During my childhood, I have vivid memories of a deep dislike for the sea. One of my earliest memories is at a young age my father invited me to go on a trip while fishing using a boat. The discomfort from the swaying waves that make me nauseous and endless vomiting makes me really hate the sea.

This hatred of the ocean has remained with me for many years. Apart from the waves and the sun on the very hot sea surface it makes me very uncomfortable. Until I saw a saltwater aquarium at my friend's house which presented a very beautiful view that made me first interested in the underwater beauty.

If you asked me years ago where I thought I would end up as an adult, becoming an underwater photographer would blow my mind. As a teenager I was not very interested in the world of photography, especially in the sea or underwater. I continued my interest in studying at an aviation school and finished it by working for an airline in Indonesia. To work in this field is not easy because I am the first son in my family. To work at an airline makes me have to be away from my beloved family.

One day I met a friend of mine who has a passion for scuba, from there I tried scuba. The first time I did my scuba was in the city of Palu, Donggala beach, which is famous for the beauty of the coral decorated with very healthy fish. This is what makes me even more interested in doing scuba activities.

I bought my first camera not long ago when my interest in scuba and underwater beauty was growing. I started using action cameras to capture the underwater beauty that I saw. But that left me dissatisfied. Not long after, I met more and more friends who were far more experienced than me in scuba. This is what makes me even more eager to continue to complete and improve my education about diving.

Not long after I finished my diving education, which included me in the category of certified professional divers, I started raising my camera in hopes of getting beautiful underwater pictures.

In 2020 I started my journey to dive into several cities which, according to the stories of divers, have very beautiful underwater beauty. The first city I visited was the city of Luwuk which is also still in Central Sulawesi. With a limited budget that gets a lot of experience in the city. Not only in the city of Luwuk, I continue to walk to other cities with a very excited feeling, because Indonesia is famous for its underwater beauty.

I bought my first underwater camera and started teaching myself the basics of underwater photography. I spent hours in the water practicing and taking every opportunity to develop my skills. After some time diving, I feel very ready for new challenges and jobs with more creativity where I can develop my career. I knew if I wanted to take photography seriously I needed to upgrade my camera to a full frame setting. I'm also thinking about where I want to work as a photographer. I have been following several Indonesian photographers via social media for some time. It seemed to me that this might be the right place to continue and improve my skills in photography.

In 2021 I moved to south Bali and started my first job as a professional photographer. Now two years later I am still here and feel right at home. The coral reefs here are amazing and we are very fortunate to have such a healthy and diverse population of marine animals such as manta rays, whale sharks, dugongs and many other species. Bali is just one of those places that gives you a feeling of magic and never stops bringing new surprises, it is truly a dream location for any underwater photographer or nature lover.

Not long ago, I tried to take part in an underwater photo competition in Indonesia. In this competition, I won 2nd place in the professional underwater photo class. This is a very good achievement for me. At the beginning of my career I received a warm welcome with my work.

The more I came here, the more I met several senior professional underwater photographers who made me always ask questions and discuss things. In addition, more and more people trust and like the work of my hands and camera to capture underwater moments, both in the form of photography and videography.

To follow all my adventures check out my Instagram @nontji_