First Fortune
December 2023 I was fortunate enough to head to Marsa Shagra with my university course. This trip personally marked a turning point for me and many of my fellow course mates. For many of us, this trip was the first time we’d travelled abroad with an underwater camera in hand. On this trip there was a motivation to not just to explore, but to try and capture what I saw, to translate the magic of being underwater into something others could experience through images.
Dolphin’s sleep with half their brains still active which allows them to continue swimming and breathing whilst resting.
The reefs around Marsa Shagra were teeming with life. The visibility was crystal clear, and the light poured in from above which allowed for plenty of experimentation when taking photos. I quickly learned that photographing underwater wasn’t just about technical skill - it was about slowing down, watching, and waiting for those moments when everything aligned: subject, light, and movement.
Each dive offered something new, and with every frame I took, I felt my underwater photography skills improve bit by bit. Analyzing different interactions between different species. Turtles and remoras with their co-dependent relationships. Dog snappers waiting for the perfect moment to strike the local shoals of barracuda that would surround the local dock. Dolphins circling round and round during their sleeping cycles.
This trip would not have been possible without Gina Goodman, Helen Perkins, Jane Morgan, Elle Speirs and Shannon Morgan who helped every student at every turn, putting in every bit of extra effort to help each of us achieve the most out of every shoot. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here writing about this amazing experience.
Tiny ghost goby sat proud upon a brain coral.
One of my most memorable dives on this trip was at turtle bay where, as the title implies, turtles commuted to feed on the sea-grass meadows found there. Prior to this dive i’d read up on the symbiotic relationship between turtles and remoras. Remoras feed off the algae growing on turtles shells, and in return the turtle gets a fresh shell to show off. Keeping this in mind, I kept myself at a far distance from the feeding turtles. Every 10 minuets or so, a turtle would head up to the surface for a breath. This was my interval to capture the turtle from below, using the sky and sun to slightly overexpose the background. What resulted was one of my favourite photos from the trip. By dumb luck, a remora placed itself directly central below the turtles belly and I captured the moment just before it lost its grip.
To my amazement, that photo ended up winning the Wide Angle Award from Fourth Element at our group exhibition once we’d all returned home. It was such a fantastic moment—something that had started as a personal adventure and creative experiment had been recognised in a way I didn’t expect.
