Steve Jones 

I leaned to dive in 1986 in the freezing reservoirs of the UK - I was 14 at the time. My interest in photography predates that however - I first started taking pictures at the age of 8. I qualified as a diving instructor whilst in University, and as soon as my studies finished, I headed off to Egypt on a one way ticket. It was there that I got to combine my 2 passions, when I bought a second hand amphibious camera. Following a spell in Malta, I headed to the Maldives and it was then that I really got the chance to take my photography forward, although not without mishap - I'm one of the few people to have actually destroyed the very durable Nikonos III through flooding!

Staying for nearly 3 years, I got to accompany many well known photojournalists on their assignments; they were always willing to share their knowledge with me. In return, I made sure they got to see the best places at the best times. I got my first break in 1996 when a well known German magazine sent a journalist to my island, unaccompanied by a photographer. She took some of my work back with her and I got published.

These days I live in land locked Oxford in the UK, but fortunately it's only 45 minutes to the airport - from which I can get just about anywhere. I write and photograph for a number of magazines around the world so enjoy travelling to far more diverse locations. Nothing however, beats local knowledge and experience when it comes to getting a good set of images from a trip - which is why I still return to the Red Sea and Maldives whenever I can - they will always be special places for me.

Unfortunately, as one who has seen these places many years ago, it's heartbreaking to dive there now without the sharks - they are all but gone, as they are in so many other places around the world. It seems human greed knows no bounds, and I hope their plight is paid more than lip service soon, or images will be all we have left of them. Equipment wise, I shoot a mix of digital and film on Nikon cameras mounted in Seacam housings.

My website is at www.millionfish.com

Editors

• sangiro