Podcast – Pharmacists after Hours Ep.4: The underwater photography enthusiast
In the latest episode of a new podcast series, which explores the interesting hobbies pharmacists get up to in their spare time, Devon-based pharmacist Dany Ros takes a deep dive into the world of underwater photography.
-
Mr Ros has explored several wrecks from the Second World War during his time diving (Credit: Dany Ros)
-
This image of a cuttlefish was shortlisted for the British Wildlife Photography Award 2012 (Credit: Dany Ros)
-
Mr Ros takes a lot of photos of the part of Devon in which he lives (Credit: Dany Ros)
-
Cuttlefish mating (Credit: Dany Ros)
-
Many creatures Mr Ros pictures are small sea slugs and urchins, such as this nudibranch feeding (Credit: Dany Ros)
-
Mr Ros managed to snap this image of a compass jellyfish on one of his dives (Credit: Dany Ros)
One of the sad facts of climate change is that it is likely that we will lose whole species of aquatic creatures in the coming decades. Pharmacists spend their working hours keeping humans fit and healthy, but one has devoted his spare time to underwater photography, capturing some of nature that may no longer exist one day.
“When I was younger, I admired all [David] Attenborough’s natural history [shows],” Mr Ros tells the podcast.
“I’m always fascinated by wildlife and how all the creatures and plants have adapted themselves to our changing world.”
Mr Ros explains that studying botany while becoming a pharmacist “really attracted” him to nature, and that if he wasn’t a pharmacist, he would have wanted to be a wildlife photographer.
The Torquay-based pharmacist got into underwater photography after being bought a test dive by his colleagues, and despite photographing nature from around the world, Mr Ros’s passion lies with the coast on his doorstep.
“Especially being in UK waters, lots of people think: ‘Oh well, there’s nothing there, its murky, it’s dark, there’s no light.’ But when you know what to look at, what to look for, where to look for all those animals and creatures – it’s just another world,” he says.
Mr Ros recalls one “magical” occasion where the bay he was diving in was carpeted in spider crabs – but he is not averse to following any small critter that catches his eye. “Sometimes I find myself crouching or crawling on the floor, under a bush. I will follow that creature and hunt it down until I can get a picture.”
For those interested in getting involved, Mr Ros says underwater diving is fairly accessible, though learning to take pictures underwater is an art in and of itself.
“Everything underwater moves,” he explains. “If you have a bit of a wave or anything next to you makes the water move, you’re going to move alongside it, and the creature on that bit of kelp is not going to stay put for you, so you have chase it around and somehow move at the same speed.”
Underwater photographers have to attempt to float at the same velocity as what they are photographing for the image to be crisp and clear, Mr Ros says. “If you looked at another photographer trying to take a picture, they’re always contorted and positioned in a way that you wouldn’t have thought possible, humanly.”
Listen to the full podcast below
You can listen to the podcast above. Alternatively, follow C+D's podcasts by searching “Chemist+Druggist podcast” on your preferred app or on Soundcloud.