Unlike many of our native animals, we rarely see fish in their natural state.  We can go outside and observe birds, deer, squirrels and other wildlife going about their day and doing the things animals do:  Eating, mating, and raising their young.  But fish live in a world that’s largely invisible to us, so when we do see them, it’s usually when they’re far removed from their natural environment and behavior.

Because we usually only see fish at the end of our fishing lines or on our dinner plates, we tend to view fish only for the utilitarian value they offer to us instead of appreciating them for their ecological and intrinsic value.

My photography shows what fish really look like in their natural habitat.  I think my pictures celebrate the aquatic world by showing the inherent natural beauty of freshwater fish and the uniqueness of the freshwater environments where they live.

I began shooting underwater photographs in 1993. Today I have several thousand images taken underwater from the lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes region. Based in northern Wisconsin, I live about an hour away from the largest concentration of freshwater lakes in the world. Needless to say, the thousands of lakes in this region offer abundant opportunities for underwater fish photography. Using underwater cameras and lights, and scuba equipment, I usually spend about seven months of the year underwater in the lakes and rivers of the upper Midwest to find and photograph native freshwater fish in their natural habitat. What makes these images unique and different from the few other photographers who supply images like this is that I'm working in the water with the fish, and not shooting captive aquarium fish. My subjects are wild, live, and unrestrained-free to swim away from the camera at any moment. As you can imagine, shooting fish "in the wild" is often difficult and time consuming, but the pictures I'm able to get are truly authentic and unique. Click here for more on "my story":          

OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Engbretson Underwater Photography is proud to also represent the selected images of underwater photographers Paul Vecsei of the Northwest Territories, Isaac Szabo from Arkansas and Roger Peterson of Maple Grove, MN.

• Paul Vecsei has a background in fisheries science and his underwater photos of cold water fish are exceptional. His pictures of lake whitefish and cisco are without a doubt the finest images ever made of these species in their natural habitat. 
• Isaac Szabo is a very talented and patient shooter who beautifully photographs native fish and other aquatic life of the Ozarks region. 
• Roger Peterson has been taking underwater images for 40 years and was one of the first to make the natural freshwater environment come to life through photos.

Engbretson Underwater Photography licenses professional stock photography for editorial, publishing, advertising, corporate, and other uses. Our specialty is freshwater game fish native to North America. We have an image library of thousands of pictures of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, musky, panfish (perch, crappie, bluegill), catfish, trout and many other species. Many of our images can be viewed right here in our on-line galleries. Please call or e-mail with questions or specific photo requests. 

To be added to my mailing list, please click here.