NEWS

An Interview with Tom Holden - Director of Underwater Photography

 
There are not many divers who can claim to have as glamorous a job as Tom Holden – a great friend of Cathx with a phenomenal reputation as a Director of Photography both topside and underwater based in California. As part of our series of interviews with interesting stories of people who use our underwater lights, we chatted to Tommy on how he began his career, his favourite camera & underwater lighting kit technology and his favourite diving destinations.
 
Background and Career
 
Tom Holden first developed an interest in water sports as a surfer, winning a scholarship to the University of Hawaii where he made friends with local free-divers whose tremendous skill fascinated him. He started to dive as well as develop his interest in photography, starting with still photography work and later videography. Tom had been in the film industry since early childhood, appearing as a child actor in many famous television series, and later also became a stuntman, including performing as a stunt double for the famous daredevil Evel Knievel in films and appearances, so he also went on to study at the University of Cornell and earned a Masters Degree in Acting and the Arts.
 
Through this early acting work, Tom realised the importance of camera angles and studied photographic techniques, and his advanced skills and knowledge allowed him to build a thriving business which combined his passion for the ocean with his photographic expertise, creating underwater images and videos for increasingly prestigious clients.
 
Tom’s passion for the ocean resulted in him choosing to live on a boat with his wife Laurie for 25 years, including raising their young family on a stunning houseboat in Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles. The couple also owned a small fleet of high speed chase boats, and their lifestyle included coastal sailing from California to Mexico on their Catalina Cruiser, diving for fish to eat, an amazing lifestyle that most of us simply dream about. Click here for photos .
 
Today, Tom shoots underwater photos and videos for the PADI Diving Society (The Professional Association of Dive Instructors) and DAN – the Divers Alert Network, as well as the National Geographic Channel. He has also been featured as an expert commentator on the famous episode of ‘Lost Pyramids of Japan’ on the History Channel, and recent projects including the Drop Zone movies in both Fiji and Tahiti, infomercials and other exciting underwater projects worldwide. 
 
Click here for photos of Tom at work.
 
Favourite Destinations
 
Tom’s career and reputation have led to work in the top diving locations around the world. His favourites include:
 
1)    Grand Cayman – for dependable diving all year round
2)     New Zealand for it’s magnificent scenery, although a cold water diving destination
3)    Tahiti because it's a truly outstanding island
 
Future plans include hopefully coming to visit us in Ireland and work, dive or perhaps surf some of our magnificent world-class waves.
 
Favourite Diving Equipment:
 
Tom’s favourite cameras include:
 
1)      Sony XD Cam/Panasonic P2
2)      GoPro HD video camera for surfing footage
3)     Cathx Ocean Video Light
 
Tom now uses Cathx video lights for his underwater lighting as he believes it’s ‘head and shoulders above’ anything else in the industry. With increasingly tight budgets for underwater film production, our video light is so compact, he can carry it anywhere in the world on flights without the generators, lifts bags and cables that used to be needed to achieve professional lighting underwater. Tom tells us he won’t leave home without it, and we are delighted to have such a great fan.