Armando Piccinini - Underwater Photographer Extraordinaire

Armando has a talent of being able to first find the fish in crystal-clear water and secondly have the patience to photograph them in their natural environment. Barbel are renowned to be very cautious and for Armando to be able to get so close and be accepted by them took many dedicated hours of diving to gain their confidence.

Biography

Armando started to fish when he was seven years old and practiced many fishing techniques from carp to fly-fishing and trout.

Earning his degree in Fish Biology from the Università degli Studi di Parma in 1995 by studying catfish behaviour in the river Po, Armando's interest in fish behaviour led him to start actively diving in 2005 to better observe fish in their natural environment. His passion for fishing slowly changed to underwater photography and video, allowing him to show everyone what happens under the surface.

As a fisherman, his favourite subjects are freshwater fish particularly carp, catfish, barbel, chub and trout.

Now a doctor of ichthyology, he works with fish and river management and aquaculture production together with Gen Tech - Biology branch of the University of Parma and as a full time underwater photographer. He is one of the Italian representatives of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), writes for many notable Italian fishing magazines and lectures on fish behaviour to fishermen and anyone who wants to know more about the underwater world.

See Armando's other work in our Fish Photography gallery.