Through his passion for the water, marine life and photography, Steve has worked with a wide range of clients including the BBC and National Geographic, and his work has taken him to the Seychelles, Mexico, Peru and the Galapagos.

‍

Renowned for his visually stunning and emotionally impactful films that showcase the beauty and complexity of the ocean, we caught up with him to find out his advice for aspiring underwater filmmakers. From a typical day on set to how he came to specialise in underwater filmmaking, Steve shared everything you need to know to become a successful underwater filmmaker.

‍

What exactly does an underwater director of photography do?

‍

In my case I work on natural history films, which tend to be small productions despite their big impact. The underwater cameraman or director is responsible for the look and feel of the captured footage, and delivering the correct interpretation of what the director wants. So, a director might come to me and say they want to get intimate, character-building shots of a particular fish or marine creature, and I have to get in the water and ensure I have the right lenses and equipment to get what most people can’t see. Most directors of production companies aren’t divers, which means they trust me to create beautiful imagery by using backlighting and symmetry and framing. I try to work in an unobtrusive manner, because most of the time these creatures don’t want to perform in front of the camera; trying to be unobtrusive with big camera gear can mean a lot of hard work, so (in short) it involves using your underwater skills to bring to life a production vision.

Can you walk us through a typical day on set?

‍

There really is no such thing as a typical day on set. Often these things involve fetching the boat and getting equipment ready, but every shoot is different. For example, on a Netflix documentary I worked on about the breathing behaviour of chukka squid, I used rebreathers – which is when you recycle air and can stay underwater for long periods of time.

‍

Often, I go out to sea to find the right location, to double check that it’s beautiful and that the aesthetics are good, and the reef is the right colour. Typically, we dive for between 1 and 3 hours, come up, have a break and then go down again. This can vary drastically depending on what we’re after. Generally though, we’re in the ocean, launching boats, going out to sea, finding locations, coming back and looking after the equipment, going home and then doing it again the following day.

‍

Who are your filmmaking influencers?

‍

Character-led stories that feature individual animals are a big influence to me. I like stories where you follow one individual and you’re able to see the world through their eyes; I’m much more drawn to stories that involve personalised characters, in the natural history world where you’re able to follow a single creature.

‍

There’s one series I love called Tiny World and then there’s another series called The Hunt, which focused on the hunting sequences and behaviours of animals — I find both of these incredibly inspiring.

‍

When it comes to still photography, Tom Peschak is incredible — his conservation photography is off the charts. The angles and the messages he creates in a single image transcends both boundaries and languages, and I’m also a big fan of Justin Gillighan’s work.

‍

What are the toughest aspects of making a film today?

‍

Often, it’s the logistics. The right timing, proper permits, and getting a production company to believe in a project can be hard to navigate. As can funding – people need to have money to do these underwater shoots, and it’s a long process that can also be expensive.

‍

On the practical side of things, visibility, ocean conditions, and wind are all extremely difficult to plan around – all you can do is your best to try and work around them when possible, or at least have the ability to go on standby and wait for the conditions to line up.