My name is Alexander Safonov, I'm originally from Voronezh, Russia. I live in eastern Asia for the last 13 years, currently residing in Hong Kong. I'm professional software architect by trade, working as consultant with financial firms. I got my diving license in 2002, and began to experiment with underwater photography in 2004, starting with compact cameras and by 2006 progressing to the digital SLRs. My favorite photography style is wide angle, and favorite subject is marine life, close and personal. Sharks are my favorite animals, as they are combination of beauty and danger. I was diving in many locations around world, but my favorite is South African Wild Coast, where I got best dives in my life during annual Sardine Run phenomena. For photographer looking for close encounters with predators bait balls are the one of the best options as on single dive it's possible to see more predators than average diver sees during life time ! Among my other favorite destinations are Cocos Island, Fiji, Galapagos and Raja Ampat. I developed interest in macro photography too but my macro skills are still not as strong as my wide angle. My work was published in various media around the world and I participated in many promotional and advertisement campaigns. I'm always looking for exciting new photo-opportunities around the world involving close encounters with marine life.