Now for something a bit different....

For the past few months I have been developing a series of underwater portraits

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Caving in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD), South Wales

Following three days of excellent caving in South Wales, here are photographs of caver Neil Montgomery in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, taken on the third day.

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Taxi

This rusty taxi has been underwater in a freshwater lake for the past five years. I photographed it recently while diving at Wraysbury dive center, near London. The visibility was quite good that day and as the sun came out, it reflected off the headlights giving the impression the head lights were switched on....

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Cavers

Caving can be a challenge, crawling through tight passages, climbing up walls of mud and traversing gaps in the rock. These images show cavers in OFD, Brecon, South Wales.

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Neil Montgomery clinging onto 'Poached Egg', so called because if you fall off - that's what you'll look like...





Nick Moulton negotiating 'the Cork Screw'







Andrew Hammond climbing up the 'The Cork Screw'

Freediving - static breath holding

Ever tried holding your breath to see how long you can hold it for? The freedivers seen here are lying face down in Iron Monger Row swimming pool, London and are completely relaxed and calm, while another diver stands nearby watching over them. Breath holding is a competition sport, called 'static apnea', and these divers were breath holding for 2 - 4 minutes, the current record is over ten minutes.

Static apnea can also be used as preparation for freediving - the art of swimming underwater on a single breath.

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Charlotte Griffiths, news and features editor of Digital SLR User magazine - goes caving.....

It was in November last year that I emailed Charlotte Griffiths, news and features editor of Digital SLR User magazine, suggesting a feature about cave photography technique.

I was surprised by her reply – she wanted to come caving…..

”We have a feature in the magazine called 'Masterclass' where I go out with a professional photographer from different areas of photography and learn the tricks of the trade.”

So a few weeks later, following lots of organising and borrowing of kit for Charlotte, she arrived at Croydon Caving Club cottage, Ystradfellte, in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, South Wales, for her first caving experience.

She quickly snaffled the two pieces of toast I gave her, got kitted up and we headed over to Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD) Top entrance for the first of two days of caving.

See Charlotte's Masterclass article in the June ‘08 issue of Digital SLR User magazine, to see how she got on and what she learned about caving photography. But in the meantime, here are a few pictures of Charlotte's caving weekend….

Thanks to Chris Crowley, Neil Montgomery, Steve ‘President’ Murray and everyone else who helped with access, travel and caving kit.

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All images Copyright Annette Price