FRANCO BANFI
He is one of the most appreciated photojournalist specialized in underwater subjects and stories.
Franco began to dive in the 1981, in the Lake of Lugano. At the beginning, he dived the fresh waters nearest home, especially lakes and rivers, where the water is clearer and he was able to improve his photographic technique.
Then he travelled everywhere he could, documenting wildlife and human relationship with nature in environments from the Equator to the Poles.
Franco dived in all the oceans of our Earth : Pacific Ocean, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, Antarctic, Mediteranean Sea, Red Sea, improving his skill as photographer and his love for wildlife and conservation of biodiversity, flora and fauna.
Franco is an award-winning photographer (World Champion in underwater photography in Cuba, 1992) and he regularly takes part at international photo-competitions as BBC Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Travel Photographer of the Year, Glanzlichter Project Natur & fotografie, etc.
He received top honours from the photo-competitions Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nature’s Best, BBC Photo Competition, to name the most famous. In 2007 he won the Gold Award at the Celebrate the sea photo competition.
He is honoured to be appreciated at the Canon’s webpage: Canon Professional Network, Behind the lens
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/ambassadors/explorers/franco_banfi.do
Franco is the co-author and photographer of three books about the sea: Papua New Guinea coffee table book (1996), Papua New Guinea dive-guide (1996), Underwater Planet book (2008).
His image library includes a large array of images taken in different underwater ecosystems and extreme contrast environments from tropical coral reefs to diving beneath Arctic and Antarctic ice.
These images had appeared in many books, advertisements, filmstrips, greeting cards, posters, calendars and other vehicles.
He continues to pursue stories that both will increase awareness about the sea and will celebrate the majestic beauty of the underwater world.
His works had been published in dozens of magazines around the world. In the last few years, he has published several stories in Airone, Animan, Aqva, BBC Wildlife, Dive, Diver, Focus, GEO Italy, Il Subacqueo, l'Illustré, Mare, Marine Diver, Mondo Sommerso, National Geographic Italy, Nature Best Photography, Nautica, Ocean Realm, Ocean Geographic, Panorama Travel, Plongée, Schweizer Familie, Skipper, Sport Diver, Tauchen, Terra, Terre Sauvage, Unterwasser.
His images have also been featured in magazines such as BBC Wildlife, GEO, National Geographic, Stern, Scuba Diving, and in countless publications worldwide.
Other stories are in the works.
