. Every image is a window into an underwater moment that cannot be recreated.
One of his signature compositional techniques is incorporating human elements subtly. Divers, bubbles, and torch lights are used sparingly to add scale and context without overpowering the natural subject. In caves or wrecks, he may use the beam from a diver’s torch to lead the eye through the frame. In wide-angle scenes with marine life, he composes so that the fish or coral structure directs attention inward, framing the central focus of the shot.
His compositions often reflect a painterly quality. He waits patiently for marine creatures to align naturally with background textures, such as a jellyfish floating against a sunbeam or a cuttlefish hovering near patterned sand. This attention to visual harmony results in photographs that are both scientific and artistic.
He also values timing. Underwater scenes are ephemeral. A fish turns, a current shifts, a cloud passes overhead—and the perfect moment vanishes. Pietro hones his anticipation through knowledge of animal behavior. He observes how creatures move when they feed, and how they interact with divers. This allows him to predict moments of peak action or beauty and be ready to capture them.
The Workflow from Dive to Final Image
Once out of the water, Pietro begins his post-processing workflow. The goal is to enhance the image without compromising its authenticity. He uses Adobe Lightroom for raw conversion and color correction and Adobe Photoshop for fine-tuning. Adjustments typically include exposure correction, white balance, contrast, and sharpness.
He avoids excessive editing. The goal is to reproduce what the eye would see with proper lighting. In macro shots, he may remove small distracting particles or backscatter. In wide-angle shots, he fine-tunes the shadows and highlights to bring out detail without flattening the image. Cropping is minimal, as he prefers to compose correctly in-camera.
Cataloging and metadata are also part of his routine. Every photo is tagged with species names, location, dive site conditions, and camera settings. This practice not only helps in organizing his portfolio but also serves as an educational resource when publishing articles or conducting workshops.
Pietro regularly revisits older images to reassess them with a fresh perspective. Sometimes, a photo that seemed average upon initial review turns out to be a favorite after post-processing. He believes this habit helps him stay connected with his work and understand how his vision evolves.
Safety and Environmental Ethics
In all his photographic activities, Pietro follows strict environmental guidelines. He avoids touching or disturbing marine life and discourages others from doing so. His workshops include sections on ethical photography, emphasizing the importance of respecting marine habitats. Flash usage is minimized when photographing sensitive species. If a subject shows signs of stress, he stops shooting immediately.
He also supports marine conservation efforts by donating images, conducting awareness campaigns, and collaborating with scientific researchers. Some of his images have been used in studies and educational exhibits. He hopes that through his photography, people will appreciate the hidden beauty of the underwater world and support efforts to protect it.
Dive safety is another priority. He plans each dive carefully, ensuring redundancy in air supply, following conservative dive profiles, and always diving with a buddy. When using complex lighting setups or spending extended time at depth for a shot, he monitors nitrogen absorption closely. His philosophy is that no photograph is worth compromising personal safety or damaging the environment.
Teaching and Community Engagement
As a workshop leader and photography guide, Pietro shares his skills with amateur and professional photographers alike. His workshops are structured to teach both foundational techniques and advanced methods. Participants learn how to use their gear efficiently, how to control light underwater, and how to develop a personal style.
The teaching takes place both in classrooms and on actual dives. After each dive, group review sessions are held to critique photos constructively. Pietro encourages students to explain the intent behind their compositions and discuss what worked and what didn’t. This collaborative learning environment fosters rapid improvement and creativity.
He also engages with the broader community through talks, exhibitions, and publications. His photos have been featured in magazines, books, and gallery shows. By bringing underwater scenes to the surface world, he aims to bridge the gap between land-dwellers and the ocean realm.
Stories Behind the Frame
Every photograph has a story, but in underwater photography, these stories are often layered with unpredictability, emotion, and sometimes years of preparation. For Pietro Formis, some of his most iconic shots carry memories of fleeting moments, serendipitous discoveries, or intense patience. He believes that behind every powerful underwater image is a unique story worth telling—not just about the subject, but about the experience of being present and connected with the natural world.
One such story involves a cuttlefish in the act of preying on a turbot fish. Captured in Noli, Liguria, the image reveals the cuttlefish with tentacles wrapped around its prey, mid-motion. The conditions were perfect: clear water, balanced light, and the rare opportunity to witness a predation scene in real-time. What makes this image special for Pietro is not only its compositional strength but the behavioral documentation it represents. These moments are rare and unpredictable. They cannot be staged or rehearsed. The photographer must be attentive, calm, and ready.
Another memorable shot features a male Mediterranean cardinal fish holding a cluster of eggs in his mouth. This image took multiple attempts over several seasons to achieve. Male cardinal fish brood their eggs orally, a behavior that lasts only a few days and occurs only in summer. Pietro had to locate the fish, observe them over time, and wait for the exact moment when the eggs were visible, lit just enough to reveal their texture without disturbing the fish. The result is a photograph that combines beauty with biological importance. It’s not only aesthetically pleasing but also contributes to the documentation of Mediterranean marine life.
The Art of Waiting
A large part of Pietro’s practice involves waiting—waiting for the right season, the right weather, the right behavior, or the right light. Underwater conditions can shift dramatically in minutes. A spot that was bursting with visibility can cloud over as a current stirs up sediment. Fish may scatter after a loud diver passes by. Sunlight that once danced through the surface may be obscured by a passing cloud. Pietro treats each shoot as a meditation on patience.
In the freshwater world, this patience is often tested further. In a remote mountain stream, Pietro once spent three days waiting to photograph a sea lamprey returning upstream to reproduce. Lampreys are elusive, their migration times uncertain, and the visibility in the river changes quickly. After multiple failed dives and long hours submerged in cold water, the moment finally arrived. A single lamprey swam directly into the shaft of light cutting through the surface. Pietro captured the image in one exposure. That moment, though short-lived, justified the effort.
Waiting for Pietro is not idle time. It is observation, tuning into rhythms of the natural world. During these periods, he studies how fish interact, how light moves, and how currents behave. This knowledge informs how he frames the eventual shot. When the decisive moment arrives, he is not scrambling—he is already composed, focused, and silent.
Wildlife Encounters in the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean may not be the first destination that comes to mind when thinking about abundant marine life, but Pietro’s images reveal a world full of drama, beauty, and delicate relationships. He has spent years photographing its often-overlooked inhabitants, including nudibranchs, octopuses, scorpionfish, rays, and countless species of invertebrates. Each dive is an exploration of a world shaped by thousands of years of geological, climatic, and human influence.
One encounter that stands out for Pietro took place near Portovenere, where he encountered a dense aggregation of gorgonians along a sloping wall. Among them swam a solitary moray eel. As Pietro approached, the eel did not retreat. Instead, it stayed nestled between the coral fans. He adjusted his angle slowly, trying not to disturb the fish or kick up sediment. Using backlighting and side strobes, he highlighted the texture of the gorgonians while keeping the eel’s head in sharp focus. The resulting photograph is moody and mysterious, a visual story of camouflage, contrast, and calm observation.
Another memorable experience involved photographing jellyfish at night. During a blackwater dive near Liguria, Pietro encountered a bloom of Pelagia noctiluca, the mauve stinger. Shooting jellyfish is challenging, especially in open water with no visual reference points. Movement must be fluid, and focus must be precise. Pietro worked in complete darkness, using only his focus light and strobes to isolate the jellyfish against a black background. The image he produced has a surreal, glowing quality. The jellyfish appears almost like a celestial object, suspended in a void. It is one of his most popular and requested images.
Emotional Connection to the Subject
Pietro believes that the strongest images are not necessarily the most colorful or sharpest, but the ones that evoke emotion. Whether it is the quiet intensity of a cardinal fish brooding its eggs or the vulnerability of a lone seahorse anchored to a sea fan, he seeks to connect with his subjects emotionally before capturing them technically. This connection is what transforms a photograph from documentation to storytelling.
One such emotionally charged image was taken in a shallow pond where amphibians breed in spring. There, Pietro photographed a newt hovering in cloudy water surrounded by eggs and algae. The image is soft, almost dreamlike, with green hues enveloping the frame. For Pietro, this shot represents more than just biology—it represents the renewal of life, the hidden cycles of nature that occur in silence. It is not a typical underwater photo, but one that resonates deeply with audiences because of its atmosphere and feeling.
He recalls another dive where he encountered a pair of octopuses engaged in an interaction. Rather than rushing to take a photo, he waited, observing their behavior. Eventually, one octopus draped a tentacle over the other in what looked like a moment of affection. Pietro captured the frame without artificial lighting, letting the ambient light create a soft, intimate mood. The result was an image that feels deeply personal and alive. These moments, rare and unpredictable, require not only skill but empathy.
Working with Models and Divers Underwater
Many of Pietro’s wide-angle shots feature divers in the background or interacting with the environment. These images add scale and narrative to his underwater scenes. Working with human subjects underwater requires clear communication, planning, and synchronization. Pietro often works with experienced dive buddies or professional models who understand the discipline of underwater posing.
In a shoot conducted at the Orrido di S. Anna, a submerged canyon in northern Italy, Pietro wanted to capture the contrast between the massive rock formations and the fragile human form. He directed the model to hold still while he adjusted his angle and waited for sunlight to pierce through the green water above. The composition was difficult. Bubbles had to be controlled, fins positioned correctly, and the model’s posture natural yet still. After several attempts, the final image revealed a dreamlike scene where light, rock, and human presence coalesced into a powerful visual.
Human models also help communicate mood. In one cave dive, Pietro directed a diver to shine a torch toward the ceiling, illuminating stalactites and creating a sense of exploration. In another shoot, he positioned a diver outside the mouth of a cave, silhouetted against the blue water, evoking a feeling of transition from dark to light. These techniques require patience and an eye for symmetry, but they add human relatability to scenes that might otherwise feel distant.
The Unseen Challenges Behind the Scenes
For every beautiful photograph, there are often dozens of failed attempts. Underwater photography is full of challenges that go unseen by viewers. Fogged lenses, malfunctioning strobes, silted scenes, unexpected currents, or disturbed animals can ruin a perfect composition. Pietro is open about these failures. They are part of the process. He keeps notes on each dive, detailing what went wrong and how to improve next time.
One particularly frustrating moment occurred during a night dive in the Red Sea. Pietro had set up to photograph a Spanish dancer nudibranch, known for its flowing, ribbon-like swimming motion. The animal was cooperative, the water was clear, but his strobe failed to fire. After a quick equipment check, he discovered a leak in the cable connection. The opportunity was lost, but he documented the problem, repaired the strobe, and returned the following night. This time, he succeeded.
These behind-the-scenes experiences reveal Pietro’s professionalism and resilience. He approaches each dive as a learning opportunity. Every mistake becomes part of the foundation for future success. He encourages students in his workshops to embrace failure not as a setback but as a critical part of mastering the underwater environment.
Wildlife Behavior and Predictive Shooting
Understanding animal behavior is a major asset in Pietro’s photography. He studies his subjects, learning their habits, feeding times, and responses to light or motion. This knowledge helps him anticipate movements and reactions. Instead of chasing the shot, he lets it come to him, often lying still on the seabed for extended periods.
He recalls photographing a stingray in a sandy lagoon. Rather than following it, he predicted its path and positioned himself along its likely route. The ray passed directly overhead, and Pietro captured it in perfect symmetry with the sun behind it. The resulting image has a cinematic quality, made possible not by chance, but by prediction.
Behavioral observation also informs his ethical standards. He knows when an animal is stressed or disturbed. In such cases, he backs off and tries a different approach or abandons the shot entirely. The welfare of the subject always takes precedence. This deep respect is visible in his work. The animals appear at ease, unthreatened, and naturally posed.
Images That Spark Conservation
Many of Pietro’s images serve a dual purpose. They are not only artistic expressions but also tools for environmental education. By capturing the beauty and complexity of marine life, he invites viewers to care, to ask questions, and to become involved in conservation. He has collaborated with scientists to document species distributions, with NGOs to raise awareness about pollution, and with museums to educate the public.
One of his most poignant projects involved documenting discarded fishing nets entangled on reefs. These ghost nets are a major threat to marine ecosystems. Pietro photographed these scenes with wide-angle lenses, showing the nets draped like webs over coral structures. In one shot, a trapped fish is visible, its body limp, framed by tangled nylon. The image is haunting, a visual protest against human negligence.
Through exhibitions and publications, these images reach audiences far beyond the dive community. They are displayed in galleries, shared on platforms, and used in campaigns. For Pietro, this impact is deeply fulfilling. His camera becomes more than a creative tool—it becomes an instrument of change.
Visual Narrative as a Conservation Tool
Pietro Formis has long emphasized that his photography is more than aesthetic—it’s a form of storytelling. In his view, each underwater image must serve as a narrative bridge between the underwater world and the surface-dwelling public. The visual stories he tells are crafted with an environmental conscience, driven by a desire to awaken people to the fragile beauty and ecological importance of marine life.
His images from Italian dive sites reflect the diversity of this often-overlooked region. Rather than focusing solely on exotic coral reefs in tropical destinations, Formis chooses to show how extraordinary the Mediterranean can be. Whether it’s the nuanced texture of a nudibranch, the shy glance of a seahorse, or the ghostly elegance of jellyfish adrift in Ligurian waters, Formis captures emotion in every frame. This visual language becomes a tool for conservation, engaging audiences who might otherwise ignore marine issues.
The Role of Patience and Observation
As Pietro recounts in our conversation, underwater photography requires a discipline rarely needed in terrestrial work. Light behaves differently underwater; subjects move unexpectedly or hide in crevices; currents shift the perspective just as you’re about to click the shutter. Success relies on long dives, deep observation, and intimate knowledge of animal behavior.
He explains how many of his best photographs came after days of returning to the same dive site. Studying an octopus until it became accustomed to his presence. Waiting for a shrimp to emerge from its hole. Observing the natural rhythms of life at a reef to anticipate the moment a predator appears. These insights allow him to tell stories not from a distance, but from within the world of the ocean itself.
Pietro compares this process to wildlife photography on land—but emphasizes that the added complexity of the underwater environment makes it even more demanding. Yet, this challenge is what draws him back again and again. For him, patience is a virtue not just in photography, but in forging a connection with the marine world.
Artistic Vision and Technical Mastery
Beyond storytelling, Pietro Formis is also known for his artistic eye. His images are carefully composed, with a painterly attention to color balance, symmetry, contrast, and motion. He blends natural beauty with post-processing refinement, staying faithful to the truth of the moment while enhancing its emotional impact.
He describes his workflow as a dance between instinct and intention. Underwater, he works with ambient light, strobes, and shadow to create depth and mood. He often uses wide-angle lenses to capture vast seascapes or macro lenses to isolate intricate detail. Back on land, he uses editing to sharpen the narrative, not to fabricate it.
One of his hallmark techniques is using natural framing: corals that arch around a fish like a doorway, bubbles that lead the eye to the center of the composition, or sunbeams that illuminate a subject like a spotlight. These techniques reflect not only his photographic mastery but his reverence for the marine world.
Training the Next Generation
Pietro is also passionate about education. In recent years, he has devoted increasing time to workshops and masterclasses, where he shares his expertise with aspiring underwater photographers. These sessions take place in dive resorts across Italy and abroad, offering immersive experiences that combine diving, conservation, and photography.
He believes in nurturing a deeper respect for the ocean through firsthand experience. His workshops emphasize ethical photography—never disturbing marine life, never touching coral, always maintaining buoyancy. Through guided dives, students learn to “see” underwater the way Pietro does: slowly, attentively, and with empathy.
He recounts a story of a student who initially struggled with technical controls but eventually produced a breathtaking shot of a jellyfish backlit by a sunset. That image, Pietro says, reminded him why he teaches: to empower others to see the ocean not just as a subject, but as a living, breathing world worthy of admiration and protection.
Collaboration with Scientists and NGOs
Beyond the realm of art and education, Pietro’s work has often intersected with science and conservation. He collaborates with marine biologists, environmental NGOs, and eco-tourism operators to document endangered species, invasive threats, or restoration efforts. His photography has been used in scientific papers, exhibitions, marine park campaigns, and awareness drives across Europe.
In particular, he highlights his collaboration with organizations monitoring the impact of climate change on the Mediterranean. Through a visual journal of rising water temperatures, coral bleaching, and disappearing species, his work provides emotional context to raw scientific data. These visuals help translate complex ecological trends into a language that resonates with policymakers and the public.
He also photographs rare sightings—like the elusive monk seal or deepwater corals rarely seen by divers. These moments, he says, are not trophies but responsibilities: they deserve to be shared with the world, to ignite curiosity and protect biodiversity.
Facing the Challenges Ahead
Despite the beauty he captures, Pietro remains deeply aware of the threats facing the oceans. He speaks candidly about the rising challenges in the Mediterranean: overfishing, plastic pollution, climate shifts, and habitat destruction. Each year, he notices subtle changes in dive sites—corals less vibrant, fewer fish, more algal blooms.
Yet he balances concern with hope. He believes in the power of education, policy, and responsible tourism to turn the tide. Through his photos, talks, books, and exhibitions, he aims to cultivate a relationship between humans and the sea—one built not on exploitation, but stewardship.
His philosophy is clear: “We protect what we love, and we love what we understand.” Photography, in this vision, becomes a gateway to understanding.
Conclusion:
Our journey through the underwater world of Italy, as seen through the eyes of Pietro Formis, reveals more than marine scenery—it reveals a man deeply in tune with the ocean, driven by artistic passion, scientific curiosity, and environmental urgency.
From the quiet seagrass meadows of Sardinia to the dramatic drop-offs of the Aeolian Islands, Pietro’s lens captures not just the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, but its soul. His stories remind us that the ocean is not a distant wilderness—it is part of our heritage, our climate, our imagination.
His images don’t shout. They whisper. They invite us in.
In the stillness of a photograph, we see a moment of balance—a fragile harmony between water, light, and life. And through this balance, Pietro Formis continues to inspire others to dive deeper, look closer, and care more.
The next time you see a shimmering shoal of fish or a ray of light breaking through the blue, you might think of Pietro—not just the photographer, but the storyteller of the sea.