Conservation Photography: How to Get Started for Underwater Photographers

If you’re an underwater photographer and you’re passionate about telling stories and preserving the natural world, you may be interested in conservation underwater photography.

Storytelling has been an important part of our species’ DNA for thousands of years, and image-making is at the heart of it.

There has never been a better time in history to use our creative skills to communicate important stories, hopefully connecting the public to the creatures, environments, and places we, as photographers, are passionate about.

The ocean is one of those overlooked, underfunded, and misunderstood places I have dedicated over a decade of my life to communicating.

If you are a passionate underwater photographer wanting to elevate your work and use your images to create positive change, you have come to the right place. In this article, we’ll look at how to get started in the world of underwater conservation photography.

Read more: How to Photograph a Wildlife Story

What to expect from a career in underwater conservation photography

Conservation underwater photography is one of the most rewarding parts of my career. However, it is also the most challenging.

From capturing emotive images of dead sharks at fishing markets in Asia, to diving into raging currents with poor visibility to document crucial field science, to the rewarding work of portraying the daily lives of fishermen saving critically endangered species, this is not a path for the faint of heart.

It requires dedication, passion, compassion, and a thick skin.

A powerful conservation photo story can evoke emotion, inform the public, and drive change. The ‘secret sauce’ to telling a captivating visual story is to lead with your heart – it’s this heartfelt connection that brings the magic.

Read more: Conservation Photography – How to Work With Biologists

Essential skills for underwater conservation photography

Diving and underwater photography are incredibly rewarding but challenging, especially if you aren’t comfortable under the water.

Before we talk about underwater conservation photography, here are some skills that should be mastered for any underwater shoot.

Diving and underwater photography skills

Having a solid understanding of diving and experience working with your camera underwater might seem like an obvious requirement. However, when you’re out in the field, you often have only seconds to capture a critical moment.

The last thing you want is to waste valuable time struggling to control your buoyancy or figuring out where to position your strobes.

Read more: 6 Essential Dive Skills for Underwater Photographers

Get comfortable in the uncomfortable

As a conservation photographer, getting comfortable with discomfort is key. While photography is often a solitary pursuit, working with others is essential. Strong communication skills are crucial. Your morals and ethics will be tested, and you’ll need to stay calm under pressure.

In some situations, you may even need a planned escape route, such as when documenting illegal activities – like an illegal shark market in Asia that I’m currently planning to cover.

One of the most rewarding aspects of conservation photography is meeting people from all walks of life, each with their own perspectives. You’ll encounter people you disagree with, but the best journalists engage without judgment or bias.

This ability to connect with and understand different viewpoints is what makes a great storyteller.

Quick and creative thinking

Thinking on your feet is an essential skill in conservation photography. Often, you’ll find yourself in fast-paced or unpredictable environments, where the perfect shot won’t wait for you to get ready. In these moments, creativity becomes your greatest asset.

It’s about thinking outside the box and adapting quickly to the situation. You might need to change your angle, experiment with light, or capture a moment from an unexpected perspective to tell the story in a more engaging way.

Read more: 8 Tips for Creating Amazing Lighting in Underwater Photos

Finding a story to tell

Whether you’re at the beginning of your ocean conservation photography journey or you’re more experienced, starting with local stories that are easily accessible and require minimal funding is a great place to begin.

One of the biggest challenges in capturing a story is securing funding and access. Creating a compelling narrative takes time, patience, knowledge, and trust, often taking years to fully develop. This field is very much a marathon, not a sprint!

When starting any story, I focus on research and building connections with on-the-ground scientists, conservationists, and volunteers. Staying informed about local stories is essential.

Begin by reaching out to the scientist or leader of the story to establish a relationship and understand how you can help as a communicator.

Ask questions like “What story would you like me to tell?”. Remember, your role is to be the messenger of their story. If they’re not open to sharing, it’s not your story to tell.

Research is key. Check what other photographers have already covered to ensure your perspective is fresh and unique. Consider the timeliness of the story to prioritise and plan its structure effectively.

Talking to people, networking, and putting your work out there are the best ways to find stories. It’s taken years of emailing, calls, in-person meetings, many dead ends, and connecting with people on diving expeditions to uncover some incredible stories. Persistence and passion are key.

Telling a compelling narrative

Before picking up your camera, it’s essential to distinguish between a topic and a story. Topics are broad and general, while stories focus on how, why, and when events occur, adding specificity and context.

Every story should have three key elements: Characters, Conflict, and Timeliness. Characters could be people, wildlife, or locations. Ask yourself: Who are they? What are their values, desires, and goals?

A strong photo story follows a clear structure: beginning, middle, and end. This includes (although not necessarily in this order):

• A Call to Action: What prompts the character to act?
• Conflict: The challenges they face.
• Resolution: How do they succeed or fail, and what changes occur?

Planning is key. Sketch thumbnails ahead of time to visualise shots. Ensure variety with close-ups, medium angles, wide shots, and split shots (an image that combines the view from above the water with a view from below) to bridge the gap between land and sea.

This technique is one I rely on often, as it’s a powerful tool for storytelling and a great way to connect people to the underwater world. Think creatively; your camera is your paintbrush, and your unique perspective is what will bring stories to life.

People connect with people

A mentor once told me, “People connect with people,” and that idea has shaped my work ever since.

In ocean conservation storytelling, I’ve learned that capturing animal stories often begins with sharing human stories. To protect sharks, you need to spotlight fishers. To show the impact of ocean plastic on marine birds, you must highlight the communities affected by it.

To make people care about a vast blue ocean or a fish that doesn’t show emotions like we do, you must connect the narrative back to something relatable. It’s human nature and the fun challenge of communicating ocean conservation stories.

From my experience, these narratives often centre on humanitarian issues. While documenting an NGO in Northern Sumatra releasing critically endangered wedgefish from bycatch, I realised the fishers were at the heart of the story, not the wedgefish.

Conservation photo stories frequently rely on topside shots as much as underwater imagery, bridging human connection to the marine world.

By focusing on relatable human elements and weaving them into compelling visuals, you can create powerful stories that inspire people to care and, hopefully, create change.

In conclusion

It can be an overwhelming task to capture hard-hitting stories. However, my advice is to keep it simple. If you have the connections, access, and funding, go out there and capture it!

The ocean needs your creative voice more than ever, and photography is a universal language that speaks across boundaries. Your photos could be the spark that makes someone care, inspires action, or even influences government policies.

In my experience, my photos have brought attention to underfunded NGO projects, made complex science accessible and exciting, and raised awareness for critically endangered species.

Ultimately, the ocean needs more people telling its stories; if we don’t tell them, they will remain in silence.