Photographer André Musgrove wows with stunning shots — mostly from the deep-blue waters of the Bahamas — and creative concepts. Learn more about the rising underwater photographer, and check out some of his best shots.

Where are you from?

I'm from the little island of Nassau, Bahamas.

How did you get started in underwater photography? How long have you been shooting?

I got started in underwater photography through my interest in freediving and spearfishing. I wanted to document my adventures and share it with my friends that were not there to experience them first-hand. I've been shooting for about two years now.

What is your favorite photography subject? Why?

Freedivers and underwater models interacting with marine wildlife. I enjoy capturing the connection between humans and animals coexisting peacefully. 

What's your camera setup? Any particular reason or favorite piece of gear?

My camera setup varies between the Canon 1DX MK2 and Canon 5D MKIV, both in Nauticam housings, depending on the concept or content I have planned for the shoot. I prefer the 1DX when I know I'll be shooting primarily video, photos that involve quick action or when I have limited time to shoot (e.g. over/under shots during rough weather). I opt for the 5D MKIV when I'm focused primarily on photos and want high-quality images with more megapixels, which allows me the flexibility to do whatever I want with the image afterward — print, crop etc. I don't really have a favorite piece of gear, but I really appreciate the Keldan video lights and the Sea & Sea YS-D2 strobes when I want the video or photo to have that little bit of added detail or to properly light a subject in a dark scene.

What's your bucket list dive trip?

Definitely a trip to the Socorro Islands in Mexico to dive with all of their big marine animals. I would love to capture and create content with them interacting with freedivers.

Who inspired you as you learned UW photography?

My inspiration came from following the work of other underwater photographers. I learned a lot by observing their variety of styles and concepts and their work inspired me to find my own style of shooting, using different techniques.

Any advice for beginners?

Do your research, be unique in what you create, shoot as much as you can and learn from the mistakes of others so you won’t have to make them yourself. 

Could you explain how you got this shot?

The shot with the skateboarder doing a handplant underwater on a shipwreck, with Caribbean reef sharks, has been my most involved dive so far. It was earlier this year, during a photoshoot with my friend and underwater model, David Langlois, that we decided to bring this concept to life on a shipwreck in Nassau, Bahamas. Both David and I have years of experience freediving, scuba diving, interacting with sharks and shooting underwater together. Rather than doing the shoot solely freediving, as we usually do, we decided to incorporate scuba equipment for safety reasons and to allow for more time to create this complex shot.

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With surface support from four friends, David and I did a 45-minute underwater photo shoot that usually requires four divers in total — safety diver, shark handler, photographer and model. David wore 30 pounds of extra weight to help him stay down and used his lungs as a BCD to control his balance, while performing a handplant underwater on the shipwreck. This was all quite challenging but it was worth it! Knowing that this shot may be labeled as a composite or photoshopped image — it's not — and due to the misconception of sharks, we also shot a mini behind-the-scenes clip of David performing the handplant during the shoot (Editor's Note: See the video below). The shot took one 45-minute dive, two scuba tanks, a lot of patience and great team work.

Check out Musgrove’s work on his website, Instagram, Facebook or YouTube.

Here are some more of his best shots