Andi’s cover shot on „tauchen“ magazine 08/2006

This month I got my first cover on “Europes big(gest) dive magazine” tauchen, here in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The image they choose was taken in April 2006, during the San Disk Red Sea Competition 2006 in Eilat. I have to thank David Pilosov and the owners of the Dolphin Reef who made it possible for me to take this shot. The cover is part of the top story inside the magazine where you can see more of my dolphin photos taken on various locations in the Red Sea. I am very pleased with the layout and cannot wait to get my hands on a printed copy. To see a larger version of the cover photo and read some of my thoughts about imaging business in the dive industry click on read more.

I have to admit that I am very happy to finally have my first cover shot in a prestigous dive magazine. Even though I contributed to tauchen and other magazines before I have never actively pursued to have them published my photos on the front page. It really feels good after I decided to follow the path of a full-time professional underwater photographer last year. A magazine cover is one of the few things that give photographers a decent public exposure, I think.

One of the downsides of my early assignments as a professional underwater photographer was (and is) that you probably saw already many of my images without knowing my name. If you are hired to produce photos for the world’s largest dive training organisation (PADI) and sign the releases they do not have to spend much time to look up your name before they start printing.

 

That is why I actually consider my first cover shot before tauchen magazine not as a real cover shot. But if you are curious and like to know which on it was. Dig out a copy of the PADI Member News, Issue 1/06 spread in Europe. You will find a photo of a diver pointing the camera upwards against the sun on the cover. Actually 90 percent of the photos spread along with PADI’s new digital underwater photography course and marketing material were taken by me Andreas “Andi” Voeltz. So if you want to hire me for an assignment please take this into account. If not: forget about my whining here - it is not really that important.

But bottom line is that it’s a good feeling to fill magazine covers with
photos and I can assure you that it is not going to be my last one.

I just got hooked!