Picture Perfect

“I was working as a dive instructor and guide on the whale shark and manta ray tours here in Coral Bay,” he says. “Nowadays, a typical day will see me taking photos of guests on board our tours and snorkelling with the incredible array of marine life we have here on the Ningaloo Reef. We get to swim with turtles, manta rays and other large fish pretty much every day.”

Since Jake has turned professional,he makes sure that's always ready for whatever the day may throw at him.

“Every single encounter is different and it rarely goes to plan, so it's hard to plan in some ways,” he says. “I make sure my camera is ready and the exposure settings are correct,and then I wait for the perfect moment to take the photograph of my subject.

The most important thing is to try to become part of the environment and not disturb the animal'snatural behaviour.”

The best conditions are calm seas, clear water and a sunny day – conditions that fortunately Coral Bay frequently experiences.

For an underwater photographer, shooting in Coral Bay is a dream assignment.

“I've been lucky enough to work alongside some incredible photographers and combining those skills with the experience of working with big animals in the ocean over the last ten years has helped me prepare for my new role as a photographer. I'm extremely lucky to have a lot of great photographer mates here in Coral Bay to help me keep learning new techniques.”

One of those mates - Alex Kydd

also happens to be one of the best- known underwater photographers currently working in the Coral Bay region. He often captures his incredible images while freediving, and, thanks to his degree in Marine Biology, he’s got an extra special insight into the ocean and its animals.

“All the images I take while on Ningaloo reef are taken on a single breath,” he says.

“Freediving can allow for closer interactions with animals because you don’t have bubbles like you would a scuba tank. A fundamental part of freediving involves being calm and relaxed underwater, and this can allow for greater interactions with animals as you’re less likely to scare them.”

Alex spends many hours working underwater and editing the hundreds of images he takes every day.

“Working on the Ningaloo Reef means that you have the possibility every day to witness something truly spectacular. There are never two days that are the same and it’s one of the reasons I love the place so much.