Katharine Kollman

"While I was not born near the ocean, I did grow up a stone’s throw from Lake Michigan, which is a glacial ocean 
in its own right. 
Through a series of seemingly random events, I discovered freediving in a small library in Wisconsin. As kids, we were always in the water, but this sport of breath-holding and diving was so foreign, and deeply alluring, to me. 
Like finally receiving the reply to some long-unanswered question, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. 
Having deferred from grad school, I was free to quit my job and get on a one-way flight to O’ahu, where I had signed up for my first freediving class. 

I spent months, years now, training and practicing freediving within a community of extremely dedicated and talented divers who took me under their wing. 
I quickly became as enamored as they were. It felt like the world had cracked open before me, revealing this glorious puzzle piece that was both of the entire Earth, and of the miniscule, yet magnificent, human existence. 
Something inside me was pulled to express these new feelings and experiences, a renewed creative spark. 
It was at this time that I discovered the work of underwater film photographer Wayne Levin–another eureka moment. 

A few years into photography now, Wayne is not only one of my greatest influences, but also a friend. I have found a medium that helps me express my emotions and celebrate the important individuals who changed my life. 
Film photography became the translator of my love for diving, helping me share and bond over this sport with other divers and artists alike. 
For me, the two practices instinctively go hand-in-hand: both demand immense patience and mental resilience, and slow progress is the only progress. I would never be the creator I am today without the incredible people who have come into my life, who have helped and encouraged me with every step."

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