Interview with Underwater Photographer Shane Gross

We talk with Shane about his inspirations, projects and experiences underwater.

A school of 14 eagle rays, each 6-8 feet in diameter glide in the clear water’s of The Bahamas (Shane Gross)

​Photography

I was always interested in photography, but got serious about it at the rather late age of 24. I was doing a lot of scuba diving as I backpacked across Australia and I loved bringing along disposable film cameras (all I could afford as a backpacker) when one day I was flipping through a magazine and came across Doug Perrine’s amazing Wildlife Photographer of the Year image from the sardine run. In that moment I decided I would do whatever it takes to be able to make an image like that someday. So, I went back home to Canada, got a “real” job behind a desk and took out a car loan to buy my first underwater camera setup where I had some sort of control over the image. I worked hard to pay off the loan and then I had to save to go on trips to be able to use it. I could see that this was too slow, I couldn’t practice enough. So, I became a dive instructor and got a job in The Bahamas. That allowed me to practice almost constantly and hone both my diving and underwater photography skills.

In Your Face - 2nd place, 'Underwater' National Geographic Nature Photographer Of The Year, 2017,
 Typically a shy species, a Caribbean reef shark investigates a remote-triggered camera in Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen marine protected area. Predators, like these Caribbean reef sharks, are abundant—a sign of a healthy ecosystem. (Shane Gross)

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​Projects and inspirations 

I have won some awards that I’m proud of, but what makes me really chuffed are when people tell me things like “wow, I’m never eating octopus again after seeing that image and hearing your story” or “I had no idea tuna were such beautiful animals, maybe I shouldn’t eat them everyday”. Those individual connections are really inspiring. To get big things done, however, takes collaboration and it takes years. I’m working on a few projects right now which I hope will lead to major conservation wins in the form of marine protected areas and fisheries regulations changes. I am only a tiny cog in the big wheel of science and conservation to make those changes happen, but I believe that the images will give those on our side the tools they need to get it done. Images have the unique power to instantly communicate on an emotional level. It has been shown time and again that information in written or spoken form is usually not enough to move people into action. Once people saw Justin Hofman’s seahorse riding a plastic cotton bud the conversation around plastic pollution blew up and reached people who ordinarily don’t hear about that stuff. I am also a prime example, it was Doug Perrine’s image that inspired me to get into this field as well. 

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One of the very first projects I worked on was called “glide – a runway event for the oceans”. It was a one-night fundraiser that raised almost $10,000 for the Shark Trust. We did a shoot with underwater models in a pool for the promotion and then the actual night came which consisted of a runway fashion show, food, video and stills projections, presentations by ocean science experts and a whole lot more. It showed me early on what collaboration can do and that seemingly unrelated topics like fashion in land-locked Saskatchewan can be used to help the oceans. Whatever your situation is, if you are creative and driven you can make a difference. The advice I would pass on is the advice I got when I was starting out and it all felt overwhelming and over my head. “Just do it”. Despite it being cliché now thanks to Nike, it really did help me. Don’t wait for someone else to come a long that is going to walk you through everything, you are going to have to do it yourself. Get in the water as much as you can and shoot as often as you can. You will inevitably get better at both and the better you are the more opportunities will come your way.

Caribbean reefs have been hit especially hard by various human-made threats like overfishing, agricultural runoff, pollution, and coastal development. (Shane Gross) 

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Inspiration and purpose

There are a lot of things that keep me inspired, but really, it’s being out in nature, especially being underwater. The more I’m out in nature the more I want to shoot and do what I can to protect the animals and habitats I love. I’ve gotten to know individual turtles and sharks that have been killed at the hands of poachers, it really hurts, but I’ve also seen the tide begin to turn in the right direction. If I can’t be in nature then I take inspiration from fellow photographers and nature documentaries. Blue Planet II is incredibly inspiring. After each segment I think “wow, I want to go there and see that for myself!” Organisations like Sea Legacy and The Save Our Seas Foundation are great examples of organisations who use photography to bring conservation to our oceans, they inspire me greatly.

Some images place in competitions which can help spread the word on conservation and some have even given me travel prizes which affords me the opportunity to photograph places and animals I normally wouldn’t. Of course, the real challenge is gaining real, measurable conservation changes. I still feel like I haven’t done very much when I consider this, most important, measure of success, but I’m working at it and I’m hopeful some great things are about to come to fruition. It is especially difficult for photographers to make a living today so if an image sells well in stock or prints that can be considered a success. I am hopeful that the work I and others are doing contributes to people having a healthier respect for nature. On a specific level we are in the process of having two very special places in my backyard of The Bahamas gain protection in the form of Marine Parks where extraction is illegal. I am hopeful it will happen and I am proud that I might be a tiny part of that. 

A Cuba dogfish, actually a type of shark, is brought in on a long line. (Shane Gross) 

Thank you for reading. 
​You can find out more about Shane Gross's work here: 
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