MUSBA HASHMI speaks with SUMER VERMA, India’s first professional underwater photographer and cinematographer, about what made him explore the underwater world

Imagine capturing a marine iguana walking like a creature out of the Godzilla, or the ones on the top of the food chain Hammerhead Sharks. The moment one comes face to face with such beauties in a serene environment surrounded by ocean water on all sides makes the setting idyllic. A nice click of the button and you will have the memories that you can share with the world that will rejoice seeing these animals through your lens.

One way is to appreciate others for their skills and the other way is to dive in to capture it yourself, Sumer Verma chose the latter to become India’s first photographer and cinematographer.

It is no mean feat to become the first one in the country, but it comes with a lot of pressure. The path towards the achievement is as dramatic as witnessing the creatures create ripples in the ocean. A chance encounter with the underwater world while scuba diving made Verma think of exploring the water world further. Like the Mariner of 1995 post-apocalyptic Hollywood film Waterworld who decided that dryland is not for him, Verma embraced the calling of the seas around two decades back. The first shot still gives him goosebumps.

“I finished college and went diving in Lakshwadeep in 1997. Just visiting the island was an eye-opening experience. Crystal clear water, so much so that you can see it till 10 metres and all the shades of turquoise, made it look a like a scene of paradise. By merely looking at such a scene, I was inspired to spend much more time in such areas. This encouraged me to start training as a diving instructor. And wanting to share the experience that I was having made me take to underwater photography,” Verma explains. From the creatures underwater to the way how light changes in there, Verma was fascinated by it all.

While, as easy as it may sound to click pictures underwater, it is surely a matter of expertise and practice.

“We need to keep in mind the lighting underwater and the distance between the lens and the object. A slight error can result in a washed out or a blurred image. But, once you are aware of your surroundings, it becomes easy to get that perfect shot,” Verma, who has dived in 50 metres deep into the water chasing those perfect shots, tells you.

If you are wondering, what it takes to become a underwater photographer, first and foremost, it is the ability to know your responsibility when you are in the water. “Some species are shy and will stay away so you have to be able to get close to them which is a challenge. But, of course, you have to be careful not to damage the coral reef with your fins,” Verma advises.

Being a scuba diver gives Verma an advantage that he can pull off almost any kind of shots and whatever the director wants, within the realm of possibility, underwater.

“There’s nothing that cannot be done underwater. Of course, there are certain challenges, but that’s where my professional training comes to my rescue,” Verma, who have shot one extended scene with  SS Rajamouli for RRR, tells you.

This is not all. With all these years of experience, Verma has managed to work with many other celebrities including Katrina Kaif and fashion stylists such as Anaita Shroff Adajania. Recently, he shot the Vogue Anniversary Issue underwater with Alia Bhatt.

“Working with Anaita was a bit challenging. She is good friend of mine and a huge task master. Sometimes she was not happy with my pictures. If the picture was good, she wasn’t happy because the clothes can’t be seen, if the clothes were visible she had a problem with the way the foot was looking. So, there’s a lot of pressure to do these fashion editorials with someone like Anaita, but it is because of her eye for perfection that has made a better photographer. I really go all out with aesthetics underwater to get that perfect click,” he says.

It’s a no-brainer that apart from expertise, what one needs to get that perfect click is a camera. While, having a high-end camera is no thumb rule to take to photography, but Verma believes, there’s no harm in having the best one.

“I am fortunate that I own the  Dream kit — Canon EOS -1D X Mark II. It’s super high speed helps capture fast moving subjects underwater. Also, it offers quick focus plus fast shutter speed and 4k video recording abilities. I use Seacam housing for this camera,” Verma, who is a part of the Canon EOS Ambassador Program, tells you.