Twenty-three-year-old Cruise Callen is having the time of his life. He’s the underwater photographer for the dive team at Sandals Ochi, not the typical role that comes to mind when one thinks of jobs in tourism.
In helping guests capture memorable moments from their vacation, he’s built up an impressive portfolio of shots that offer breathtaking insight into the world beneath the sea. He was recently chosen to travel to The Bahamas to take photos of the reef and aquatic life which will be used in the luxury resort chain’s marketing material.
His stunning photos make it hard to believe he’s a self-taught photographer.
“In terms of the photography aspect of the work, I graduated from ‘YouTube University’,” Callen tells the Jamaica Observer’s LetsTravelCaribbean.com with a chuckle during a recent visit to the resort. “I did my CXCs, did CAPE. But, apart from that, I just went straight into the working world and started from there. Everything that I know about photography is just hands-on practice, getting familiar with the equipment, and videos on YouTube teaching me the basics.”
He says that while there are similarities between taking photos on land and under water, there are certain critical differences. The first thing, of course, is you have to be a strong swimmer.
“There are certain things that you have to incorporate into underwater photography that you know from regular photography, but mostly what I’ve been able to learn is managing my swimming techniques in order to get the best shot,” he says. “Composition of photos is slightly different from land photography.”
Because he works at a resort, there is also the need to master the art of interacting with guests. Among them are army veterans who use diving to relieve stress, and physically challenged members of the Handicapped Scuba Association.
Callen especially likes to work with first-time divers.
“A lot of the guests that we focus on are actually beginners. So we try to create that initial experience with them; get them into diving and create that moment underwater. I want to be able to capture that memory as it’s happening,” he says.
Many guests select Sandals Ochi because of their love for diving, so Callen and his colleagues at the resort’s Aqua Centre are in high demand. A certified career development facility, the centre is also a source of ongoing training and professional development. It provides certification for a wide range of skills from lifeguard to advance rescue up to the instructor level.
Callen is certified as an advanced open water rescue diver and dive master. His next step is to become a certified instructor so he can pass on the skills he has learned to others.
Obviously in love with what he does, he highly recommends exploring beneath the waves.
The pearly white shell of a dead sea urchin. (Photo: Cruise Callen) A Hawksbill turtle. (Photo: Cruise Callen)
“If you ever get the chance to dive, just take it. It’s a whole new world down there. You see things that you never thought you’d see in life. It’s extremely fun for everybody. Once you can manage yourself in the water we’ll take you under there and have a good time,” he says with a huge grin.
His foray into the tourism industry began as a photographer at an adventure park. But then he wanted more. His father, a former dive instructor, suggested that he try diving. Callen applied to Sandals in 2019 and while becoming certified as a dive master his skills as a photographer made him the perfect candidate for a spot at the Aqua Centre.
He had watched his father work his way up from a dive instructor — the role he had when he met Callen’s mother at a well-known resort — to water sports manager, so Callen knew there was room for growth in the tourism field. But his generation now has options that were not available during his father’s time – like being a snuba guide.
“Snuba… is sort of a blend between snorkelling and scuba diving. So if you’re not too keen on going as deep as scuba diving, you can do snuba. You do have snuba guides that will… show you the beauty of the reef and all that stuff,” he says.
But while he’s aware of his options, and he’s working his way up to being a dive instructor, he has no immediate plans to stop taking photos of life teeming under the sea.
“I don’t think I would want to choose anything else other than underwater photography because I really do get to do the best of both worlds, the things that I love — photography and diving,” says a clearly content Callen.
