bittenbysharks

YES, we were both bitten by sharks....

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ABOUT Claudia & Leon, the Bittenbysharks team:

Incessant travellers and modern nomads,
Acclaimed full time pro-photographers,
Accomplished movie makers,
Motivational travel writers,
Expert Scuba Instructors,
Inspirational and patient teachers,
Extraordinary Photoshop gurus,
Highly skilled in hospitality and customer service,
Passionate about good food and excellent coffee,
Excited about expedition travel in Indonesia and the Raja Ampat in particular,

Avid collectors of tribal art from all corners of the world,

Knowledgeable and efficient Expedition Specialists.

We utilise a 'can-do' approach, firmly believing in providing unsurpassed levels
of personalised service, by constantly striving to exceed expectations.

and YES! - we were both bitten by sharks:

We worked with sharks in the Bahamas every day, for almost seven years. The scenes involving sharks in movies, commercials, documentaries and TV shows, must be carefully orchestrated, and require a combination of experience, guts, nerves of steel and specialized skills in shark handling and underwater imaging. Being perfectly at ease working behind and in front of the camera, more often than not, we could be found working in the midst of forty+ swirling sharks, each of them jostling and bumping for position.

CLAUDIA'S STORY: During a photo shoot, a shark got hold of my left hand; I was not wearing my usual chainmail gloves, and had the presence of mind not to rip my hand back, since I instinctively knew that the serrated teeth would slice through like butter; so, instead, I let the shark take me for a little swim until she realized that I was not part of her food chain, and promptly let go. It took a couple of operations, and an uncountable amount of stitches to re-attach a tendon and patch the hand back together, as well as months of painstaking therapy;
but hey - my hand still works!

3 months later...

LEON'S STORY: I was working amongst some rowdy sharks one morning, in full chainmail regalia, when a shark got its teeth stuck in my chainmail gloves, and instinctively thrashed and twisted like a crocodile to get free. The arm was broken in seven places, with two nerves severed. After two lengthy operations and 10 excruciating months of therapy, I was fortunate to recover 70% use of my arm. A blessing, it turns out, since we were later informed that had we arranged to be immediately evacuated to the USA after the incident,
I would automatically have been an amputation candidate!

and so....

Shortly after both incidents, we met marine artist Dominique Serafini, who was once the illustrator for Jacques Cousteau on the Calypso back in the day, and while we told him our tales, inspired by the moment, he grabbed pencil and paper and began to sketch furiously. He presented us with a cartoon, which has since evolved into the present day Bittenbysharks.com logo.

For many years, we have been consistently diving the incredible reefs proclaimed by scientists as the �bulls-eye of biodiversity� in the Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia and we wanted to share the joy. We formed Bittenbysharks.com as a way to represent our humble attempts to capture the power and magnificence of the world�s oceans in compelling imagery, and thereby draw the world�s attention.
Bittenbysharks Underwater Imaging is dedicated to educating and inspiring
underwater shooters worldwide, and in so doing, teaching them to respect and protect the bounty of the exceptionally rich reefs of the Raja Ampat....not to mention our world�s oceans.

We tend to veer off the beaten path and specialise in Ultra Marine destinations offering unsurpassed reefs and top-notch diving in combination with un-rivalled hospitality and customer service.
When we dive and work with you to improve your imaging, it changes everything and 'just another dive trip' instead turns into the trip of a lifetime, because of the immediately improved results.
We go out of our way to ensure you get value for money - we source preferred operators that meet or even exceed our expectations.

We specialise in making dreams come true. ..

SHARK SCARS

They say a scar is but a tattoo with a story, and indeed, the sharks left us each with a good story and a substantial scar as a constant reminder. We bear no grudge. Their teeth touched more than mere skin and bone, somewhere deep within, the sharks connected with us both and made us fiercely protective of the ocean�s bounty.

Every so often, we subconsciously rub our scars, and we remember....We remember that the world�s sharks are still out there, but only just, their numbers sadly diminishing by the day, and that they are in dire need of not only our help,
but the whole world�s help! We attempt through our compelling imagery to capture the beauty that is still to be seen and experienced in the world's oceans, and to thereby foster a spirit of conservation, by sharing our enthusiasm with everyone we meet...

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Working in the Bahamas with sharks: short video

Having travelled the globe for 10 years and learned everything they possibly could about the hospitality industry as crew for their national airline, professional underwater photographers, experienced M.S.D.T PADI Intructors/ SDI Instructors and Instructor Trainers, Claudia Pellarini-Joubert and Leon Joubert, based themselves in the Bahamas for almost 7 years, where they were managers at the famous Stuart Cove's in Nassau. Stuart Cove and his lovely wife Michelle, inspired them learn everything they could about the underwater business, which included diving, snorkelling, watersports, underwater imaging and Underwater Hollywood.

Claudia was the Resident Photo Pro and Manager of the now famous Fin Photo Center, where she took on the digital learning curve with a vengeance, laying the foundations and turning a small underwater photo and video center into arguably one of the most progressive of it's kind in the world. Leon managed Stuart Cove's watersports concession at the exclusive Lyford Cay Watersports, an exclusive country club catering to rich and famous personalities VIP's, captains of industry and their families.

It was while in the Bahamas, that they co-ordinated and worked on a constant flow of underwater film productions, honing their skills alongside the world's top underwater photographers and cinematographers, the likes of Stephen Frink, David Doubilet, Marty Snyderman, David Fleetham, Brian Skerry, Tom Campbell, Sigurd Tesche, Pete Zuccarini and Pete Romano, to name but a few.

In this period they played host to and trained several movie stars, amongst them Salma Hayek, Josh Lucas, Mia Maestro, Scott Caan, Paul Walker, Woody Harrelson, Jessica Alba and Pierce Brosnan as well as famous personalities such as Nigel Marven, HRH Princess Michael of Kent, Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs, the Mythbusters, Phil Keoghan of the Amazing Race, The Olsen Twins , Penn & Teller and many more.

On a daily basis, Claudia and Leon could be found underwater, working in the midst of 40+swirling sharks. Simultaneously they worked on an endless stream of underwater productions, ranging from feature films such as After the Sunset, Into the Blue, Pirates of the Caribbean, Casino Royale, Holiday in the Sun, to IMAX films such as Ocean Men, commercials for Hyundai, Rolex, Playstation, Sony, CFA and Discovery Channel, as well as documentaries, reality shows and talk shows.

Claudia's footage has been broadcast on several major international networks such as Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic Channel, The BBC, MTV, RAI 2, RSN, Fuji TV, Mens HD Channel, Canale J, Russian TV, TNT, ESPN, Global TV Network, Canada TV, Independent Television UK, The Living Channel, GermanTV, the Tony Danza Show, Regis & Kelly LIVE and Oprah.
Their images, articles and cover features have been published in a variety of international media, tourism travel and dive publications, including Ocean Realm USA, Scuba Diving USA, Welcome Bahamas, What to do Bahamas, LEO magazine Switzerland, Sport Diver UK, Marine Diving Japan, Diver UK, The Hilton Executive, TV Guide USA, Divestyle SA and Submerge SA, Prestige Magazine SA, Getaway Magazine SA, Express Air Magazine Indonesia, Islands Magazine USA, Scuba Diving Australasia, Asian Geographic Magazine, Asian Diver magazine, Raja Ampat Guide book, Reef Life guide to marine life, The Art of Underwater Photography and most recently: The Raja Ampat through the lens of....

When they shoot underwater , they use only the best: Nikon SLR cameras housed in SEACAM, and HD Sony video cameras housed in GATES.

Claudia and Leon do most of their diving in Indonesia, in particular on the reefs of the Raja Ampat, an area that scientists call the 'bulls-eye of biodiversity'. Over the years, they have had great success operating dedicated, full service, state-of-the-art Underwater Imaging Studios in the Raja Ampat in tandem with local resorts; however they are just as happy to offer their services on the fly, as required. They combine their decade of professional travel experience in the hospitality industry with their intense years of underwater imaging experience, as well as their combined many thousands of dives, to offer the best value for travel to the very best diving destinations on the planet. Benefit from their experience, expert instruction and expert advice, during these amazing and thoroughly enjoyable adventures in Indonesia and beyond....

Claudia and Leon: "We firmly believe in providing unsurpassed levels of personalised service
and constantly striving to exceed expectations, through meticulous attention to detail."

Claudia Pellarini: BA HONS Pol Sc, French, Italian, English, Basic Indonesian; PADI MSDT; SDI Instructor; Professional Underwater Photographer and Videographer

Leon Joubert: English, Afrikaans, Basic Indonesian; PADI MSDT; SDI Instructor Trainer; Professional UW Photographer and Videographer

CREDIT LIST

CLAUDIA & LEON UNDERWATER PRODUCTIONS CREDIT LIST:

DP = UNDERWATER DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

SD = STUNT DOUBLE

BTS = BEHIND THE SCENES

PI = PRODUCTION IMAGES

UWM = UNDERWATER MODEL

GR = UNDERWATER GRIP

Feature Movies

Casino Royale (2006, Eon Productions )BTS/ SD CLAUDIA & LEON

Into the Blue (2004, MGM-Mandalay Pictures) BTS/PI CLAUDIA After the Sunset (2003, New Line Cinema ) BTS CLAUDIA

Holiday in the Sun (2000, Dualstar Productions) BTS CLAUDIA

CFA commercial (2004, Mr Big Productions) DP CLAUDIA

�No Opportunity Wasted� commercial (2004, Discovery Channel) DP CLAUDIA

Aqua Sled (2004, Veldora Corp) DP CLAUDIA

Medal of Honor (2003, Rhythm and Hue Productions) BTS CLAUDIA

�Great Adventures� Fine Living (2003,The Casey Company) DP CLAUDIA

Hyundai Tiburon (2002 Will van der Vlugt Productions) BTS CLAUDIA

Sony Micra MV (2002, Joe Pytka Productions) SD/UWM CLAUDIA

Television / Documentaries / Reality shows

MTV � Celebrity Underwater � Nick Cannon DP CLAUDIA

Dream Wrecks Arcadia Entertainment 2006 DP CLAUDIA

Discovery Channnel � Shark Week 2006 Premier �Jobs that bite� PI/BTS/DP CLAUDIA & LEON

Discovery Channel -Shark Week 2006 �Are they man-eaters?�DP CLAUDIA

History Channel �Test Lab� (2006, History Channel) DP CLAUDIA

Aquaman ( 2006,Warner Bros)DP CLAUDIA

National Geographic �Is it Real� (2006, Nat Geo Television & Film) DP CLAUDIA

�Aquakids TV� (2006, George Stover Productions) BTS CLAUDIA

Mens HD TV Channel �Playing in Paradise� (2006, Bennett Productions) BTS CLAUDIA

Global TV Network �Dream Wrecks� (2006, Arcadia Entertainment) DP/BTS CLAUDIA

TV Poland � �Snorkeling with Sharks� (2006) DP CLAUDIA

RAI 2 ��Alle falde del Kilimanjaro� Travel Series (2005) DP CLAUDIA

�Blue Revolution - Sharks� (2006, Just Add Water Productions) BTS CLAUDIA

Discovery Channel � �SOS� Reality Series (2006, Darlow Smithson Productions) DP/BTS CLAUDIA

Penn & Teller (2005) BTS CLAUDIA

BBC & Discovery Channel �Ocean Odyssey� (2005, Impossible Pictures) BTS CLAUDIA

Independent TV � UK �Package Travels� (2005, Yorkshire Television) DP CLAUDIA

�Marty Snyderman� (2005, Sigurd Tesche, German TV) BTS/UWM CLAUDIA

�Marine Machines� (2005, Arcadia Entertainment) DP CLAUDIA

Reality Show (2005, Prin Pictures) DP CLAUDIA & LEON

�Mermaids� (2005, Warner Bros.) BTS CLAUDIA

RSN � �Thrillseekers� (2005, Jessica York) DP CLAUDIA UWM LEON

Discovery Channel �Mythbusters Shark Week 2005� (2004, Beyond Productions)DP CLAUDIA

MTV �Into the Blue, Your Movie Show� (2005, MTV Productions) DP CLAUDIA

National Geographic -�Naked Science� Bermuda Triangle (2004, Pioneer Productions) DP CLAUDIA

Fuji TV �Quiz Hexagon -Azumi Masaki� (2004) DP CLAUDIA UWM LEON

Discovery Channel �Making of- Mythbusters Shark Week� (2004, Red Tree Productions) DP CLAUDIA

�The Dennis Miller Show� (2004) DP CLAUDIA

�Marine Machines� � (2004, Arcadia Entertainment) DP CLAUDIA

�Celebrity Hobbies� � (2004, Momentum Entertainment ) DP CLAUDIA

ESPN � (2004) DP CLAUDIA

BBC � �Extreme Ironing� (2004) DP CLAUDIA

Discovery Channel -�No Opportunity Wasted� (2004, No Opportunity Wasted Inc) PI CLAUDIA

Canale J Iap Iap - �Extreme Kid� (2003, Vent De Folie Productions) DP CLAUDIA

ZDF TV � �Bahamas� (2003, Corinna Wirth) DP CLAUDIA BBC / Discovery Channel � �Sea Monsters� (2003) BTS CLAUDIA / GR LEON

BBC �Journey of Life� (2003) BTS CLAUDIA

BBC � National History Unit �Sea Trek� BTS CLAUDIA

Russian TV �Lleonid Yrmolnik & Andrey Makarevich� (2003, Union Mass Media) DP CLAUDIA

National Geographic �TV Today �Deep Flight Aviator� (2003, Lisa Sonne) BTS CLAUDIA

Live with Regis and Kelly �� Atlantis� (2002, Buena Vista TV) DP CLAUDIA

Discovery Channel �Marven -Walking with Dinosaurs� (2002, Impossible Pictures) BTS CLAUDIA & LEON

TNT � �Movies for guys that like Movies� (2001) SD LEON

Print Work

The Raja Ampat through the lens of....2010

Islands Magazine 2010

Express Air magazine 2010

Scuba Diver Australasia 2010

Getaway 2009

Real Travel UK 2009

Diver UK 2009

Prestige SA 2009

The Art of Underwater Photography 2008

Submerge SA 2007 -2009

Beeld SA 2007

Getaway SA 2007

Submerge SA 2007

Divestyle SA 2007

LEO magazine Switzerland 2007

Hilton Magazine EU 2006

Sport Diver UK 2006

Welcome Bahamas, Bahamas 2006

Ocean Realm Magazine USA 2006

Scuba Diving Magazine USA 2006 �What the Pro�s shoot�

Hilton Executive Magazine (2006)

Ocean Realm Magazine (2005)

National Geographic �Bahamian Sharks� (2005, Brian Skerry Photographic)

Film Zone Magazine UK (2005)

Storm Case Brochure (2005, Stephen Frink Photography)

Rolex (2004, Stephen Frink Photography)

�Captain Jon� DVD (2004, Status Productions)

Sport Diver UK �Wrecks of the Caribbean� (2004,John Mc Intyre)

Syngenta �(2003, Jamie Stillings Photography)

Scubapro Catalogue (2002)

The Fashion Magazine �Carmen Kass� ( 2001)

Celebrity Divers & Students

Salma Hayek, Josh Lucas, Mia Maestro, Woody Harrelson, Barbara Mandrell, Jessica Alba, Paul Walker, Scott Caan, Josh Brolin, Bill Wrigley, Heidi Klum, Natalie Imbruglia, Ashley Scott, Pierce Brosnan, Princess Michael of Kent, Phil Keoghan, Tiger Woods, Josh Hartnett, William Lee Scott, Jim Belushi, Nick Cannon, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, Kelly Ripa, Carmen Kass, Eva Green, Chris Anderson & Jacqueline Novogratz

info@bittenbysharks.com

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