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Scubaverse Underwater Photographer Interview: Paul Colley
In an ongoing series, Scubaverse.com’s Underwater Photography Editors Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown talk to underwater photographers from around the world that they admire.
This week’s interview is with UK-based underwater photographer Paul Colley.
Paul is a former Royal Air Force top gun instructor who pursued a long-standing ambition to be a wildlife photographer. He quickly attained high recognition for his underwater photography, including top honours in international competitions. His book Winning Images with Any Underwater Camera achieved critical acclaim for the contribution that it made to the research, education and application of underwater photography. Paul is currently Chairman of the British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP).
N/C: How did your underwater photography start?
PC: I learned to dive at the turn of the last Millennium, took my first compact camera underwater in 2006 and never looked back!
N/C: What is your favourite u/w camera equipment (past & present) & Why?
PC: My favourite piece of equipment is a remote control Olympus compact camera. This is because I designed the system, which makes the results I get with it very rewarding. It allows me to take images of fish in fast flowing rivers in a way that marks them out as distinctly my own work.
Trout and Duck
N/C: What would be your advice to anyone new to underwater photography?
PC: Get onto a photography workshop, which will allow you to dive in the right places, at the right times, with the right advice from the right people and at a pace consistent with making good images. For me it was a revelation and I now love to run my own.
N/C: What, or who, has been your single biggest inspiration for your underwater photography?
PC: I think that Alex Mustard has been a huge influence for me, because he provides so much good information in an easy-to-understand way. He is one of the true contemporary masters of underwater photography and a real inspiration. My success with remote control photography is largely down to his advice to experiment with my own work.
Blue Sharks
N/C: What are your boundaries on post-editing image manipulation?
PC: I have no boundaries, just a personal mantra to be honest about what I have done. Post-processing is part of the digital workflow and we should embrace it. I always seek to improve the overall composition, but I also generally want to get it as good as I can in-camera and then just restore the essential truth of what I saw through the viewfinder. But some art and some commercial requirements need much greater manipulation; for example, composite scenes that cannot be photographed with one image. It’s not a sin to manipulate an image to a major extent if the image is to be a poster for marine conservation, for example!
N/C: Where is your favourite dive location, and is it for the photography?
PC: It’s difficult to pin down any one site, because there are so many that are so good for so many different reasons. But I love Egypt for its convenience and splendid reefs like those in the Straits of Tiran and in Ras Mohammed national park.
Brown Trout
N/C: What are you views on marine life manipulation, moving subjects?
PC: There’s no requirement to manipulate marine life. It stresses and even kills animals, so we should never encourage it.
N/C: What do you look for when you are making your images?
PC: The same that I encourage my students to seek. Good composition and specifically high contrast, which allows the subject matter to grab attention, and balance, which is how the different elements are organised within the frame. You can read about this in great detail in my book, ‘Winning Images with Any Underwater Camera’!
N/C: What motivates you to take u/w photos?
PC: A great part of it is making images count in conservation. I work a lot with marine and freshwater conservation agencies, for example the Blue Marine Foundation and Fauna & Flora International. This has helped two countries to establish major marine reserves around Ascension Island and in Cambodia.
N/C: If you could photograph any one thing/place what or where would that be?
PC: I would love to free dive with and photograph whales. I don’t mind where, as long as the water is warm enough!
You can see more of Paul’s work at www.mpcolley.com. You can also follow his exploits through his regular blog at blog.paulcolleyunderwaterphotography.com and on Twitter (@paul_colley).
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Renowned anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released from custody in Greenland after spending five months in detention. Denmark’s Justice Ministry rejected Japan’s request for his extradition, citing insufficient guarantees that his time already served in custody would be credited against any potential sentence.
The 74-year-old Canadian-American was arrested on July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, when his ship docked to refuel. His arrest was based on a 2012 Japanese warrant related to a 2010 encounter in Antarctic waters. Japan alleged Watson obstructed operations and caused damage to a whaling research ship during efforts to disrupt illegal whaling. Watson has consistently denied these claims, maintaining his commitment to marine conservation.
Denmark, which oversees extradition matters for Greenland, concluded that while the legal conditions for extradition were met, the lack of assurances from Japan regarding time-served credit made extradition untenable.
In a video shared by his foundation, Watson expressed gratitude and relief, saying, “After five months, it’s good to be out… and good to know they’re not sending me to Japan.” He added that the most difficult part of his time in custody was being separated from his two young sons.
Watson is a pioneering figure in marine conservation, known for founding the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022 after decades of activism with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. His bold efforts to defend marine life have earned him widespread support, including from celebrities and conservationists. His work has also been featured in the acclaimed reality TV series Whale Wars.
Watson’s lawyer, Jonas Christoffersen, praised the decision, stating, “We are happy and relieved that Paul Watson is now free.” He added that Watson is eager to reunite with his family and continue his vital work.
The arrest occurred while Watson’s vessel, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, was en route to the North Pacific with a team of 26 volunteers to intercept a Japanese whaling ship. His foundation described the arrest as politically motivated and emphasized that Watson’s actions were focused on ending illegal whaling practices.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after leaving the International Whaling Commission, asserting that whale meat is a cultural tradition. Conservationists, however, continue to challenge these practices, highlighting their impact on marine ecosystems.
Despite the challenges, Watson remains steadfast in his mission to protect marine life and bring attention to whaling practices. His dedication to ocean conservation has made him a globally respected advocate for the environment.
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