I was commissioned by Unipress Books to do all the picture research for their new book, The Lives of Sharks. Written by Daniel C. Abel and R. Dean Grubbs, it’s a comprehensive introduction to the world of sharks.
I’m someone who likes to be challenged, not only in the work I do for publishers, but also in the fact that I am absolutely terrified of sharks so working on a book about them would naturally challenge those beliefs. It all stems from watching Jaws as a child and not only fearing sharks, but also the deep sea. Since then I’ve always felt a fear of swimming in open water and tried to avoid swimming in the sea at all times.
I found this book in particular a fascinating one to work on, very challenging and exacting in picture requirements. Great to work with the editor, Richard Webb and designer, Wayne Blades. Equally uplifting and inspiring to find and license terrific images of sharks from all over the world by photographers such as Annie Guttridge, Shane Gross, Lesley Rochat and Tanya Houppermans.
This assignment challenged my preconceived and biased ideas of what sharks are and I’m pleased to say that on the back of it, I no longer fear sharks and in fact I have a better understanding of why they are so vital to the ocean and the environment.
To actually photograph sharks in their natural habitat is a challenge and then some, so what better way to explore that than to interview one of the photographers I collaborated with on The Lives of Sharks, Tanya Houppermans who contributed a lot of her imagery for the book.
Tanya is an award winning photographer/videographer and shark naturalist. Since 2012 she has being involved in shark conservation efforts including research with some of the world’s leading shark scientists alongside broadcast media projects. Her work with North Carolina’s sand tiger sharks saw her appear on the National Geographic programme Shark Gangs. In 2023 Tanya was elected to the elite Explorers Club as not just a Member, but a Fellow due to her significant scientific contributions and discoveries in shark research in the act of exploration.
Tom Broadbent. You’re a photographer and a conservationist specializing in sharks, what came first the conservation or the photography?
Tanya Houppermans: The conservation came first, which I became involved in back in 2012. But my fascination with sharks began as a new diver in 2009 when I started diving off the coast of North Carolina. It is very common to see sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) hanging out around the shipwrecks there, and that is what ignited the first spark in me to learn more about sharks. And what I did learn terrified me, but not in the way most people would think. I learned that because of humans, many shark species are on the verge of extinction due to habitat destruction, being caught as bycatch in commercial fisheries, and being targeted for their fins for shark fin soup. This last reason is especially horrific since it entails the shark being caught, and then its fins are sliced off and the shark is thrown back into the water to die a slow painful death by suffocation since it cannot swim.
I wanted to do something to help sharks, so I became involved in conservation in 2012 and then decided to start photographing them in 2014. I had no background in photography so I taught myself. By early 2015 I had won my first photography awards, and in the summer of 2015 I walked away from my corporate job to work in underwater imaging and conservation full time. Now my career also involves working in shark research and television, both in front of and behind the camera.
TB. What drives you to photograph sharks?
TH: I really want people to see sharks the way I see them, as beautiful, smart, misunderstood animals who desperately need our help to protect them and their environment. My hope is that when someone looks at an image I’ve taken, they’ll see sharks from a perspective that perhaps they never have before, in a non-threatening way that showcases just how amazing they are. After all, we need sharks. They are absolutely critical to the health of our oceans, and have been around in one form or another for over 400 million years. They are certainly not the vicious monsters so often portrayed by the media, and I hope that my images dispel the many misconceptions the general public tends to have about sharks.
TB. How many times have you dived with sharks, do you recall the first time and what sort of shark was it, how did it feel?
TH: I don’t know exactly how many times I’ve dived with sharks, but I do know that it’s in the hundreds. I actually saw a shark on my very first dive in the ocean when I was learning how to dive! It was a nurse shark, and I was diving with my instructor off of Key West, Florida. I knew nurse sharks pose very little threat to humans, and I was excited to see it calmly lying in a rocky alcove. I didn’t think much more about sharks until about 6 months later when I was learning how to dive on shipwrecks off of North Carolina. That’s when I first saw sand tiger sharks, and I immediately fell in love with them. There were dozens of them in, on, and around the shipwreck I was diving, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. They looked so ferocious with their rows of jagged teeth, but were incredibly docile and very tolerant of divers. I started learning as much as I could about not only sand tigers, but all sharks. And now I’m involved in sand tiger research, which is my way of giving back and trying to learn about and protect these sharks that quite literally changed my life.
TB. Out of the many photographs you’ve taken, what’s your favourite shot and why?
TH: I think my favorite image would have to be one I took back in 2017, which is an image of the underside of a sand tiger shark as it swims through a swirling mass of mackerel scad (commonly called ‘baitfish’). That image really seemed to resonate with the public, and it even went viral, being featured on websites and in magazines around the world. It also won first place in several photo competitions.
The main reason it is my favorite is because of the way it was able to bring sharks to the forefront of people’s consciousness in a very positive way. This image was not the typical gaping mouth, sharp teeth photo of sharks that has been way over done. This is a photo of a sand tiger shark calmly swimming through a school of fish. Many people assume that the shark was eating the fish, but that was not the case. Sand tigers actually prefer larger fish, so those small mackerel scad stay close to the shark to protect themselves from animals that would prey on them but won’t come near the shark. It’s a beautiful example of two species living together in peace and harmony, which is why I titled the photo ‘Harmony’.
TB: What projects are you working on right now?
TH: I’m in the process of working with scientists to plan upcoming shark research expeditions, especially off of North Carolina to learn more about things like why certain sharks like to hang out around shipwrecks there, and also where various species go to mate and give birth. I’m also working on some exciting television projects, which unfortunately I can’t say much about until closer to when they air next year. And I’m also working on honing my underwater video skills, since much of the work I do now is in filming. There are a lot of great things on the horizon, and I can’t wait to share them with everyone!
To find out more from Tanya, check out her website here and you can connect with her on Instagram
The Lives of Sharks book is available in all good book shops
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