Greater Solitude of Water

I’d had it in my mind for some time that I wanted to portray the essence of sharks in a creative and beautiful way. In doing so, I felt it important to demonstrate the power of their myth, the strength of their personality and a certain isolation. After a few days at sea, choppy waters arrived with a strong wind, yet the sky remained clear and bright. The scene from below looking up provided the perfect contrast of textures I was after.

In the lead up, I’d spent numerous dives experimenting with this and that. Trying out various techniques and shooting from different depths to determine how the water would look when the sun was high. The rest of the time, I’d been watching the shark action closely to better understand the way they interact with their environment, each other, and of course me. So I knew that the Lemon sharks liked to periodically skim the surface as part of their investigative circuit.

It took another two dives hovering patiently at the perfect depth, working to bring all the elements together before I’d captured this image. A portrait of a shark - strong and poetic, mysterious and magical.

Photographed at Tiger Beach, The Bahamas.