SHOAL BUSINESS

Underwater photography pro Alex Mustard delivers a masterclass beneath the waves of the Red Sea

- Alex Mustard

THE PRO

ALEX MUSTARD

CAMERA: NIKON D850, NIKON D5

Based in Peterborough, UK, Alex is an underwater specialist with a PhD in marine ecology. His pictures are probably best-known from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, where they have featured in 14 different books of winners. Alex's own book, Underwater Photography Masterclass, has become the go-to text on the subject, and in 2018 he received an MBE for services to underwater photography. www.amustard.com

THE APPRENTICE VALERIE REID

CAMERA: NIKON D500

Valerie lives in the Netherlands but hails from Scotland, where she learned to dive while studying chemistry at university. Underwater photography has since become her main passion as she strives to capture the beauty and majesty of the world's precious underwater ecosystems. Valerie feels very fortunate to be able to learn from Alex, and is keen to take her photography to the next level.

TECHNIQUE ASSESSMENT

Alex started out by showing Valerie how to set up her Nikon D500 to get great underwater shots

HOLDING ON TOO LONG

Alex says... It's difficult to hold a button down while using the command dial underwater, so I activate 'Release button to use dial' in the Custom Setting Menu. The button activates when pressed and deactivates when pressed again, allowing you to operate the command dial between presses.

HIT THE BACK BUTTON