How to Stay Motivated as an Underwater Photographer: 5 Practical Tips

In this digital age, where our brains are constantly bombarded with “content,” it can, unfortunately, become all too easy to lose that creative spark that pushes us to get in the water and go shoot. Maybe you find yourself comparing your work to others, or perhaps the idea of spending an hour preparing all of your equipment sounds like too much of a mission… If you can relate to this, I’m here to tell you—you’re not alone.

Having been an underwater photographer for a little over 8 years now, I’ve experienced my fair share of ups and downs when it comes to staying motivated and have had to fall back on a few handy tips and tricks to keep that creative spark alive. In this article, I highlight my 5 best tips for staying motivated as an underwater photographer.

1. Stop Comparing

As the saying goes, “comparison is the thief of joy.” It’s important to know when to take a break from social media. Underwater photography has exploded in popularity in recent years, and as a result, there are now thousands of accounts based in all kinds of exotic destinations around the world, posting unbelievable encounters every few seconds.

If you don’t have access to such locations, it can begin to feel very disheartening. If you haven’t taken a break from scrolling social media lately, give it a try! You’d be surprised just how quickly that drive to get back underwater returns. Even a break as short as 2 to 3 days can have a profound effect and leave you bursting with new ideas to try at your local dive sites.

2. Always Strive for Quality

Unfortunately, it can become all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking about your work as “content” as opposed to “photography.” We often receive external validation from followers in the form of likes, views, shares, etc., to the point where we become content, and over time, motivation can begin to fall.

Don’t get me wrong—receiving such feedback is a very positive thing. But over time, you might find yourself shooting with the primary aim of “pleasing the algorithm,” as opposed to improving your skills and producing images and videos that you yourself are truly proud of.

A handy tip I’ve used over the years is to ask myself, for each new image: “Would this photo still impress an audience if it were blown up to a large 24 x 36 inch print?” Asking this question ensures you're always chasing quality and will push you to continue learning, practicing, and developing your skills. I find this to be key for long-term motivation and avoiding burnout.

3. Print Your Work!

Carrying on from the last point is a simple yet effective one: print your work! I cannot emphasise enough how rewarding it is to first capture an image you’re proud of, spend time processing and editing it to get it exactly how you want, and then be able to display it where others can enjoy it as well.

While I personally enjoy hanging large acrylic prints all around the house, small desk prints are equally effective at keeping you motivated.

If you’ve yet to print your images, I should warn you—it can be a frustrating process at first, usually because any imperfections will become much more noticeable when viewed off a screen. But remember, this is a good thing! If you’re not totally happy with how a print comes out, ask yourself why. Make a list of things to improve (perhaps the image isn’t sharp enough, or is slightly out of focus, or the composition isn’t quite right), and then plan how you’ll improve them on your next dive (increase shutter speed? Slightly more depth of field? Approach the subject from a different angle?).

When you finally achieve that perfect print, I guarantee you’ll be extremely motivated to start on the next!

4. Start a Project

As nice as it would be to spend all day, every day in the water, this isn’t realistic for the vast majority of us. So how do you keep motivation up during those long stretches between dive trips?

Consider starting a project that uses your photography for something you find interesting. Yes, having a social media platform is a good start, but think about working toward something slightly more specific. If you enjoy combining your images with stories, you could start an online blog, or maybe even reach out to various online and print publications with exciting proposals to use your photos. If writing isn’t your thing, perhaps creating a photo book or calendar of your best shots sounds more appealing.

It really doesn’t matter what the project is—what matters is having a goal that keeps you not only motivated but focused. Having a “reason to shoot” beyond just the love of diving and photography can be a powerful thing.

5. Acknowledge the Wins

Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back every now and then! It’s easy to get so caught up in what’s ahead that we forget to pause and see how far we’ve come. I feel like such a cliché writing that—but it really is true.

If you’re ever feeling unmotivated, consider taking a deep dive into your old hard drives and comparing what you were shooting 12 months ago to your most recent images. Sometimes the most motivating thing in the world is simply the realisation that you are, in fact, making progress—but so often, we never give ourselves the chance to really acknowledge it!

So there you have it—5 tips that I personally rely on to keep me chasing that next great shot! If you found this blog post helpful, please tell a friend or consider sharing a link to the post on socials.

Until next time, happy shooting!