The Underwater Project by Mark Tipple (10Pics)

A swimmer reaches out to break free from underneath a breaking wave at Bronte Beach, Sydney. Underwater photographer Mark Tipple gives viewers a turtle's eye view of swimmers as they roll in the wake of waves.

Mark, 29, has won acclaim for his underwater pictures. which capture the "battle" between man and the awesome power of the ocean. His latest series, 'The Underwater Project', shows swimmers frozen in time as they dive below the surf to avoid being pounded. 

"I'm constantly in awe of the different moods the ocean goes through on an annual cycle," said Mark, from Sydney. "I'm trying to capture those moods through people underwater. The latest pictures in this series were mainly shot around the Sydney area."

Striving for dramatic shots, Mark has to hold his breath for up to a minute as he waits for the perfect moment. He said: "As the wave approaches I try to be on the ocean floor a few seconds before the swimmers dive under, so I'm underwater before they dive below. The camera I use shoots close to around eight frames per second, which helps to capture the people's expressions and subtle changes in body positions. The camera is kept dry using an underwater housing, which is really light and super strong. Most importantly its size doesn't become a hindrance when I'm swimming to get into position - or to get out of danger fast." 

"Having surfed my whole life I'm pretty confident in waves of most sizes, which helps with holding my breath to stay under and get the shot. I got caught a few times, unprepared for the sheer size of the ocean swells, but it made for some interesting photos," he said.

sible to be able to capture any situation. Sometimes I'm in the water for six hours a day, four days straight. It really depends on the elements that are delivered on the day, plus the people around at any given time. There are times when I've been in there for six hours without a break and my eyes are so bloodshot I can't really see by the end," he said.

Mark's work will be displayed at exhibitions around Sydney this year. His shots are also available to buy as prints through his website www.theunderwaterproject.com