SCUBAPRO Deep Elite Team - Harry Skeggs
Harry Skeggs
Harry Skeggs is an award winning nature photographer and is considered a leader in the fine art photography space. Harry is honored to have his work featured by some of the largest names in the travel and photography industry, including National Geographic, and to be represented by some of the world’s top fine art galleries. Harry is committed to showing the world as it’s supposed to be – wild and free – only ever showing subjects in their natural habitat. He is adamant that his work should be part of the solution and not the problem.
An Interview with Harry Skeggs
Why did you decide to take the giant stride into the oceans?
It was a new challenge for me photographically. There were a lot of new considerations technically and artistically and there was no crutch of using long lenses like there is top side. It required getting close and personal with my subjects, on their terms and in their home, and that appealed to me.
How has diving changed your life?
It’s a whole new world, a peaceful one where you can leave the crowds behind and hear only your own bubbles. It’s therapeutic for that reason. It’s so different to the topside, where much of the fauna is hidden away in thick cover, here everything seems on display in full color. It’s a spell binding place.
If you had to pick one of the most amazing experiences underwater, what would it be?
I was out in the Bahamas to photograph tiger sharks, so far we hadn’t had much luck. On a deep dive I had some equipment failure at about 40m (not Scubapro but very much the reason I started working with them), and whilst we kept calm and did our drills it felt like a close call. I knew I had to get back in the water or it could become a mental block, so 1 hour later we were under the waves for a shallow dive. The light was rippling in beautiful crepuscular rays, and that’s when we met our first tiger. A beautiful adolescent, with strong markings, perfectly offset by the dancing light rays. It was the reward for getting back on the horse, and it felt like a special moment.
Of your list of accomplishments in your diving career, what are you most proud of?
Photographically I am most proud of my humpback whale photos, particularly one entitled ‘Making waves’. We weren’t blessed with great visibility and this meant that, unless we were lucky enough to get some very close passes, it was going to be a fruitless trip. Always very conscious that we don’t want to disturb the animals, any encounter had to be on their terms, so simply swimming closer was not an option. Thankfully we met the most interactive calf, who we nicknamed missile for his habit of coming shooting up to us every time he saw us. I had a clear image of what I wanted, a half and half photo with the whale in perfect detail. This was a huge challenge as the waves were rough and we were in open water, and I needed to be within 4-6ft to make the photo work. Rarely do wildlife shoots work out the way you hope, with too many variables and uncertainties, but with a whale as inquisitive as missile, all I needed to do was nail my technique under the conditions. I was thrilled to come away with the shot, with a perfectly symmetrical central wave. It has and it has been one of my bestsellers. It is dedicated to that beautiful calf, Missile, may he forever make waves.
Where are some of your favorite places underwater?
Such a difficult question! The tiger sharks of the Bahamas was just incredible for adrenaline. Tonga for the humpbacks was spellbinding too. One particular highlight has also been a remote part of Papua New Guinea. With almost zero tourism to this part of the country, you could dive reefs that have likely never had a diver before. Turtles and sharks would swim up out of pure curiosity. Incredible!
What is your advice to someone considering diving?
Just try it, however you feel about it. I was initially quite nervous about diving, but after my first dive I was hooked. There is so much going on, so much to see, it really is a whole new world. Explore it for yourself, you will not regret it.
Why do you think we should encourage more people to dive?
Awareness is so important in conservation. Particularly for animals that don’t get the love or media attention they deserve, like sharks. Widely feared, it´s no surprise that people don’t devote as much compassion as, say, elephants. But as soon as you spend time with these animals you realize they are nothing like the popular image. If more people can see this, more people will care and the more that will be done to stop the tragic loss we are seeing. We tend to think of the earth as our home, but the oceans are too. Without them we will be lost!
What is the favorite thing in your dive bag?
I love my Seawing Nova fins. Positioning is so important with photography, I need to put myself in exactly the right place to get the shot. The fins are so agile I really feel I can turn and pivot on a six-pence. Nothing will make me change!
Why is SCUBAPRO your choice for dive equipment?
I had a dive accident at depth where some rental equipment gave up the ghost. Whilst we dealt with it, staying calm under pressure and ding our drills, from that point I vowed to work only with the highest quality equipment. I did a tonne of research and, from that, it was clear Scubapro were just that. Deep down you want the best – you really do! Since then I haven’t had the slightest issue. Confidence in your equipment is so important, especially in photography. You have so much going through your head technically and artistically there isn’t space to worry about your gear.