Biography

Edwin Marcow was born on the 7 November, 1970 in Cape Town, South Africa, where his passion for the ocean and wildlife began at an early age.

Having emigrated to the U.K. when he was nine, it was in these chillier waters that Edwin began diving at the age of sixteen. His first encounter with a shark was when he went to the assistance of a White Tip Reef shark that had been accidentally speared whilst diving in Australia.

It was during this time that Edwin’s dream of scuba diving and wildlife photography took hold. He was fortunate enough to obtain work experience opportunities with Greenpeace and Partridge Films, and during this time he also completed two years of formal photographic studies.

Edwin attained the professional level of PADI Divemaster in October 1999, and further studied both nitrox and technical diving. He then went on to complete a shark behaviour programme in South Africa which included diving free with Zambezi and Hammerhead sharks. His many friends and colleagues within the industry include Andre Hartman, Tom Campbell, Amos Nachoum, and Marco Pinna.

Edwin worked for André Hartman of Marine Dynamics who has been commissioned for television productions for the BBC, The Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. It was with André that Edwin worked for National Geographic operating their Seal Cam and assisting in the production of their documentary, and where he was privileged to fulfil his dream of swimming free (with no cage) with a Great White Shark. His signature shots of a Great White were taken during this life-changing trip.

Recognition and acclaim was to follow when Edwin was awarded Gold and Silver medals in the 2004 Classic 13th Hasselblad Austrian Super Circuit, organised in cooperation with PSA and FIAP in Salon three and four for two images from this shoot.

On a further assignment in Gansbaai in July 2002, Edwin worked with André, and acclaimed wildlife photographer, Amos Nachoum who was his model for a product shoot. Edwin photographed Great White sharks and Amos in the open ocean and from the sea floor (with no cage) for an advertising campaign for A.P Valves, with both diver and shark ‘posing’ together. This placed Edwin as one of the first in the world to photograph White Sharks from the sea floor in South African waters. An image from this assignment went on to be placed second in the recent PADI / Sport Diver photographic competition.

Edwin’s work has also been credited with a Highly Commended award in the 2003 International Photo Art competition with an image of a Great White Shark.

Exhibition certificates have also been won in both the Tenth International Festival of Underwater Photography and Film and in the Festival Mondial de 1 ‘ Image Sous-Marine, Antibes 2003.

Edwin’s work has also been exhibited all over the World in Linz Austria, Shanghai and Hangzhu China, Qatar in the 2005 Doha Cultural Festival, Venice, Cairo, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, London, and Antibes.

In 2001, Edwin worked with Tom Campbell as a Cameraman's Assistant for a high-definition TV documentary series which has been featured in the US. Further projects around the world are now being planned as a result.

In November 2006, Edwin’s work and images of Great White Sharks were published in Andy Steel's book “The World's Top Photographers - Photojournalism”. This coffee-table book features the very best photographers in their fields, and is available in all good bookshops.

Edwin’s work has also been published and featured in the following publications: Professional Photographer, The Ultimate Dive Destinations 2006, Sport Diver, Dive magazine, Diver magazine, Wolfwise magazine X Ray, UWP, London Jewish News, and Zoo weekly. In addition, Edwin has also been profiled twice in the Jewish Chronicle Newspaper.

For X-Ray magazine, Edwin was appointed Associate Editor in Spring 2005 following a period of some years as a staff writer. Writing a regular column entitled ‘Sharktales’ in which all aspects of shark conservation are covered, he also writes about dive travel, technical issues within scuba diving and underwater photography.

In 2005,2006 Edwin was invited to join the prestigious judging panel in the inaugrial Venice International Photographic Competition. Alongside his colleagues from National Geographic, eleven themes were critiqued under strict rules and guidelines from the Photographic Society of America.

Edwin is a member and supporter of the Shark Trust, Project Aware, WWF, The Anglian Wolf Society, WildAid, and Cheetah Outreach. He has also supported the conservation trust Bite Back by the use of his images of Great White Sharks. This was used for a recent article highlighting the plight of shark fining and the decline of their numbers, an illustration of his commitment as a wildlife conservationist.