Articles

A diver in the famous cathedral room of Silfra Fissure, Iceland
 

Some underwater photographers are specialists and focus their efforts on a specific region or a specific type of subject matter. New Photographer of the Week Brian Skjerven considers himself a generalist. From wide-angle subjects like sharks to the tiniest macro critters such as blennies, from cold water nudibranchs to warm water sea slugs, Brian will (and has) photographed it all. Brian was originally certified in the dark, murky waters of Lake Superior, but it was a move to Western Australia that prompted him to pick up a camera and begin sharing what he was seeing underwater with family and friends. He acquired an Olympus TG-5 and was off to the races!

After time in Australia, Brian moved to the UK and at the same time upgraded his camera rig and now shoots with a Nikon D850. While generally not at the top of most photographers’ destination wish lists, the temperate waters of the UK are home to a plethora of fantastic marine life. Perhaps it can't rival Southeast Asia for diversity, but then again, most places can't.

Brian still considers himself a beginner underwater photographer, having only started shooting his full-frame rig a mere three years ago. However, in that time, he has been fortunate enough to dive all over the world, from Indonesia to the Red Sea, to the Pacific Northwest, and to Iceland. His goal is to continue to improve his techincal photography skills but also to develop a more creative approach. Brian says he lives for the reaction from others when they see his work, especially non-divers who have not gotten to experience what the blue half of our planet is really like.
 

A secretary blenny peering out from its burrow in a coral head, Exumas, Bahamas
 

A horde of lion’s mane nudibranchs have taken over a stand of kelp near God’s Pocket Resort, British Columbia, Canada
 

Spectacular soft coral growth, surrounded by a proliferation of sea life, Red Sea, Egypt
 

Red Irish lords are a prolific and iconic species of the Pacific Northwest, God’s Pocket, British Columbia, Canada
 

The much-loved coral hermit crab: Instead of shells these crabs live in burrows inside coral growth, Solomon Islands
 

Huge coral outcrops dwarf a photographer, Red Sea, Egypt
 

An oceanic whitetip shark comes in for a closer look, Red Sea, Egypt
 

Nestled in its glass bottle home, a mosshead warbonnet peers out at the photographer, God’s Pocket, British Columbia, Canada
 

A dragon nudibranch, photographed with a shallow depth of field to emphasize the rhinophores, Indonesia
 

A stunning male weedy seadragon ferrying a clutch of bright pink eggs, South Australia
 

Scotland’s chilly waters host an abundance of colorful marine life, Oban, Scotland, UK
 

An explosion of life around a coral outcrop in the Red Sea, Egypt
 

One of the prettiest snails in the Atlantic, the flamingo tongue, feeds on a sea fan, Exumas, Bahamas
 

The Pontohi pygmy seahorse, likely the smallest seahorse species on Earth, Fiji
 

To see more of Brian’s stunning work from all over the world, please give him a follow on Instagram.