CameraPro On The Couch with Brooke Pyke

Australian photographer Brooke Pyke is an ocean lover and avid supporter of marine conservation. Her exquisitely serene images of underwater life have won her many awards, including the 2022 Ocean Photographer of the Year: Female Fifty Fathoms Award. We caught up with Brooke to discuss how her start in photography came about, what a typical day working on the reef looks like, and her advice for getting into ocean photography.  

After dabbling in photography at high school, Brooke applied to study it at uni but didn't get in. Somewhat bemusing when you consider she is now a multi-award-winning, full-time professional photographer. Instead, she got a degree in graphic design and later trained to be a dive instructor. While working as a dive instructor in Bali, Brooke’s earlier love of photography resurfaced. And what began as capturing photos for the dive company’s socials quickly evolved into a fulfilling pastime that consumed her free days. 

In 2021, Brooke moved back to Australia, intent on finding work on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. She had been following several photographers on Instagram who were based on the Ningaloo Reef and saw that the location offered incredible wildlife and was one of the few places in the world with full-time work opportunities for underwater photography. Lockdowns hampered her plans for a while, but eventually, things began to open up, and she landed a position working on a tour boat.

Photo by: Brooke Pyke

"The Ningaloo is really well known for its big animals. We get whale sharks throughout the year, humpback whales, manta rays, and all your usual reef critters."

A typical workday starts at 6.30 am. Brooke ensures her camera gear is clean and safely sealed within the dive housing, heads to the office to pick up the bus, collects the guests, and makes her way to the boat. Once out on the reef, it’s time for a snorkel, and Brooke is in the water photographing guests and wildlife. After the snorkel, the group relocates to the back of the reef in search of whale sharks, and Brooke is back in the water, capturing photos of these gentle giants and the tour guests swimming alongside them. 

After returning home around 3.30 pm, Brooke loads her images - typically four to six hundred, into Lightroom and shortlists the best to edit. On a good day, editing is done by 5.30 pm, but on longer days, she might work through till 7.30 pm. Although each day has a relatively fixed structure, unpredictable wildlife, and weather keep things interesting for Brooke, and swimming four to five kilometres daily keeps her very active. 

In those early days of learning underwater photography, it was the tiny critters that grabbed Brooke’s attention—often spending lengths of time with a single sea slug or a seahorse, flexing her creativity with different lighting and compositions to bring out their unique colours and patterns. And although she still loves photographing the underwater macro world, today, Brooke is more enamoured with the ocean’s larger residents and the speed at which they move. Moments arise and are gone within seconds; being in the right place at the right time is everything.

Photo by: Brooke Pyke

"A lot of work that I do, particularly with those big animals, is really exhilarating, and that can make getting photos difficult because you're so excited and full of adrenaline that you can't hold your camera steady."

Gear-wise, Brooke shoots with the Canon EOS R6. Being happy with the colours and the textures she could pull from her little Canon G12, she wanted to stick with the brand and has come to appreciate the excellent focusing capabilities and the system's usability that helps her to work quickly in the water. Brooke also uses a small drone, which is a lot of fun. She particularly likes photographing humpback whales with it, as it offers a unique perspective and allows her to see more easily what they're up to and how they interact.

The EF 8-15mm f4.L fisheye lens is a favourite for all underwater photography. This ultra-wide lens easily captures an entire marine giant within the frame. Brooke also says it helps with clarity when the water is cloudy or dense with particles, giving the impression of added distance to the subject despite being super close. The RF 100mm f/2.8L macro lens is a recent purchase for macro work above and beneath the surface, and Brooke loves the results she is getting with it. And for wildlife and commercial projects above the water, she relies on the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L and the RF 100-500mm 4.5-7.1L lens.

Brooke offers some practical advice for anyone looking to get into underwater photography. First and foremost, before even thinking about grabbing a camera, get comfortable in the water. A camera in hand adds weight and restricts mobility which can be a massive safety issue when dealing with waves, currents, and marine wildlife, so make sure you're a strong swimmer and learn how to read the conditions like the weather and tides. Snorkelling is a great place to start, but then move on to scuba diving and possibly even free diving to develop good buoyancy control, which will help with swimming and shooting concurrently. 

Photo by: Brooke Pyke

When you’re ready to get in the water with a camera, start with a small compact that has full manual control, such as the Canon G1X and underwater housing. This way, you can concentrate on settings and composition rather than being preoccupied with towing a bulky, heavy full-frame camera and housing through the water. The cost is also a lot less upfront, so you can play around and be sure you’re really into it before investing a lot of money in a professional setup.

Finally, be patient and dedicated to your learning. You can't just jump in the ocean and expect to capture amazing underwater images. Head to your nearest beach and practice frequently. Brooke emphasises that despite spending thousands of hours in the water, there are plenty of days when she returns to shore with nothing. She also suggests pairing up with someone else interested in ocean photography so you can work together and learn from each other.

Generally, Brooke works for the tour company five days a week, with the other two days focused on her side hustles. Intent on broadening her photography experience and opening up future opportunities, she has been steadily taking on commercial projects above the water. This year she’ll also be opening a market stall to sell prints.

Whether photographing the ocean’s smallest lifeforms or the largest creatures, conservation is at the core of Brooke’s work. Fueled by the idea that connection leads to respect, her photos invite viewers to see the natural world as wondrous yet remarkably vulnerable - something to revere and protect rather than exploit. 

Check out the full conversation here to learn more about Brooke and ocean photography