Nick Jones
IMAGE COPYRIGHT NICK JONES
We got to sit down and chat with Nick Jones, a fantastic underwater and drone cinematographer. We talked about sharks, diving, photography, and everything in between! Below you’ll find the interview. Please note that ALL images are copyright of Nick Jones. Below the interview you’ll find all of his social media info and website. Cheers!
Save The Sharks: What do you do?
Nick Jones: I’m a natural history filmmaker specialising in underwater and drone cinematography. Currently I am working for an independent production company called True To Nature based in Bristol, UK.
STS: How long have you been doing it?
NJ: I guess it might have started with the film camera given to me by a friend of my grandma when I was young (an Olympus OM2 which I still use) and I enjoyed the process of making compositions through a lens. I always loved the water and I learnt to scuba dive when I was 13 on a family holiday to Turkey - it just took me a few years to figure out how to combine the two!
STS: What got you into sharks?
NJ: I’ve had a long fascination and curiosity with sharks, but what really got me hooked was spending lots time in the water with them and getting to know them a little better.
STS: How many types of sharks have you seen in the wild?
NJ: I’ve been lucky to share a huge amount of time with many sharks in the wild - from lemon shark pups that are barely the size of your forearm in the mangroves to freediving with 5m long great whites in the blue. Each species has its own characteristics and each individual has their own personality.
IMAGE COPYRIGHT NICK JONES
STS: Is there a specific shark you have more of an interest in filming - is there a shark you have yet to film, but really want to get on video?
NJ: I’ve never dived with hammerheads up-close. I’d love look up at a huge school of them drifting overhead, backlit by the sun. It would be a privilege to have the opportunity to spend enough time with them to understand how they use their iconic shaped heads which gives them their name.
STS: What's been your favorite shark dive?
NJ: You might expect it to be something big like a great white or a bull shark, but actually when I think about it, my favourite shark dive is probably the one I’ve done the most – a blacktip reef shark dive on St. Joseph’s atoll in the Seychelles (recently declared an MPA) while I was working with Save Our Seas Foundation. Diving almost every day with a population of around 30-40 sharks, I got to recognise and know some of them pretty well.
IMAGE COPYRIGHT NICK JONES
STS: What have you learned from your first dive up to now?
NJ: I still remember my first try-dive in the pool like it was yesterday, the sensation of being able to breathe underwater which later gave me access to another world. I always look forward to being in the water, it teaches me to slow down, it’s a kind of meditation for me.
STS: Do you have a favorite shark and why?
NJ: Oh, difficult question - they’re all different and amazing aren’t they? I recently got to film basking sharks for the first time in Scotland, they’re so graceful and majestic, so for today at least maybe it’s the basking shark...
STS: If there's one thing you hope people gain from your videography, what would it be?
I suppose the best thing I could hope for by someone seeing something I’ve filmed or been a part of in making is to part inspiration and knowledge about our natural world and the wildlife we share it with, especially sharks of course. The more we care and understand about something the more likely we are to be able to make informed decisions.
IMAGE COPYRIGHT NICK JONES
STS: What do you think is the main issue sharks face today?
NJ: Sharks of all shapes and sizes are vital to the health of all the oceans because they help regulate our ecosystems which has a knock-on effect for all life on earth, not just the sea. Unfortunately, they have been villanized as vicious killers which in my experience, even for sharks like the great white, this simply isn’t true. Sharks around the world are being killed at a devastating rate and if we don’t change this trend very soon the consequences could be severe.
STS: What's your favorite post we've made?
I think this one showing shark finning is important because it shows the magnitude of the problem faced by sharks. I also like this ‘shark art’ painting as it looks a bit like the mug I have my morning coffee in.
If you enjoyed this interview as much as we did, you should check out more of his work! See links below
His Instagram | His Website | He’s recently filmed: Atlantic: Year In The Wild on Amazon Prime Video.
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Copyright www.savethesharksorg.com, all images copyright Nick Jones