Hello, and welcome to my latest Oceanographic Column and this time, we’re going to be tackling a really big topic – what to shoot when you get in the water. It can feel pretty overwhelming once you get in the water on deciding what to shoot. On one hand, you know your time is limited, on the other hand, there is so much to see down there and so many variables in terms of nature, your own creativity, and the light.

This is a meaty subject, and you could probably write a whole book about it. But I want to start tacking the topic in this column by sharing with you the approach that I take when I am underwater.

The first strategy – and the one I think is likely the most common – is to be subject driven. Now, if your subject is human – a fellow diver or a scientist you’re working with underwater – it’s obviously going to be easier because you will have an element of control over the situation and your access. But if it’s wildlife, that’s a different matter entirely.

First you have to find it, then you have to hope that it is actually approachable, then you have to hope that you are going to encounter an interesting behaviour. It feels really natural to be subject driven, but it can – oftentimes – yield very little fruit. This is why being flexible is key to a successful underwater shoot, and a topic I am about to explore in greater depth in this week’s column.