I love living in Valencia, Spain except during July and August when the temperature and humidity soar and most locals leave seeking relief. Since my wife is from Toulon, France - nestled between Marseille and Nice - we decided to pack up a big bag and booked a train to enjoy the summer in a cooler and breezier environment. My first thought was that I was excited to explore a new (and cooler) place for the summer but as a nature photographer what would I photograph in a city of 500,000 and home to the French Navy?

Our home for this summer was located in a quiet and hilly area of the city called the Mourillon, a convenient three minute stroll from the Mediterranean Sea. For the record, I am not the kind of person who can hang out on a beach for hours each day. However, If I am so close the the sea maybe I can go for a quick swim every day? What about snorkeling? And then it hit me like a 3 foot wave - what about underwater photography? I promptly conducted some photographic research about which camera would be a good choice for a photographer and snorkeler - not a scuba diver - who is looking for a summer project. I settled on the TG-7 from OM Systems because it was good underwater down to a depth of 10 meters, well-rated and importantly was an affordable €500.

Since I wear glasses and can't see well enough to capture good photos without them, I was ecstatic to learn that you can have prescription lenses permanently affixed to your snorkel mask. I promptly ordered a set along with a new mask and snorkel and was ready to dive into my new and exciting summer project!

A small pebbled beach adjacent to Fort St. Louis, originally built in 1534 by King Francis I to protect the city against pillaging armies, was the closest beach and my go-to spot nearly every day.

Important: If you are interested in viewing the very best images from my summer snorkel adventure then take the plunge into my Bajo el Mar gallery.

It is important to note that underwater photography requires a significant amount of time in post production. More often than not, the colors need to be corrected due to the varying levels of light and how they are perceived by the camera's sensor. I did learn that the sea is full of tiny floating particles that can be very annoying and almost always require removal. Fortunately, depending on if you are near a busy port or in a marine park, the amount of these particles will vary. Full disclosure - all of the images here have been post processed. So yes, the pictures are super cool but they need to be cleaned up more than the ones I take when I am not in the water.

Additionally, some days there are jellyfish to deal with and I succeeded in avoiding their wrath all summer. I saw many people get stung so I went out and bought a rash guard which sounds a little bit like a cream for babies. It isn't, but it is a long sleeved neoprene shirt designed to eliminate jellyfish stings and keep you warm. Fun fact: I learned that when a jellyfish tentacle comes in contact with human skin or a fish, tiny venomous harpoons are injected into the skin causing a fish to become paralyzed and a meal for the jellyfish. In humans, it just hurts a lot.

My first day in the water was an intoxicating experience that reminded me of the first time I peered into a telescope. Similarly, to be able to see as clear underwater as on land was truly exceptional plus seeing the colorful fish made me feel like the first human ever to use a mask and snorkel. See below one of the images I captured on my first day in the water.

One of the first lessons learned was that it's a good idea to refocus often even with the autofocus engaged. A camera tracking a moving object on land while the photographer is stationary is one thing. A camera tracking a moving object in the water when moving in a nonlinear way while at the same time the photographer is moving/being moved by waves and the current is a very different thing. With time, my success rate will improve but I find that it is always best to manage my own expectations in both photography and life.

Another important lesson learned is that capturing images while always shooting down limits the amount of quality compositions you will have. Consequently, you need to try and shoot straight at your subject and even try some upshots as well. Therefore, you need to dive down a bit and not stay at surface level which for me required a bit of practice. Specifically, the strategy that worked for me was to breathe deeply for a few breaths and then exhale almost completely while quickly diving down using my legs and arms to propel me. Below are a few images from alternative compositional angles.

Continuing with the subject of creative compositions, the below image I shot from about 10 different angles in order to arrive at this as my favorite. Note that you can see the sky, beach and trees at the very top of the image, next the reflection of the log floating on the bottom of the water's surface and finally the log itself. Incidentally, after swimming into this little isolated cove I realized the depth of the water was barely less than a half a meter (20 inches). Typically, I lose focus on where I am when I am shooting because I am often consumed by the composition itself.

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One of the biggest and most pleasant surprises was the amount and variety of diffraction. My brain became fascinated by the unending variations of shapes and patterns created and found myself shooting the same composition many times over. This technique yielded some stunning yet slight variations in the images while at the same time lots of images to be deleted. Someone once told me the bigger the garbage can the better the photographer. Moreover, the best of these images usually included reflections from the bottom of the surface of the sea due to the constant and unpredictable motion involved. See the images below.

This photographer's summer snorkel adventure massively exceeded expectations. So much so that I plan on returning again, this time with a proper waterproof housing for my Nikon Z8 and the 24-70mm zoom. I did see an octopus scurrying along the bottom and promptly disappearing in between some rocks. Also, I stole a glimpse of a Moray eel's tail as it darted away from me while in Port Cros. And Lastly, I saw two different cormorant's swimming and diving for fish in Cassis and Toulon and wasn't in the right place at the right time to capture a good image. So yes, I will be back!