This is what it's like to come face to face with a crocodile ...

American Crocodile Smile Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“Smiling Assassin” – American Crocodile, Jardines de la Reina, Cuba. I wanted to make an image that had both strong eye contact and visible teeth to bring out the character and personality of this animal. Image © Matthew Smith

This incredible shot was captured by British photographer Matthew Smith in Cuba – and it required a lot of planning (and a good dose of bravery). With careful use of lighting and the patience to wait for just the right moment to snap the shutter, Smith captures images of aquatic life in new and illuminating ways.

“For me, one of the most wondrous parts of any dive is the moment that the water engulfs my mask as my head slips below the surface,” Smith explains. “I think it’s the suspense of the unknown of what lies beneath, the transitional part of moving from one element to the next that feels so magical, and the thought of what alien creatures I might encounter. That is what draws me to taking half-over-half underwater images.”

Originally from Britain, Smith immigrated to Australia after falling in love with the country's Pacific coastline. It is here that he perfected his unique over/under shots. Smith's work was recently showcased in Sydney in an exhibition that included his meticulously lit portrait of a bluebottle (shown below), which is currently on display at the Australian Museum in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Here's a selection of some of his most impressive shots:

Bluebottle Cnidaria Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“A Shock of Blue” – Bushrangers Bay, NSW Australia. Despite their potentially dangerous sting, the bluebottle cnidaria is an amazingly beautiful creature. I wanted to demonstrate this with careful lighting and composition. Image © Matthew Smith
Silky Sharks Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
"A Silky Encounter 1” – Jardines de la Reina, Cuba. Shooting these silky sharks off the coast of Cuba was actually an incredibly difficult task. Not because they were hard to find, on the contrary, there were often too many and they move really fast in these open and rough seas! Image © Matthew Smith
Waratah Anemones Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“Crimson Tide” – Waratah Anemones, Port Kembla, NSW Australia. This image is shot right out the front of where I used to work. During my lunch-break walk I had found this tiny rock-pool containing these wonderful bright red Waratah anemones, I had to make a picture of them. Image © Matthew Smith
Long Finned Eel Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“Legal Immigrant” – A Longfin Eel, Botanical Gardens, Sydney. A longfin eel living under the shadow of the iconic Sydney skyline in the Botanical Gardens. Image © Matthew Smith
Midnight Nudi Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“Midnight Nudi” – Bushrangers Bay, NSW, Australia. Being an ocean photographer has led me into some strange and curious habits. Wading around in low tide rock pools in the middle of the night is one of them. However, the rewards can be endless from a photographers point of view, such as finding this Hypselodoris bennetti in inches of water. Image © Matthew Smith
Bluebottle Cnidaria 2 Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“Bluebottle Army” – Bluebottle cnidarian, Bushrangers Bay, NSW, Australia. Despite their potentially dangerous sting, the bluebottle cnidaria is an amazingly beautiful creature. I wanted to demonstrate this with careful lighting and composition. Image © Matthew Smith
Silky Sharks 2 Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“A Silky Encounter 2” – Jardines de la Reina, Cuba. An intimate moment between two silky sharks at Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) off the coast of Cuba. Image © Matthew Smith
Sargassum Seaweed Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“A Splash of Yellow” - Sargassum Seaweed, Bushranger Bay, NSW, Australia. I love bold shapes and primary colours in my images, hence the bluebottles and crimson red Waratah anemones in some of my other images. I think my portfolio lacked a little yellow and this golden-coloured flora of the ocean just about filled the gap nicely. Image © Matthew Smith
Red Waratah Anemone Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“Ocean Rose” – Bass Point, NSW, Australia. A beautiful crimson red Waratah anemone, the rose of the seabed, in a rock-pool at Bass Point, NSW. Image © Matthew Smith
Physalia Physalis Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“Physalia Physalis” – Bushrangers Bay, NSW, Australia. Lighting was the most critical component of this image, I needed to retain the desired darkness of water yet pick out the detail of the animal. Image © Matthew Smith
American Crocodile Matthew Smith 2015 06 02
“Your Move” – American Crocodile, Jardines de la Reina, Cuba. So for this shot I'm deep in a Cuban saltwater mangrove snorkelling in about two feet of murky water and looking at this through the viewfinder, the business end of a wild two and a half meter American saltwater crocodile (not an alligator). Now my photography has led me into a few interesting situations in the past, but this takes the cake. Image © Matthew Smith

Visit Smith's Facebook page and website for more.

Florescence Coral 2015 03 11