Crystal Clear Waters with André Musgrove

CRYSTAL CRYSTAL CLEAR CLEAR WATERS WATERS

With André Musgrove With André Musgrove

By L. Roscoe Dames II Photographs courtesy of André Musgrove

AfroPlane Photographer André Musgrove Model Alannah Vellacott

Middle Sea Photographer André Musgrove Model Stephanie Schuldt

For this April-June 2022 issue of Up and Away, our Publisher had an opportunity to spend some time with this young dynamic professional of the underwater world. All underwater photographs are courtesy of André Musgrove throughout the publication.

Sit back, relax, journey above the clouds and enjoy their one-on-one exchange while they dive into the crystal clear waters of The Bahamas.

Share with us some of your experiences growing up in The Bahamas. Where were you born and raised and at what stage were you drawn to the water?

I found my passion for underwater photography & filmmaking when I was very young. Growing up in the Bahamas I frequented the ocean and going spear fishing with my father. Every summer vacation from school my family and I would visit different Family Islands and explore what each island had that was unique. Most of my friends at that age did not have easy access as I did to the ocean so picking up a camera for me was my way of bringing the ocean to them.

How did your love for the water develop and most importantly talk about becoming a professional in this discipline?

Before I became an underwater photographer, I actually wasn’t doing anything professionally; it was my first profession and the one I stuck with. I always

Wet Rose Photographer André Musgrove Model Alannah Vellacott enjoyed being under the water and also taking photos and videos so I combined both of my passions. I did not take any formal education to become an underwater photographer. I began working at a dive shop right after graduating high school and joined the underwater photography department. Working at the dive shop was my training ground for underwater photography, taking photos and videos everyday with quick turnaround times and demanding situations. Becoming a professional in the discipline took a lot of in water time, trial and error and research. Learning how to network with people, understanding how to use media to your advantage and putting in the hours of practice produce a great result.

What have been some of the high points in your journey into this world?

Some of the high points in my career have been meeting persons whose work have inspired me as I was honing my craft. I’ve had the opportunity to meet a number of them in person, spend time with them and happy to now call some of them my good friends.

What gives you the greatest satisfaction with your discipline?

The thing that gives me the greatest satisfaction with my discipline is the success in being able to show persons things that we have under the ocean that they may not know much about and through my work influencing them to fall in love with the ocean as I have.

Share one of your favorite or most exhilarating experiences to date?

It’s really hard to say which underwater shoot or assignment has been my most favorite because every shoot is so different. The photo shoots underwater I do for my personal work I really enjoy because of the challenge they present and I get to work with persons I consider to be my friends who are usually the free diving models in the photos. On the other hand, film shoots that I do like Natural History are also enjoyable because I get to spend such a long period of time underwater filming marine wildlife doing their thing.

Wet Rose Photographer Andre Musgrove Model Alannah Vellacott

One Way 2 Photographer André Musgrove Model Alice Modolo about the steps in his journey to making himself a Swiss Army knife in his field and even be successful in things outside of his field. Bruce Lee, the kung fu legend I’d love the opportunity to have met and learn from his stories and experiences in regards to self-discipline and expanding talents into different areas.

Tell us more about what are some of the services you offer?

The services I provide other than underwater photography and underwater cinematography includes fine art prints, private dive guide services for private vessels or charters looking to do scuba diving, free diving or spear fishing, on-camera TV presenter work for networks such as Discovery Channel Shark Week and underwater stunt performer work.

What’s next for André Musgrove?

My future plans are to continue to create interesting underwater conceptual photographs and also film underwater short films of free diver’s in the underwater environment. The short films will either include personal growth or conservation messages hidden in the visuals and music. Continually searching for more opportunities to shoot in unique underwater locations and spread the message of what being underwater is truly like to help encourage people to care more about the things beneath the surface they don’t usually see. UA

Have you done any work in other oceans around the world? If so, where, how did that happen and tell us about the experience?

I’ve done work in the Pacific and Indian Ocean before in Komodo National Park of Indonesia. It was a film shoot for a dive on a live-a-board boat. I was assisting a friend who was unable to film underwater for the trip. The diving was some of the best diving I’ve ever done in my life and I’d love to go back. The marine wildlife and coral of Indonesia looks like something straight out of a Disney animated movie and with the different animals in the ocean and coming from The Bahamas, I was able to see a lot of new things.

What do you enjoy most about the crystal clear waters of The Bahamas? What I enjoy most about the crystal clear waters of The Bahamas is that it allows easier access to great underwater photos or video content. The clarity of the water is something that we photographers can’t really control and having a place where the water is so clear that sometimes you can’t see if you’re even underwater is a dream come true for any person who loves being in the ocean.

If you could invite a few people to your table—living or dead—for dinner, for some great food and for stimulating conversation with you and your family, who would they be and why?

The three persons I would invite would be James Cameron, Will Smith and Bruce Lee. James Cameron being the director of many iconic movies including Avatar, I’d love to learn more about his process in creating and conceptualizing an amazing film. Will Smith, I believe everyone knows of and would love to hear Sun Dancer Photographer André Musgrove Model Ariadna Hafez