Mustard’s MASTERCLASS First in a brand-new column by underwater photography guru Alex Mustard. This issue, Alex outlines who he is, and what he aims to achieve in the coming months Photographs courtesy of Alex Mustard / www.amustard.com
H
ello! I’m Alex. I’m new to the magazine as a ‘regular’, but not new to underwater photography. I’m a diver and occasional freediver, although you won’t find me doing either of those without a camera. My passion for the sea has been lifelong. I took my first underwater photos when I was nine years old and gained my first dive qualifications a few years later. Since then, my life has always been connected to water. I have a Ph.D. in marine ecology, and after a further four years working as a marine biologist, I turned my underwater photography hobby into my job. I have logged 4,870 dives with a camera - I have kept logging my photo dives, so I can trace all my photos back to exactly where they were taken.
it. This is my motivation to help others take better pictures underwater. I’ve been sharing my ideas and techniques through workshops, talks, articles and books for more than 25 years. Many of my photos have enjoyed a life of their own, becoming well known in prominent books and magazines, in the mainstream media or in highprofile photography awards. They have won multiple categories in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and British Wildlife Photography Awards. I was named European Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2013, and remain the only underwater winner of that title. My coffee-table book on coral and climate change, Reefs Revealed, was named the best book of underwater pictures for 2007. The obvious gap in my contest
I’m proud to have been awarded the ADEX Award for ‘Extraordinary Contribution to Underwater Photography’ and to have received the rare Golden Trident award from the International Academy of Underwater Sciences. And it was very special to be awarded an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for ‘services to underwater photography’ People correctly assume a marine biologist has a tremendous advantage for underwater photography. It means you know what you are looking at, where to find interesting species and gives you a sixth sense for capturing natural behaviour. I’d encourage any diver learn a bit more about underwater life, whether you take photos or not. It is not about knowing dry Latin names or tongue-twisting technical words, but real-world experience of how underwater animals live their lives. Knowledge is always faster than reflexes for a photographer. My scientific background has shaped my photographic career as well as my pictures. As a scientist you learn knowledge isn’t to be hoarded - there is no point in earning it if you don’t share
CV is not having any awards from the prestigious Underwater Photographer of the Year contest. My excuse is that I am a founder and chair of the judges for that one, which prohibits me from entering. I’m proud to have been awarded the ADEX Award for ‘Extraordinary Contribution to Underwater Photography’ and to have received the rare Golden Trident award from the International Academy of Underwater Sciences. And it was very special to be awarded an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for ‘services to underwater photography’. So as an underwater photographer who has been around the block, it makes sense for me to aim this column at you enthusiastic shooters. I hope to pass on valuable insights, gleaned from being out there in the