Brian Skerry is one of these underwater photographers who make you feel that this is technically easy to shoot whale sharks (like the one below) or a bluefin tuna, or a seal pup. Don’t let his work fool you. He masters a lot of techniques in a demanding environment, but gives us wonderful pictures of a world ever more in danger of disappearing.
Question: Is there something you would have like to have learned earlier in your life as a photographer?
Answer from Brain Skerry: There are many things I wish I had known earlier in my career. But if I had to select one thing, I would say that I wish I learned to take more risks photographically early in my life. When I began shooting, I was always trying to compose the “perfect” picture (whatever that is). I had a certain idea in my mind of what I wanted and only fired frames when all the elements lined-up. Today, I still have a vision of how I’d like a photograph to look, but tend to be a bit more loose in my style of shooting. I will work a subject from many perspectives and try things that probably won’t work, but when they do, its something very special. There are many situations I wish I could go back and re-shoot using this approach.
