The Biggest Online Resource for Scuba Divers
Search
Close this search box.

Underwater Photographer of the Week: Wade and Robyn Hughes

Underwater Photographer of the Week: Wade and Robyn Hughes

How did you get started in underwater photography?   

Underwater Photographer of the Week: Wade and Robyn Hughes

Wade was taking his first (sometimes homemade) underwater housings into the sea in the late 1960s and has done so ever since. But we started photographing whales together above and below surface back in 2005.  We’re trying to illustrate and document as many aspects as we can of the lives of whales, particularly, sperm whales.

As much as we can, we attempt to move beyond documentary photography to create images that reveal some of the underlying aesthetic of the sea and these advanced beings that we call whales. To do all that that successfully we need images from above surface and below, and so working as a team works really well for us. As good as they each might be individually, given that whales are air breathing mammals, underwater and above surface images rely on each other to provide additional context and meaning. 

What came first – diving or photography?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

Photography.

What’s in your underwater photography kitbag?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

We use DSLRs. Above surface, we use lenses ranging from 24mm and 35mm wide-angle out to 100-400 zooms, and very occasionally, a 500mm prime lens. Underwater, fish-eye and rectilinear wide-angles, out to 100mm short telephoto. Over the years, we’ve had a series of commercially available aluminium housings.   

Favourite location for diving and underwater photography?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

For sperm whales, it’s the Azores. The whale-watching industry there is superbly managed and regulated and we’ve been fortunate enough to be granted permits issued by the Azores Government. It’s illegal to swim with whales there without such a permit. These days we work there exclusively with Futurismo. We’ve swum with humpbacks in Tonga, but also gone looking for above surface images of them in Australia, Alaska, Norway and British Columbia. For coral reefs, Wakatobi in Indonesia.

Most challenging dive?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

A better question might be, have there ever been any encounters with whales where photographing them has not been a challenge! That’s one of the joys of spending time in the presence of advanced beings with as wide an array of personalities, dispositions, moods and interests as you’d find in any crowd of humans. Add to that their immense size, the fact that they inhabit the hostile open ocean; the boat’s moving, the whales are moving, the camera is moving, underwater, even on the clearest of days there’s limited visibility, and the whales, almost without exception, prefer the up-sun position. That can all be a challenge!

Who are your diving inspirations?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

Hans Hass, Ernie Brooks, and a couple of south Australians, Rodney Fox and Brian Rodger – who in the early 1960s both survived near-fatal great white shark bites and went back into the sea as soon as they were able and mentored youngsters, like Wade, along the way. 

Which underwater locations or species are still on your photography wish list and why?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

We’re always interested in new species, but when it comes to whales, our primary intent is to learn and record as much as we can about sperm whales. As Dr Richard Smith, an underwater photographer and marine biologist himself, has said recently: “The more you know, the more you see”.  So, even though this is a hobby for us, we want to spend as much time as we can with these animals. The more we get to know them, the more we realise how little we know, and the more we start to observe and recognise subtleties and patterns in their behaviour. 

What advice do you wish you’d had as a novice underwater photographer?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

Underwater photography brings its own specific, mainly technical, challenges, but it would have been good to have been encouraged to first develop a sound grasp of why any particular photograph above water or below, or any particular work of art, resonated for us. Understanding the why, makes the what a lot easier to visualise and that in turn helps lay out a path for successful technical execution.

Hairiest moment when shooting underwater?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

Nothing to do with whales. A quiet night dive on a coral reef suddenly shattered by a herd of white-lighting aliens. Turned out they were just a bunch of enthusiastic selfie-hunters.

What is your most memorable dive and why?

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

They’re not all memorable, of course, but too many of them have been to single any one of them out.  Generally, any entry into the water that results in a meaningful insight into the power, scale, or complexity of the natural world beneath or on the surface, has to count as memorable. 

Wade and Robyn Hughes

Underwater Photographer of the Week Wade and Robyn Hughes

Wade and Robyn Hughes have won numerous awards for their work as underwater photographers. The duo are based in Australia and have a particular interest in photographing sperm whales. Check out their work at www.wadeandrobynhughes.com

@adefrutos63 
#askmark How do you handle follow on dives when your last one has been very stressful due to a shortage of air?
#scuba #scubadiving #scubadiver
LINKS

Become a fan: https://www.scubadivermag.com/join
Gear Purchases: https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/dive-gear 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUR WEBSITES

Website: https://www.scubadivermag.com ➡️ Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Scuba Gear Reviews
Website: https://www.divernet.com ➡️ Scuba News, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Travel Reports
Website: https://www.godivingshow.com ➡️ The Only Dive Show in the United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rorkmedia.com ➡️ For advertising within our brands
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/scubadivermag
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/scubadivermag
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/scubadivermagazine

We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor.

@adefrutos63
#askmark How do you handle follow on dives when your last one has been very stressful due to a shortage of air?
#scuba #scubadiving #scubadiver
LINKS

Become a fan: https://www.scubadivermag.com/join
Gear Purchases: https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/dive-gear
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUR WEBSITES

Website: https://www.scubadivermag.com ➡️ Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Scuba Gear Reviews
Website: https://www.divernet.com ➡️ Scuba News, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Travel Reports
Website: https://www.godivingshow.com ➡️ The Only Dive Show in the United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rorkmedia.com ➡️ For advertising within our brands
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/scubadivermag
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/scubadivermag
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/scubadivermagazine

We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor.

YouTube Video UEw2X2VCMS1KYWdWbXFQSGV1YW84WVRHb2pFNkl3WlRSZS42ODgwQ0RBNTY1OTRERDQy

Getting Back in the Water After a Bad Dive? #AskMark #scuba

Scuba.com Website Link:
https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/9vpz


Become a fan: https://www.scubadivermag.com/join
Gear Purchases: https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/dive-gear 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUR WEBSITES

Website: https://www.scubadivermag.com ➡️ Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Scuba Gear Reviews
Website: https://www.divernet.com ➡️ Scuba News, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Travel Reports
Website: https://www.godivingshow.com ➡️ The Only Dive Show in the United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rorkmedia.com ➡️ For advertising within our brands
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/scubadivermag
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/scubadivermag
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/scubadivermagazine

We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor.
00:00 Introduction
01:19 Scuba.com
02:13 Unboxing
03:51 Specs
09:40 Review

Scuba.com Website Link:
https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/9vpz


Become a fan: https://www.scubadivermag.com/join
Gear Purchases: https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/dive-gear
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUR WEBSITES

Website: https://www.scubadivermag.com ➡️ Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Scuba Gear Reviews
Website: https://www.divernet.com ➡️ Scuba News, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Travel Reports
Website: https://www.godivingshow.com ➡️ The Only Dive Show in the United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rorkmedia.com ➡️ For advertising within our brands
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/scubadivermag
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/scubadivermag
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/scubadivermagazine

We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor.
00:00 Introduction
01:19 Scuba.com
02:13 Unboxing
03:51 Specs
09:40 Review

YouTube Video UEw2X2VCMS1KYWdWbXFQSGV1YW84WVRHb2pFNkl3WlRSZS43RjgyNkZCNjkwMkZDMzcz

OrcaTorch D630 V2.0 Umbilical Torch Review #Unboxing #Review

This week on the podcast, Professional Dive guides in the Phillipines are in hot water after a tip off that some are accepting payment for engraving names in coral, leading to authorities to quadruple the reward money for any information on the culprits. LL cool J has recently told the Guardian that the anamatronic shark in Deep Blue Sea almost drowned him. And a former Navy diver has decided to become the first to swim the English channel, on his back.



https://divernet.com/scuba-news/conservation/dive-pro-accused-of-carving-corals-for-cash/
https://www.scubadivermag.com/ex-navy-diver-set-to-swim-channel-backwards/ 
https://www.scubadivermag.com/fake-shark-parked-ll-cool-j-under-water/ 
https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news/jamaica-shark-attack-decapitated-jahmari-reid-latest-457708-20240830 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg794yvkm5eo


Become a fan: https://www.scubadivermag.com/join
Gear Purchases: https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/dive-gear 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUR WEBSITES

Website: https://www.scubadivermag.com ➡️ Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Scuba Gear Reviews
Website: https://www.divernet.com ➡️ Scuba News, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Travel Reports
Website: https://www.godivingshow.com ➡️ The Only Dive Show in the United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rorkmedia.com ➡️ For advertising within our brands
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/scubadivermag
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/scubadivermag
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/scubadivermagazine

We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor.

This week on the podcast, Professional Dive guides in the Phillipines are in hot water after a tip off that some are accepting payment for engraving names in coral, leading to authorities to quadruple the reward money for any information on the culprits. LL cool J has recently told the Guardian that the anamatronic shark in Deep Blue Sea almost drowned him. And a former Navy diver has decided to become the first to swim the English channel, on his back.



https://divernet.com/scuba-news/conservation/dive-pro-accused-of-carving-corals-for-cash/
https://www.scubadivermag.com/ex-navy-diver-set-to-swim-channel-backwards/
https://www.scubadivermag.com/fake-shark-parked-ll-cool-j-under-water/
https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news/jamaica-shark-attack-decapitated-jahmari-reid-latest-457708-20240830
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg794yvkm5eo


Become a fan: https://www.scubadivermag.com/join
Gear Purchases: https://www.scubadivermag.com/affiliate/dive-gear
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUR WEBSITES

Website: https://www.scubadivermag.com ➡️ Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Scuba Gear Reviews
Website: https://www.divernet.com ➡️ Scuba News, Underwater Photography, Hints & Advice, Travel Reports
Website: https://www.godivingshow.com ➡️ The Only Dive Show in the United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rorkmedia.com ➡️ For advertising within our brands
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/scubadivermag
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/scubadivermag
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/scubadivermagazine

We partner with https://www.scuba.com and https://www.mikesdivestore.com for all your gear essentials. Consider using the affiliate link above to support the channel.

The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional SCUBA Training. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace training from a qualified Dive Instructor.

YouTube Video UEw2X2VCMS1KYWdWbXFQSGV1YW84WVRHb2pFNkl3WlRSZS5FRUEzOUYxQTE4OEIyMTI3

Guides Were Paid to Graffiti Coral #scuba #news #podcast

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

Get a weekly roundup of all Divernet news and articles Scuba Mask
We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Recent Comments
Recent News