THE LIVEABOARD LIFE

A little more planning than usual will ensure the trip of a lifetime yields your best shots

- ALEX MUSTARD

Reaching remote and pristine diving that dayboats just can’t always get to, liveaboards are loved by photographers. A quick check through my Lightroom catalog reveals I’ve done more than 70 liveaboard trips in the past 15 years; in this column I’ll share tips for a successful photographic voyage.

Liveaboards give us the chance to escape the crowds, although with 10 to 20-plus divers on board, we’ll be taking a small crowd with us. This means being a good shipmate will have a big impact on both how enjoyable and photographically productive your trip will be.

The dive-eat-repeat schedule is perfect for photography, giving you lots of time underwater, the essential ingredient for successful shooting. For newer shooters, this intense immersion cements those shooting skills, while for more experienced photographers it can be the chance to make images you’ll remember forever.

TIP 1

THE SAME BOAT

As photographers, we might want to spend longer and get closer to subjects than regular divers, but we don’t have any priority. The secret to a successful trip is to get both the other guests and the guides on your side, so they want you to get your shots too. This is especially important on liveaboards because you’ll be with the same folks all week.