Future Focus: Isla Kallow
In each instalment of Future Focus, we speak with past and present students of the Marine & Natural History Photography BA(Hons) course at Falmouth University about their experiences, challenges, and successes on the course.
Isla Kallow – 2nd Year Student
Gina: What first attracted you to the Marine & Natural History Photography course at Falmouth?
Isla: I had just finished studying biology and photography at A-level and had loved both. My photography teacher mentioned MNHP, and I couldn’t believe that there was an entire degree dedicated to connecting two subjects I loved together. But what I think really attracted me to the course was the openness of the lecturers on my open day; everyone was equally invested as I asked question after question. I do think that the cherry on top is Falmouth itself. I walked down into the town as the sun was setting and couldn’t quite believe I could live in such a beautiful place.
Gina: Was there a part of the course that surprised you, either in a positive or challenging way?
Isla: I have always been quite a creative photographer; I liked using long and multiple shutter speeds while doing my A-levels to express motion. In first year, I found it quite hard to introduce this to wildlife photography. This is why I fell in love with underwater photography. When you’re underwater, there are so many variables to get right to properly light an image, but this also means that there are so many opportunities to be creative. Underwater photography opened my eyes to the opportunities lighting had to affect images. Both above and under the water, it drastically changed my path moving forward.
Diving in the UK
Gina: What was your first cold-water dive experience like?
Isla: I actually had never dived in cold water before I joined MNHP. I had learned to dive specifically for the course, so had done all my training abroad while travelling. Having no concept of what I was about to see underwater, I was beyond mesmerised. The billowing kelp and anemones were still so bright in early autumn; I loved it. Don’t get me wrong, I was numb by the end of it, but I definitely came out grinning.
Gina: What’s the most memorable UK dive you’ve had during your time on the course?
Isla: My last dive in first year was definitely one to remember. On our return back to shore, we spotted an absolutely enormous barrel jellyfish. I had never seen anything like it. I remember being stunned not only by the sheer size of it, but by the way it moved and the fact that it was right in Cornwall, on our doorstep. Photographically, it was an amazing experience to be able to practise wide-angle photography while it danced around the shallows. All my firsts were ones to remember, from octopus and cuttlefish at Porthkerris to a friendly seal at Mullion.
Marine Life & Projects
Gina: Which project or assignment has been the most rewarding for you so far?
Isla: The second-year underwater project was a highlight for everyone. In second year, you have finally mastered the basics and get to use those skills to think outside the box – the crazier and more creative, the better. I started using external lights to create coloured long exposures, using the flash from my strobes to freeze the subject on top. It was very much trial and error, but so rewarding.
More than anything, I am excited for my final year. I have been passionate for a while about urban underwater wildlife and sharing a habitat that is not often talked about. I grew up in London, in an area where wildlife is widely ignored. I can’t wait to use photography to share this world with people.
Gina: How do you approach storytelling in your underwater photography?
Isla: That’s quite a hard question to answer. I love trying to tell emotive stories, stories that wouldn’t otherwise be told. When it comes to underwater photography, we are told time and time again to remember to tell a story; it shouldn’t just be a pretty picture. I grew up in a world where I knew nothing about underwater wildlife and could never have imagined I would be in the position I am in now. The fact that the images are underwater is part of the story. That in itself is so beautiful; it can stand on its own.
Teaching & Support
Gina: Do you feel the course has prepared you for working professionally as an underwater photographer?
Isla: Photographically, I don’t think you can really ask for a better course to prepare you for the outside world. You learn the basics in first year and use them in second year to work creatively, telling stories that you are passionate about. But what has really started to make me feel prepared is the extras. Outside of the lectures and seminars, there are so many opportunities and like-minded people around. Going above and beyond to make the most of these opportunities will skyrocket you professionally.
Looking Ahead
Gina: What advice would you give to new students thinking about joining the course?
Isla: More than anything, the MNHP community is worth it. Be a kind and helpful person, and others will be there for you. MNHP is literally a degree full of up-and-coming people in the industry you’re interested in, and it is so worth working together to learn and create. In the future, no one fully works by themselves; it is vital to learn how to collaborate and bounce ideas off each other. Make the most of the thriving community.
Gina: What would you say to divers who might underestimate UK waters as a photographic subject?
Isla: Just go and have a look. I can’t believe that anyone could have a glimpse of the underwater world and not think it is beautiful. I have been lucky enough to dive and snorkel all around the world and have recently worked as a Divemaster Trainee in the Red Sea, but nothing comes close to UK waters. The UK presents such unique colours and light; it is really a photographer’s paradise.
Click below for more details about Falmouth University’s Marine & Natural History Photography course:
https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/marine-natural-history-photography
Meet Gina Goodman and the rest of the team at Falmouth University shaping the next generation of underwater photographers here.
