slideshow

Life in the Field as an Underwater Photographer

Brian Skerry, an award winning photographer for National Geographic, explores the underwater world searching for the perfect photo. But getting that photo is never easy. Read more from Brian about the perfect underwater photo and other adventures in the field on his blog. 

Tags: Brian Skerry Scientists at work Photography Behind-the-scenes
Photographer Brian Skerry walks knee deep in a mangrove in the Bahamas.
Preview Brian Skerry sits on a 20 foot high underwater tripod to photograph the Aquarius Habitat off Florida.
Preview Brian Skerry prepares to dive in icy waters.
Preview Brian Skerry in a room with all his photography equipment cases.
Preview Brian Skerry takes an up close photo of a tiger shark on the seafloor.
Photographer Brian Skerry walks knee deep in a mangrove in the Bahamas.

On the Hunt for a Perfect Photo in the Mangroves

Credit: Copyright © Mark Conlin

Photographer Brian Skerry hikes through a mangrove in Bimini (The Bahamas) to scout locations to photograph baby sharks. Learn more about Brian's life in the field. 

Brian Skerry sits on a 20 foot high underwater tripod to photograph the Aquarius Habitat off Florida.

Photographing the Underwater Aquarius Habitat

Credit: Copyright © Mark Conlin

Trying to get a good angle for a photo while underwater can be tough when you are working among currents and other distractions, like animal visitors. In this photo, Brian Skerry sits atop a 20 foot high underwater tripod to photograph the Aquarius Habitat off Key Largo, Florida. Skerry lived inside the underwater lab for 7 days.

Brian Skerry prepares to dive in icy waters.

Getting Under the Ice with Brian Skerry

Credit: Mauricio Handler

Underwater photographer, Brian Skerry, prepares for an icy dive off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. With all the specialized gear and the large amount of travel necessary to take photos underwater, Skerry says that "being a National Geographic magazine photographer is not unlike being a professional athlete..." Read more about his travels in a blog written about life in the field.

Brian Skerry in a room with all his photography equipment cases.

Brian Skerry's Photography Gear

Credit: Randi Rotjan

Brian Skerry warily stares down his photography equipment on board the vessel Nai'a on an expedition to the Phoenix Islands. Read about the patience it takes as a traveling photographer and the work that goes into preparing for expeditions like the one pictured here. 

Brian Skerry takes an up close photo of a tiger shark on the seafloor.

Face to Face with a Tiger Shark

Credit: Copyright © Mark Conlin

What would you do if you came face to face with a shark? Brian Skerry lives for these moments and is ready with his camera. Here he is seen photographing a large tiger shark on the seafloor near the Bahamas. Read more about Life in the Field with Brian Skerry.