What lies beneath: filming gators in Florida springs
1 min read
Summary
Joseph Ricketts is a conservation ecologist, scientific diver, underwater photographer, and YouTuber who documents the underwater beauty of America’s natural habitats, particularly in Florida.
Ricketts first got into wildlife as a kid and into photography as an adult, which he now uses to full effect in his career; he went on to study conservation as a graduate.
Now, Ricketts works as a researcher specialising in alligators and crocodiles, specifically studying their populations and behaviour in urban areas of Florida.
Ricketts utilise a wide range of tech to film his diving trips, including a Canon R5 and a Canon EF-RF adapter with a Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L fish-eye lens.
When planning a dive, Ricketts will often have an idea of the area he wants to focus on and the story he wants to tell, but leaves the specifics of the story to be written post-dive.
Ricketts wants to use his platform to push back against the trend of shock value and clickbait on YouTube, instead hoping to tell interesting stories about lesser-known creatures and environments.