Underwater photographer from Saskatchewan featured on cover of National Geographic

Photographer Shane Gross travelled to the Bahamas to snap a seahorse photo that graces this month’s National Geographic cover. Mick Favel has the story.

A Saskatchewan-born photographer who specializes in marine life photography was featured on the cover of National Geographic.

Photographer Shane Gross was in a pond in the Bahamas when he took the cover-worthy photo. It features a seahorse floating in some underwater weeds.

“I picked that seahorse because it wasn’t shy. All the elements were there for a good picture. Did I think it would end up on the cover of National Geographic? Absolutely not,” he explained.

Gross has been to the pond where the photo was taken many times over the years. He has camped there for days at a time, putting in the time needed to catch the right pictures.

“Some of the seahorses in there are very shy. You find the right seahorses that are curious and you can start to make some good pictures,” he said.

His work has taken him all over the world. Gross has visited all seven continents, most recently Antarctica.

The water temperatures were so cold, Gross was only to dive underwater for roughly 40 minutes at a time before his equipment began to freeze up.

Due to low visibility, Gross had a tough time getting the right shots until the final day of the trip. He was able to capture pictures of fur seals and penguins moving through the water.

“Having those penguins circle around us was one of those encounters you dream about and hope for,” he said.

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Gross was a National Geographic reader as a child. At the time, he said the idea of being a part of the magazine in some way was farfetched.

For those looking to pursue top-quality photography and looking to maybe be featured in renown magazines, Gross said sticking to a specific subject is the way to go.

“They need people who are passionate about a certain thing. To be able to withstand hardships that you go through when you are shooting these things. It’s passion that gets you through that,” he said.