What if you could have a conversation with one of the worlds most renowned ocean storytellers?

In 2021 NEWF hosted a first-of-its-kind dive lab with the aim of certifying 10 Indigenous African women as SCUBA Divemasters. The Decade Divemaster Storytellers Lab brought together 10 women with different backgrounds, African cultures and careers to participate in a 90 day residency in Sodwana Bay featuring in depth, professional pool and open water training by day, and compelling storytelling workshops and discussion at night.

One of these talks featured renowned American photojournalist and film producer, Brian Skerry, who joined the cohort via Zoom to field questions about his career immersed in nature, capturing incredible photographs of species that have captivated the hearts of people all across the globe.

As a photojournalist who has spent more than 40 years diving, he has had the great privilege of observing nature for long enough to observe behaviour and species in a way that has allowed him to see a much bigger picture of just how much different ecosystems rely on each other - and just how significant community and culture is. Deeply entwined with the honour of a career specialising in marine life and ocean environments has been bearing witness to climate change and the decline of marine and ocean ecosystems.

Photo by Luyanda Shabalala/NEWF

Here are 7 key takeaways from the conversation with Brian, in response to the brilliant and intuitive questions posed by the cohort about his decades long career creating images on camera that are just a split second representation of the moving experiences he has had in an epic career.

To be a career storyteller, you need to tell compelling stories.
Any body of work needs a story to be relevant and compelling. The storytelling industry across all mediums is extremely competitive so pitching stories that have a unique story that sets it apart is essential to bringing your work to life for larger, more diverse stories. 

The best camera is the one in your hand.
Aspiring and career storytellers often get stuck on and disheartened by which equipment is best and how they’ll ever afford it - but this conversation again affirms how even the simplest equipment is useful to hone your skills and create beautiful and compelling imagery. Further underscoring this belief, Brian shared how distracting it can be to manage too much equipment and to use it effortless in an environments like the ocean. Simplicity is often key, and can greatly contribute to finding your niche or style.

Multimedia storytelling has a significant impact on audiences.
Layered mediums offer rich nuance to stories that are important and complex to tell. Using Secrets of the Whales as a case study, he innately understood the need to pair photography, film and sound with strong writing for print and scripting (see next point) for the documentary series. Each part of the storytelling ecosystem brings the sensory experience together to reach more diverse audiences, and to inspire custodianship for the preservation of the magnificent planet we share. 

Writing is an essential part of bringing photography to life.
Great photographic storytelling about wildlife can be limited when you’re confronted with a story that speaks to something more abstract and difficult to capture on camera. This was the case for Brian’s fascinating series, Secrets of the Whales where he explored the deep culture amongst whales… backed by years of science of course!

Community and culture is present in nature just as it is amongst us.
Just as humans thrive in community and by understanding one another’s cultures, so too do creatures whose lives depend on each other. In protecting coral reefs for example, we need to grasp the importance of mangroves and seagrass as a nursery, safe haven and resting place for almost all species observed in coral environments. Everything in nature is intricately connected and our stories most significantly contribute to the preservation of species when our perspectives include these relationships.

Good science and credibility are non-negotiable.
In telling stories about natures beauty and complexities - sharing photo’s or a single story in isolation is not enough to have it ring true and win audiences over in a meaningful way. The intricacies like codependency, culture and emotional intelligence found in nature only truly captivating and capable of informing policy to preserve it, when it has been observed over time and can be proven. 

The inclusion of indigenous knowledge and people is crucial in storytelling.
Indigenous people know their land and the wildlife that inhabits it far better than anyone who may spend just a short time on assignment in a place. Like us, he believes in the importance of indigenous people telling their own stories, and being prominent voices in the stories of their land now and into the future.

Photo of Thandeka by Mnqobi Zuma

Using a diverse skillset rooted in community and collaboration, NEWF (and by extension Africa Refocused) is excited to be part of a growing movement for ocean access which is essential for forward momentum in nature and wildlife storytelling and conservation. From photography and film, to groundbreaking scientific research and grassroots organisations - the African Scientists, Storytellers and Conservationists in the NEWF community embody these timeless insights in the projects they’re passionately bringing to life across Africa.