For Talented, Versatile Olympian Turned Artist Tomasz Rossa, Only Outex Can Keep Up.
Sep 24, 2025
Tomasz Rossa: From Olympic Diver to World-Class Photographer — Powered by Outex Versatility
From soaring off Olympic springboards to capturing breathtaking performances behind the lens, Tomasz Rossa’s journey is a story of movement, artistry, and reinvention. Born in Warsaw, Poland, Tomasz was a 6-time Polish Junior National Champion and 10-time Senior National Champion diver before earning a scholarship to the University of Iowa. There, he became a 3-time All-American and competed for Poland in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games on the 3-meter springboard.
After retiring from competitive diving in 1996, Rossa transitioned into performance—working at Sea World Orlando’s Baywatch Show and later joining Cirque du Soleil’s groundbreaking “O” show in Las Vegas. As both performer and creative, he helped shape legendary aquatic productions including Le Rêve, The House of Dancing Water, and The Han Show.
But Tomasz’s creative eye had been developing long before the stage. Photography had fascinated him since grade school, and in 2002, he turned that lifelong passion into a professional career. His imaging work adorns world renowned hotels in the Las Vegas Strip to this day, and he worked for Celine Dion for a few years.
A Photographer Bridging Sport, Art, and Performance
To this day Tomasz is known for his ability to merge the discipline of sport with the emotion of performance. His work is widely recognized for its dramatic use of light, color, and movement, often showcasing large groups of performers in powerful, dynamic compositions.
His clients include Cirque du Soleil, Wynn Las Vegas, City of Dreams Macau, Resort International Santosa, Capezio, Celine Dion, Criss Angel, Dragone, and others. His images adorn billboards across the Las Vegas Strip and major entertainment hubs worldwide—sometimes stretching across entire hotel façades.
Why Outex is Essential to Tomasz’s Work
Tomasz is not limited by equipment—he embraces it. His toolkit ranges from high-resolution DSLRs and mirrorless systems to medium format cameras like Hasselblad, PhaseOne, and others. Each project demands something different, and Tomasz thrives on using the right tool for the job.
That’s where Outex delivers unmatched versatility.
With Outex’s modular design, Tomasz can transition seamlessly between camera bodies, lenses, and even mobile devices—whether he’s submerged in a pool, working with complex stage lighting, or capturing outdoor landscapes. The housings provide optical excellence and full camera control of all functions without compromise, allowing him to focus on his vision, not on equipment limitations. It even offers him the ability to tether, trigger, or remotely communicate with lights, computers, or other imaging accessories underwater thru Outex's patented cable adaptors (glands).
As Tomasz puts it:
“Outex gives me freedom. I can use any camera I want—whether it’s medium format for the highest detail or mirrorless for speed—and know it’s protected. Outex adapts to my creativity.”
The Creative Freedom of Protection Without Limits
For Rossa, Outex is more than protection—it’s an enabler. It empowers him to push his art in new directions, confident that his gear will survive and perform. His underwater photographs aren’t just technically stunning—they’re immersive works of art, combining his athletic past with his artistic present.
From Olympic pools to Las Vegas stages to underwater worlds, Tomasz Rossa’s career embodies the pursuit of excellence. With Outex, he’s able to keep evolving, no matter the camera or the environment.
Featured in Rangefinder Magazine
Tomasz’s artistry has earned him recognition in top industry outlets, including Rangefinder Magazine, which highlighted one of his breathtaking underwater portraits as a “Photo of the Week.”
The image was created with a Canon 5D Mark IV protected by Outex underwater housing and a Canon 24mm f/1.4 lens at f/5.0, 1/100s, ISO 400. The scene was illuminated with a Broncolor Siros L 800 strobe, shot at night in a private Las Vegas pool.
Tomasz Rossa says this image is part of an ongoing underwater photo project. “I have realized that my work centers around my fascination with the human form,” he explains, “and I am always trying to find interesting angles and positions of my subjects. I like shooting after dark and lighting the pool with strobes positioned over the water. I find light patterns and overall light to be quite interesting and different.”
This image exemplifies Tomasz’s gift for blending technical mastery with emotional storytelling—and shows how Outex gives him the confidence to push his creativity into the water without hesitation.
“This is from a series of images that I was working on with model Kanako Kitao, an Olympic medalist and ex Cirque du Soleil performer,” says Rossa. “I have been working with Kanako for a few years now and our sessions always produce quite fascinating images. There was a tragedy in her life connected with water so the concept here was all about letting go of the past. It’s always almost like a therapy session when we work together in the water.”
The subject, Kanako Kit—an Olympic medalist and former Cirque du Soleil performer— collaborated with Tomasz on a deeply personal concept.
“It was all about letting go of the past,” Tomasz shared. “Kanako experienced a tragedy in her life connected with water, and these sessions became almost like therapy for her.”
Working underwater with a heavy, flowing dress presented unique challenges. Without a breathing apparatus, it required patience, calmness, and absolute trust between photographer and model. The rippling light patterns on the pool walls were naturally created by surface waves, adding to the ethereal atmosphere.
One challenge Rossa had on this shoot was working with such a big dress underwater. “It was very heavy and cumbersome to swim with it,” he explains. “It took a lot of patience and calmness while working in a deep pool without a breathing apparatus. In this instance it was just Kanako and me, without any assistance. The light patterns on the walls are created by the waves on top of the water. It took us a few tries to get it right.”
✨ Ready to take your camera everywhere your vision takes you?
Learn more about Outex and how it empowers creatives like Tomasz at Outex.com.
