Shoal business
It was a warm summer morning when Whirlwind cast off from the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. Valerie and 19 fellow diving enthusiasts would call the live-aboard yacht home for the next week, as the chartered vessel sailed to some of the most breathtaking reefs and wrecks in the northern Red Sea. The cohort would complete multiple dives per day alongside one of the world’s leading underwater photographers, Dr Alex Mustard, who was on hand to provide a wealth of aquatic advice.
“Communicating underwater isn’t easy, so most of the teaching will be done between dives,” Alex told the guests who had piled into the boat’s saloon for their first lecture. “On one trip I used my hand to gesture to a student that there was beautiful evening sunlight to shoot, and after the dive he asked me if I’d seen a lionfish… teaching underwater doesn’t work!
“The Red Sea is famed for its soft coral, which grows particularly big and colourful. But in direct sunlight or with no current, these organisms appear small and droopy. That’s why we’re going to head out early tomorrow morning, to capture the coral at its very best.”
Valerie listened as Alex explained to the group how he’d approach the subjects; then, following a light bite, she set her alarm and turned in.
CAST THE FRAME WIDE
The apprentice awoke at 5.45am and headed straight down to the dive deck, where Alex and a handful of guests were already preparing their kit. She placed a formatted SD card and fully charged battery into her D500 and attached her AF-S Fisheye 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED.
“Don’t forget to check your vacuum and make test shots,” the pro
