2019 Sony World Photography Awards - 2nd Place, Sport, Professional Competition
Kohei Ueno was born in Tokyo, raised in Hokkaido and grew up in Singapore. He likes to freedive and to take photos, and he loves being underwater. Kohei Ueno picked up his first camera in 2014 after he quit my job at Google Australia, sold 90% of possessions and packed his life into a 40L backpack to travel the world. When he returned home in 2016, one of the photos he took won 1st place in an international photography competition, which enabled him to upgrade his kit, obtain his first ever underwater housing, as well as a trip to Tonga to swim with whales. These chains of fortunate events had reminded Kohei Ueno of how much he loves the ocean, how much he loves being active, and how much he loves being creative, the building blocks that naturally led him to exit the corporate world for good and pursue the passion he now has for freediving and photography.