How to Get Your Underwater Photography Published: From Captures to Cover Stories

Getting your work published as an underwater photographer is a milestone that can be incredibly rewarding. While many photographers believe publication is reserved for a small circle of established names, the reality is much more encouraging. Editors are always looking for new voices, new perspectives, and new stories.

The challenge is that strong images alone are not enough. You are not simply submitting photographs; you are presenting ideas, experiences, and narratives that will resonate with readers. Publication becomes far more achievable once you begin to think like a storyteller rather than just a photographer.

The Missing Link: Why Editors Value Storytelling Over Snapshots

One of the biggest mindset shifts is accepting that being published almost always involves writing. Images may draw attention, but words provide context, emotion, and meaning. Editors need captions, introductions, and complete articles that guide readers through the experience behind the photographs. Writing does not need to be elaborate or overly technical; it needs to be clear, personal, and honest. Readers want to understand what it felt like to be there, what challenges you faced, and why the subject matters. The more comfortable you become at expressing your thoughts, the more valuable you become to publications. A photographer who can deliver both images and text is far easier to commission than one who only submits files without a story attached.

When I got my first assignment, it was not the photography that made me nervous. I had already gained enough confidence to know I could get the shots if the opportunity arose, but writing was a whole new ball game. What I learned, however, is that magazine editors are incredibly good at what they do and highly professional. They can always help fine-tune the text as long as the sentiment is authentic and the story is there. Even today, I still don’t call myself a writer. Instead, I consider myself someone who shares his experiences with others. I write often, but Andy is always the editor of my articles and the one giving my thoughts the finishing touch. Can I write? Sure. Am I a writer? Definitely not.

Find a Unique and Interesting Story

Strong photographs are important, but strong ideas are what truly get published. Editors see beautiful reef scenes every day; what captures attention is a perspective that feels fresh. That might mean documenting a little-known location, exploring a specific behavior, following a conservation challenge, or telling a personal journey that others can relate to.

A compelling story gives your work purpose. It answers the question of why someone should stop and pay attention. Before reaching out to any publication, it is worth asking what makes this piece different and why it matters now. The clearer your story, the more likely it is to resonate.

I live in Iceland, a unique and difficult place to dive. It was the stories I told of Iceland that first allowed me to write for many publications; ice diving, glacier diving, and hydrothermal vents all allowed me to tell stories that nobody had heard before. This was my "foot in the door" and it allowed me to take on many other projects. After my cold-water stories, the next opportunities came from deeper waters. Deep-water trips to Indonesia to look for unique species, and deep wreck trips to Malta and Truk Lagoon, provided stories that people found interesting and wanted to read about—allowing me to capture photos that others weren’t getting.

Expanding Your Reach: Exploring Alternative Publishing Platforms

When most people think about getting published, they picture glossy dive magazines, but the landscape is far broader. Online platforms, conservation organizations, travel companies, and educational outlets all publish underwater work. Blogs with strong audiences can have just as much influence as traditional print. Brand publications and destination features are often hungry for authentic material created by divers who genuinely understand the locations they document. By widening your definition of publication, opportunities multiply. You are no longer waiting for a single magazine to say yes; you are engaging with a wide network of outlets that need images, articles, and real experiences from the water.

For example, I love to write blogs about my diving experiences for major brands whose equipment I use. I have written for Shearwater, Fourth Element, PADI, and more. Usually, these blogs are based on unique and unusual dive stories from my own personal expeditions. Each one of these often leads to more opportunities within the dive industry.

Enter Competitions to Build Credibility and Visibility

Competitions can play a significant role in helping photographers gain recognition. They provide a structured way for your images to be seen by judges, editors, and the wider diving community. Even shortlists and commendations can open doors. Publications frequently look to competition results to discover emerging photographers and fresh talent. Success in this space signals commitment and consistency; it shows that your work holds up against others and that you are actively engaged in the craft. Over time, competition exposure builds a portfolio of achievements that strengthens your credibility when approaching editors.

For example, when I took second place in the 2023 Ocean Art macro competition, it led to National Geographic reaching out to me and wanting to publish my image. I also had Plongez magazine reach out after seeing my photos in competitions; they ran a 12-page feature of my work a few months later.

Use Dive Shows to Meet Magazines and Editors

Dive shows remain one of the most valuable places to connect with the people behind publications. Meeting editors face-to-face changes the dynamic completely; conversations become personal rather than transactional. You can discuss ideas, listen to what publications are looking for, and begin building relationships that develop over time.

These interactions often lead to opportunities later—sometimes months after the initial conversation. Being present at shows demonstrates enthusiasm and a commitment to the community. It reminds editors that behind the images is a person who cares about the industry and truly wants to contribute to it.

Give Talks to Photographic Societies

Giving talks to photo societies is one of the most effective and often overlooked ways to build recognition as an underwater photographer and storyteller. Many photographic societies look for monthly speakers for their club meetings; if you have a unique and fresh story to tell, many more would be interested than you might think. Since meetings are largely online these days, geographic restrictions have effectively been lifted.

Talking in front of an audience and sharing not just your images, but the experiences, failures, and lessons behind them, helps people connect with your work on a far deeper level. It positions you as someone who contributes to the community rather than someone simply posting photographs for attention. These events also create direct relationships with passionate photographers, club organizers, and sometimes editors who are always listening for fresh voices and authentic perspectives.

Preparing a talk forces you to organize your thoughts, refine your narrative, and understand what makes your work meaningful to others. Over time, invitations often grow through word-of-mouth, and those connections can quietly lead to writing opportunities, collaborations, and publication—all without it ever feeling like you were actively chasing them. By giving online talks, you get the chance to see how people react to the images you share and the stories you tell; you can immediately see what is new and of interest to your audience.

Increase Your Social Media Presence to Get Noticed

Social media has become a powerful platform for underwater photographers—not simply as a place to share images, but as a way to demonstrate consistency, personality, and perspective. Editors often discover photographers through their online presence. A well-curated feed shows how you see the underwater world, how you engage with others, and how regularly you produce work.

Anyone who knows me will realize I don’t personally like Instagram, but I see its value as a shooter. It allows me to showcase my work and stay current and relevant. Consider your feed as your own publication; only post images you’re proud of, as others are always watching. I have sold many images to both individuals and magazines through my feed. In fact, I have one magazine that regularly contacts me through Instagram specifically to use my images for their front cover.

Build a Coherent and Intentional Portfolio

A strong portfolio is not simply a collection of your best individual images; it is a reflection of how you see the underwater world. Consistency of style, subject, and approach helps editors understand where your strengths lie. It shows that you are not just producing occasional standout shots, but that you are developing a cohesive body of work.

A coherent portfolio also makes it easier to pitch ideas. When an editor can immediately see how your photography aligns with a story, the conversation moves forward more naturally. Quality matters, but direction matters just as much.

If You Get a Shot, Complete Everything in a Timely Manner

Reliability is one of the most valuable qualities you can offer. When a publication gives you an opportunity, meeting deadlines and delivering complete material matters as much as the images themselves. Editors work within tight schedules; they need captions, image selections, and written text delivered clearly and on time. A photographer who communicates well and fulfills commitments quickly becomes someone editors trust. Trust leads to repeat opportunities. Being dependable transforms you from a hopeful contributor into a reliable collaborator.

Stay Patient and Keep Refining Your Craft

Progress in this field rarely happens overnight. It takes time to develop the skills, relationships, and confidence required for consistent publication. Rejections are part of the process and should be seen as guidance rather than failure. Each attempt sharpens your understanding of what works and what does not. The key is to keep improving your diving, your photography, and your storytelling. Growth is gradual but noticeable; the more effort you invest, the more natural publication begins to feel.

Conclusion

Getting published as an underwater photographer is not about chasing recognition. It is about sharing experiences, contributing to the community, and telling stories that inspire others to look more closely at the ocean. Images open the door, but it is the combination of writing, reliability, curiosity, and connection that keeps it open. By approaching the process with patience and intention, publication becomes less of a distant goal and more of a natural step in your development as a diver and storyteller.

Remember this: if it were easy to be regularly published, would you have the same respect for your "hero" photographers as you do? No. So, don’t presume that you should immediately receive the same amount of publication and recognition as the peers who have put in years of hard work to get to that point. It wasn’t easy for them—so why would it be easy for you?

They have spent years honing their craft: learning the art of storytelling, building their portfolios, nurturing relationships, fostering their social media followings, and proving themselves to be reliable and consistent. This is what you must now do as well.