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Acclaimed photographer and industrial designer Matt Draper\u2019s<\/a> latest solo exhibition, Within One Breath, opens today at the Leica Gallery New York. The photos featured in the show were all captured on a single breath while freediving with Leica rangefinders and using only natural light, ensuring that the beautiful underwater environment was disturbed as little as possible. <\/p>\n Draper spoke with PetaPixel about his stunning monochromatic underwater photography, his unique approach to shooting, his industrial design projects with Sub13<\/a>, and even the fact that one of his photos went to the Moon on the UNESCO Memory Disc. <\/p>\n Draper\u2019s Work Speaks to Something That Feels Ancient <\/p>\n The photographer\u2019s black-and-white work has a magnetic appeal for many viewers, something Draper thinks is different and personal for each viewer. However, he recalls that a friend once told him the animals Draper photographs \u201csing to something ancient within us,\u201d a remark that has stuck with Draper over the years. <\/p>\n \u201cI feel that same pull, not so much when I see the finished works, but when I\u2019m there in person, sharing space with something truly wild,\u201d he says. Draper\u2019s subjects include sharks, seals, whales, and more, and the exhibit comprises photos from free dives in the South Pacific, Australasia, the Indian Ocean, Hawaii, and more. <\/p>\n Draper says his encounters \u201cstrip everything away\u201d and remind him \u201cwhat it feels like to be part of the natural world, rather than a visitor to it.\u201d <\/p>\n The artist thinks that this is perhaps what people sense when they view his work. <\/p>\n Draper, who is colorblind, admits that he was \u201calmost forced\u201d into the monochromatic photographic style that has become his trademark. <\/p>\n \u201cBlack and white has always felt natural to me. It draws attention to shape, form, and emotion without distraction,\u201d Draper says. \u201cSomeone at my last show mentioned that the difference between a photographer and an artist is that one talks about cameras and the other talks about light. I liked that. I don\u2019t see myself as overly technical, but I do see light and shadow in a way that feels instinctive.\u201d <\/p>\n Achieving the Perfect Black in a Photo and a Print Is \u2018Almost Impossible\u2019 <\/p>\n Draper\u2019s work relies heavily on extremely rich, deep blacks, which he says he is \u201cconstantly chasing\u201d in the field. <\/p>\n \u201cGetting those blacks right is almost impossible, but when it works, it\u2019s magic,\u201d Draper says. <\/p>\n He adds that seeing his photos in person, as prints, is when the medium truly shines. However, getting the print right can sometimes be nearly as challenging as getting the shot. <\/p>\n \u201cI think my printmaking team has probably hated me for our entire relationship, and I am lucky they still take my calls,\u201d Draper explains. \u201cMy work is almost impossible to print.\u201d <\/p>\n Sometimes it takes multiple attempts to get a print right, and even the tiniest error means that the print must be redone. <\/p>\n \u201cTim and Vanessa from Thirds Fine Art Printing in Australia handle all of it, and I am nothing without them,\u201d Draper says. \u201cWe go to extreme lengths to get the profiles right, and the blacks they achieve are unlike anything I have ever seen.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI can honestly say I look at my own prints and think they are some of the best I have ever seen, not from ego, but because I know the time, effort, and cost that go into each one. Art is subjective, but I truly believe that effort and discipline always outshine raw talent,\u201d he continues. <\/p>\n Draper wants to keep the precise paper he uses close to the vest, as it took years and significant cost to find the perfect one for his work, but he adds that printmaking is \u201cone of the most beautiful forms of art.\u201d <\/p>\n The artist recalls one time when he had an important piece shipped from Australia to a framer and longtime collaborator in Los Angeles. The framer was so stressed while working that a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and landed on the print, immediately ruining it. <\/p>\n \u2018Art is subjective, but I truly believe that effort and discipline always outshine raw talent.\u2019 From Working In Construction and Mining to Having a Photograph Sent to the Moon <\/p>\n Draper is no stranger to hard work and long hours, though. While he tells PetaPixel he has always been creative, he didn\u2019t nurture his artistic side as a child. <\/p>\n \u201cI left school and home as a young teenager, ended up working in construction and mining right up until 2014, when I bought a camera, a lens, and an underwater housing,\u201d Draper says. \u201cI was a lifelong surfer who simply wanted to photograph friends in the water.\u201d <\/p>\n What started as \u201can escape\u201d from his job, which Draper says no longer inspired him, ultimately became his life\u2019s work. Draper\u2019s freediving and photographic skills grew in unison, informing the work he does to this day. <\/p>\n \u201cIn 2017, I met David de Rothschild, who\u2019s now a close friend. He helped me a lot in those early days, almost like a mentor, encouraging me to take the art seriously. Those first trips to Los Angeles were eye-opening. Visiting places like the Getty and seeing other artists who weren\u2019t afraid to take themselves and their work seriously changed how I viewed my own path. I do take it seriously, even though it\u2019s fun. It\u2019s methodical,\u201d Draper says, adding that he also has the animals to thank. \u201cThey\u2019ve allowed me to get so close, to share those fleeting moments that feel almost sacred. Everything I\u2019ve built has come from those encounters. I owe it all to them.\u201d <\/p>\n Speaking of Draper\u2019s freediving skills, they are integral to his photographic process and his new show, Within One Breath. <\/p>\n \u201cThere is something powerful about holding your breath,\u201d Draper says of diving unassisted. \u201cTime slows, noise fades, and you feel completely present. It is the purest reminder of what it means to be alive.\u201d <\/p>\n From a technical perspective, freediving gives Draper an advantage, he says. It enables him to be quieter, more fluid, and less intrusive underwater. He waits at the surface until the right moment arrives, and if the animal is interested and wants to be close, he will dive. <\/p>\n \u2018There is something powerful about holding your breath. Time slows, noise fades, and you feel completely present. It is the purest reminder of what it means to be alive.\u2019 <\/p>\n \u201cIt is a collaboration, in a sense.\u201d <\/p>\n The intimate, emotional nature of Draper\u2019s work has earned him significant attention over the years, and culminated in what he considers one of the \u201ccoolest\u201d achievements of his career so far. Draper\u2019s image, Bow, which is in the Within One Breath exhibit, was selected to be on the UNESCO Memory Disc<\/a>, which is a time capsule that has been included in three lunar missions since 2024. The Memory Disc carries humanity\u2019s cultural and artistic heritage into space to preserve it for future generations. <\/p>\n \u201cHard not to sound egotistical with this one, I mean, it is going to the Moon. It really comes back to taking the work seriously, and there is nothing better than when others do the same. When something like this becomes real, it feels like the coolest and most ridiculous flex imaginable,\u201d Draper says of his photograph being on the Memory Disc. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is hard to describe it without sounding like a peanut, but I would love to be remembered as an artist who kept evolving. I have moved more into industrial design now, but looking back over a ten year body of work that I honestly do not think I could better, having one of those pieces included on the UNESCO Memory Disc alongside the Mona Lisa as the only photograph, it is a real pinch yourself moment. I am proud of that.\u201d <\/p>\n Shooting With Leica Rangefinders Underwater <\/p>\n Concerning Draper\u2019s industrial design work, he has been featured on PetaPixel numerous times for his work with Sub13, the company he founded that designs bespoke underwater housing for Leica cameras, including its rangefinders, like the ones Draper uses to capture his incredible photos. <\/p>\n \u201cSo much of my work has been about myself, a lot of I and a lot of me, and even I get tired of that. SUB13 came from the same place as everything else I do, obsession. I was relentless about getting the M fully functional underwater, for all my work, so I kept pushing until it finally worked. What started as a personal experiment turned into close to 10 years of trial and error, and somewhere along the way it created a bit of a buzz,\u201d Draper explains. <\/p>\n Once he and his team felt good about what they had built, they shared it with the rest of the world via very limited production runs. Draper says that Sub13 has become one of his favorite projects of all because it enables other artists like him to create and explore their passions and artistic visions. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was built by an artist, now for artists,\u201d Draper says. <\/p>\n He and the rest of the team, which includes three others, decided to make a new underwater housing for each time Draper had a Leica show, as a way to celebrate and give back to Leica for its ongoing support. <\/p>\n When Draper\u2019s work was exhibited at the Leica Store in Washington, they built a one-of-one Leica M6 Orca Edition. Now, for Leica Gallery New York, Sub13 built a special M11 version with a custom, laser-engraved, paint-filled design \u201cinspired by the animals that shaped the work itself.\u201d <\/p>\n As for why Draper uses a rangefinder for his underwater photography, which is undoubtedly more challenging in some ways than other modern cameras, he says he loves finding ways to overcome seemingly impossible challenges. <\/p>\n \u201cAs much as the idea of less is more rings true, I seem to choose every path that makes things harder, and that is probably why I never get bored,\u201d Draper says. <\/p>\n \u201cThe rangefinder is, without question, the hardest and most impractical camera I could have chosen to take underwater,\u201d he says. \u201cYou only need to read the comments on Sub13 posts to see people asking why, and that question is exactly what keeps me inspired. I love the process, I love what I use, and I love how it all feels when it finally comes together. That, to me, is what art should be.\u201d<\/p>\n Ultimately, the fact that others connect with Draper\u2019s approach is a nice bonus, but he argues that artists should always create first for themselves. <\/p>\n \u201cIt may not always make sense. It may not always make money. But staying true to yourself always shows in the work,\u201d Draper says, adding that the Leica M remains his \u201cfavorite tool.\u201d \u2028<\/p>\n For its part, Leica is a massive supporter of Matt Draper\u2019s artistic mission. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is truly special to welcome Matt Draper back,\u201d says Karin Rehn-Kaufmann<\/a>, Art Director & Chief Representative of Leica Galleries International. \u201cHis work embodies patience, respect for nature, and a deep emotional connection to the subjects he photographs. Within One Breath reminds us of the power of stillness and presence \u2014 values very close to Leica\u2019s heart. We are honored to share his vision once more.\u201d <\/p>\n Rehn-Kaufmann describes Leica Galleries as emblematic of the very heart of Leica\u2019s brand. <\/p>\n \u201cThey are where photography becomes dialog, where images meet people and create meaning. We support artists like Matt Draper because they bring integrity, curiosity, and humanity to their work. They show what photography can inspire when used with purpose.\u201d <\/p>\n Like all of the shows at Leica Galleries worldwide, Draper\u2019s new one has been curated specifically for him and his extraordinary work. Rehn-Kaufmann and her team work closely with photographers like Draper to design the perfect layout. <\/p>\n \u201cFor Within One Breath, the layout is spacious, calm, and immersive, mirroring the quiet intensity of Matt\u2019s underwater world.\u00a0 The work is installed chronologically to share the development of Matt\u2019s vision over time,\u201d Rehn-Kaufmann says. <\/p>\n This is a special year for Leica, as it is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Leica I<\/a>, the world\u2019s first 35mm camera. Within One Breath, alongside Leica\u2019s other exhibits this year, celebrates \u201ca century of seeing the world through the eyes of extraordinary photographers.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThis anniversary is not only about history; it is about continuing to support artists who redefine how we see, feel, and understand the world,\u201d Rehn-Kaufmann concludes. <\/p>\n ![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Marauder.jpg\")
\u2018Marauder\u2019 by Matt Draper <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nurture.jpg\")
\u2018Nurture\u2019 by Matt Draper <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/matt-draper-unesco-memory-disc.jpg\")
Matt Draper\u2019s photo, \u2018Bow,\u2019 seen further below, was the first photograph to be sent to the Moon as part of the UNESCO Memory Disc. | Photo by Matt Draper <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SUB13M11.jpg\")
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\u2018Bow\u2019 by Matt Draper Leica\u2019s Commitment to Artists Like Draper <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/matt-draper-portrait.jpg\")
Artist Matt Draper \u2018Within One Breath\u2019 Opens Today <\/p>\n