What Lies Beneath

An unparalleled underwater
photographic essay by Nikon
ambassador Matty Smith

Schooling Jacks at Mary Island, Soloman Islands

Schooling Jacks at Mary Island, Soloman Islands

Schooling Jacks at Mary Island, Soloman Islands

Q&A with Matty Smith

Matty Smith

Q: What lured you to underwater photography?

A: I’ve been into the water since I was a little kid – swimming, beach holidays, surfing – and when I was old enough to drive, I got into surfing in a big way. I bought a DSLR camera and water housing to shoot all my friends. When I emigrated to Australia from the UK in 2007, I got my dive ticket and now I’ve fully evolved into underwater photography.

Q: Did that fact Australia is “girt by sea” influence your move to Australia?

A: Absolutely. My decision to emigrate was through surfing and then diving and photography, first and foremost.

Q: How important has travel been throughout your career?

A: The reason I love photography so much is it’s a good excuse to travel. Photography is a reward, I suppose. When you get home it doesn’t become a distant memory, you’ve got really beautiful pictures, too. I love taking people with me, showing them the beauty out there – not only overseas, but also in our own backyard.

Q: Do you have a favourite destination?

A: That’s a hard one. I really love Cuba, Costa Rica, Indonesia ... but perhaps it’s the Solomon Islands. There’s such variety there, you can see pretty much everything and anything, and it’s so close.

Q: Where to next?

A: I’m quite possibly off to Antarctica in March. Then the Philippines for a load of night diving in April; Great White Sharks in South Australia in May/June; the end of June is Great Barrier Reef for Minke Whales; August, Tonga for Humpback Whales; Solomon Islands in November, and then anything else that pops up in between, I guess.

Q: What is your top underwater photography tip?

A. If you want eye-popping, attention-grabbing shots, then first and foremost it is lighting. As soon as you go underwater, you start to lose colours. Secondly, it’s composition. I always tell people to get low and on eye level with your subject, or even lower, so you can look up and frame it against the blue water.

You can learn more about joining one of Matty's underwater photography workshops. The schedule is regularly updated and can be found at mattysmithphoto.com

'Blue Lasso', Pacific Man-o-War at sunrise, Bass Point, Shellharbour, Australia

'Blue Lasso', Pacific Man-o-War at sunrise, Bass Point, Shellharbour, Australia

'Blue Lasso', Pacific Man-o-War at sunrise, Bass Point, Shellharbour, Australia

'Celestial Terrestrial', Southern Calamari Squid, Bushrangers Bay, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

'Celestial Terrestrial', Southern Calamari Squid, Bushrangers Bay, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

Weedy Sea Dragon with eggs, Kurnell, Sydney, Australia

Weedy Sea Dragon with eggs, Kurnell, Sydney, Australia

'Purple Haze', Peach Anemonefish at Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea

'Purple Haze', Peach Anemonefish at Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea

'Celestial Terrestrial', Southern Calamari Squid, Bushrangers Bay, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

'Celestial Terrestrial', Southern Calamari Squid, Bushrangers Bay, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

Weedy Sea Dragon with eggs, Kurnell, Sydney, Australia

Weedy Sea Dragon with eggs, Kurnell, Sydney, Australia

'Purple Haze', Peach Anemonefish at Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea

'Purple Haze', Peach Anemonefish at Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea

Critically endangered Australian Sea Lion, Hopkins Island, South Australia

Critically endangered Australian Sea Lion, Hopkins Island, South Australia

Critically endangered Australian Sea Lion, Hopkins Island, South Australia

A venomous Blue-Ringed Octopus, Wollongong Harbour, NSW, Australia

A venomous Blue-Ringed Octopus, Wollongong Harbour, NSW, Australia

A Saddleback Anemonefish defending its home, Soloman Islands

A Saddleback Anemonefish defending its home, Soloman Islands

Schooling Sweetlips, Sawanderek Jetty, Raja Ampat, West Papua

Schooling Sweetlips, Sawanderek Jetty, Raja Ampat, West Papua

A venomous Blue-Ringed Octopus, Wollongong Harbour, NSW, Australia

A venomous Blue-Ringed Octopus, Wollongong Harbour, NSW, Australia

A Saddleback Anemonefish defending its home, Soloman Islands

A Saddleback Anemonefish defending its home, Soloman Islands

Schooling Sweetlips, Sawanderek Jetty, Raja Ampat, West Papua

Schooling Sweetlips, Sawanderek Jetty, Raja Ampat, West Papua

Mbula Caverns, Soloman Islands

Mbula Caverns, Soloman Islands

Mbula Caverns, Soloman Islands

'High Five', a baby Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Lissenung Island, Papua New Guinea

'High Five', a baby Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Lissenung Island, Papua New Guinea

'Smiling Assassin', an American Crocodile, The Gardens of the Queen, Cuba

'Smiling Assassin', an American Crocodile, The Gardens of the Queen, Cuba

'High Five', a baby Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Lissenung Island, Papua New Guinea

'High Five', a baby Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Lissenung Island, Papua New Guinea

'Smiling Assassin', an American Crocodile, The Gardens of the Queen, Cuba

'Smiling Assassin', an American Crocodile, The Gardens of the Queen, Cuba

'Lion's Mane', a Lion's Mane Jellyfish, Bass Point, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

'Lion's Mane', a Lion's Mane Jellyfish, Bass Point, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

'Lion's Mane', a Lion's Mane Jellyfish, Bass Point, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia

Great White Sharks, North Neptune Islands, South Australia

Great White Sharks, North Neptune Islands, South Australia

Great White Sharks, North Neptune Islands, South Australia