Articles

A beautiful colored sculpin rests on the bottom at the famous Swanage Pier dive site, Dorset, UK
 

Having developed a love for the sea at an early age, Ryan first took the plunge into diving at the age of 16 in Dorset, UK. Since then, his passion for the underwater world has grown, leading him to combine his engineering background with his creative side through underwater photography.

Ryan became interested in underwater photography when he met his wife, Sandra. They were both eager to share with others the wonders they were discovering underwater. This led them to start with compact cameras, and eventually upgraded to mirrorless cameras. They both began entering competitions in 2019, seeing it as a valuable way to push themselves—and perhaps sparking a bit of healthy competition between them.

While Ryan dives both in the UK and abroad, he finds the unique beauty of his home waters particularly captivating. Enjoying macro photography, he loves uncovering the tiny, intricate details of marine life that often go unnoticed and overlooked. You never quite know what you might come across in UK waters, and that element of surprise keeps him searching.

His work has been recognized at both national and international levels, with awards in competitions celebrating the art of underwater photography. However, his greatest joy comes from sharing what he sees beneath the surface—whether it’s a hidden creature on the seabed or a larger marine animal when the opportunity arises. Ryan hopes to use his imagery to inspire others to appreciate and protect our underwater world.
 

Even the UK has a species of adorable little bobtail squid, Dorset, UK
 

A curious corkwing wrasse comes up to inspect the camera beneath Swanage Pier, Dorset, UK
 

A delicate crinoid perched on a cluster of sponges, Dorset, UK
 

A long-exposure UV shot of a cluster of snakelocks anemones, Dorset, UK
 

An incredibly small jellyfish perched on a piece of kelp, Dorset, UK
 

A miniscule stalked jellyfish clings to a strand of seagrass, Dorset, UK
 

A pair of seahares mating amongst the marine plants, Dorset, UK
 

A beautifully colored and patterned stalked jellyfish, Dorset, UK
 

A fantastically colored prawn with some sparkly bokeh, Dorset, UK
 

A beautiful little Polycera nudibranch inching its way along some graphic seagrasses, Dorset, UK
 

A very small bobtail squid glitters as bright as its surroundings, Dorset, UK
 

A cluster of gooseneck barnacles have decided that a discarded soccerball makes a good home, Dorset, UK
 

A pair of pipefish cling to a floating piece of seaweed, Dorset, UK
 

To see more of Ryan’s work from the UK and around the world, please give him a follow on Instagram.