If you happen to’re like me, you’ve been anxiously trying to find any reduction from the Dangerous Information™ and countless stream of AI slop plaguing your feed. Joseph Ricketts’ breathtaking wildlife movies could possibly be the antidote. An alligator taking a nap on the ground of a crystal clear spring. Faculties of fish glittering within the darkness. A cosmic cloud of burnt orange tannic river swirling into clear blue water. An enormous salamander battle on an Appalachian riverbed.
Joseph is an ecologist, underwater videographer, and alligator researcher based mostly in Florida. He brings a chilled and curious gaze to a number of the extra obscure underwater vistas by his work as a scientist and wildlife researcher, together with his pictures and videography abilities. Along with his undersea strobes, he casts mild on the mesmerizing conduct of a number of the extra obscure creatures that lurk beneath the water’s floor, creating lovely movies whereas educating his viewers on the weak wildlife he finds there. Documenting Florida’s pure springs and America’s freshwater ecosystems has grow to be a ardour venture. The Verge caught up with him to study his fascinating YouTube content material.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Science or pictures first?
It will most likely be pictures first. Truly, I received into wildlife and animals as a child. There was a creek in a park close to our home and we discovered bullfrog tadpoles in there they usually had been actually massive. That simply blew my thoughts and set me on the trail of being concerned about wildlife. My dad received a digicam in some unspecified time in the future and on some household journeys I’d use it and received actually concerned about it. All of that collectively led to me getting concerned about science after which conservation, storytelling, and wildlife filmmaking.
How did you become involved with ecology?
I used to be in Boy Scouts as a child and there was one other child in our group who was actually into snakes. I additionally grew up watching Steve Irwin, who was an enormous hero of mine.
Rising up within the Southeast, individuals have very robust emotions about snakes. They don’t like them — particularly the venomous ones. It was neat to observe Steve Irwin and the way in which that he approached all kinds of animals, irrespective of how harmful they had been, with immense pleasure and curiosity. To see somebody in my very own neighborhood even be concerned about that, it was like, “I can do that too.”
After which, studying to like these animals however nonetheless seeing lots of people who simply needed all of them eradicated from the setting. Even after I was younger, I used to be pondering: what does it imply to guard these animals and what does it imply to encourage different individuals to vary their mindset? How do you justify defending and conserving an animal that may be doubtlessly harmful? What concerning the environmental significance of predators? I used to be so and passionate, I ended up finding out conservation science in undergraduate and grad college.
And you now concentrate on alligators?
A whole lot of my skilled work has been with reptiles and amphibians. At present I’m finding out alligators and crocodiles.
What particularly are you researching?
We monitor alligator populations. I’ve helped out with some initiatives on American crocodiles, that are a local threatened species in Florida. One venture I helped with was placing satellite tv for pc transmitters on crocodiles we captured and monitoring their actions by city areas in South Florida. The purpose of that venture was to get a greater thought of their conduct in these extremely city environments as a result of they transfer fairly a bit. They’ve very variable residence ranges. Some might be in a very small space, however then typically they’ll simply up and go for a 20-mile swim to some other place solely. The purpose is to learn to higher domesticate protected coexistence with these animals in such a dense and extremely populated space akin to South Florida.
How did you begin stepping into underwater filming?
I first began out with a GoPro, as a result of it’s a really accessible and never too costly method to get a digicam underwater. In faculty, my roommates and associates at all times tried to go on some form of journey throughout spring break. We had been tremendous fascinated with the thought of snorkeling in clear water, as a result of that wasn’t one thing that was round us the place we grew up. So each spring break we drove right down to Florida. We snorkeled within the Keys and found Florida’s springs alongside a few of these journeys.
I’d take photographs with the GoPro, regardless that it’s not likely meant for that. However underwater pictures tools is basically costly and I simply thought, “There’s no approach, I don’t understand how I’ll ever have the ability to afford that.”
However then after my spouse and I graduated, we received married, lived in North Carolina for a short while, after which, as a result of she’s initially from Pensacola, Florida, we moved again. I received a job doing a little ecology work right here in Gainesville.
Sooner or later I used to be simply cruising round Fb Market and I noticed a digicam housing made to suit a 20-year-old digicam that was inside millimeters of the scale of my digicam. It was a tenth of the worth of what a mean full package price. So I received it. I needed to make some modifications and I truly used Lego items to make a number of the controls match my digicam. I had fairly restricted management underwater, however I might do auto ISO, after which management the aperture and the shutter velocity, and pull the set off to get a shot. Once I did video, I needed to begin recording, put the digicam within the housing, shut it, after which I couldn’t do anything. It will simply be one single shot the entire time. So it wasn’t nice for video, however that’s how I received began. After which I noticed I used to be a fairly first rate wildlife photographer.
I took some photographs and I received shortlisted in some fairly main worldwide competitions. I didn’t push by to be a finalist, nevertheless it was sufficient to be, “I even have some ability on this and it’s price pursuing.” It simply form of stored build up from there. Ultimately I received one other used housing that was designed for my digicam. By that time, I used to be promoting prints and doing another issues, so I used to be in a position to lastly totally improve my package to the place I’m at now.
What form of tech is in your diving package?
I’m utilizing the Canon R5 with a Canon EF-RF adapter and a Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L fish-eye lens. It’s a brilliant wide-angle lens that folks have a tendency to make use of both for underwater or for skateboard pictures. It’s just a little bizarre as a result of all the pieces’s just a little distorted and form of rounded, however while you’re underwater, it’s actually nice for taking photographs that simply form of immerse you in that system. You may focus extraordinarily near your topic. You might be an inch away and nonetheless give attention to it. For the reason that angle is so huge, you possibly can lock in on the attention of the wildlife and form of seize their face, but in addition the remainder of the scene and their whole physique, even when it’s an even bigger animal.
I take advantage of an Ikelite 200DL Dive Housing, and I’ve received two Sea & Sea YS-90DX strobes and two 2900 VTL BigBlue Dive Lights. The strobes hook up with the digicam in order that while you pull the set off, it lets off some mild, as a result of the deeper you go underwater, mild tends to fade fairly rapidly and that little flash of white mild simply form of restores coloration to the scene.
I even have an Ikelite 8-inch Dome Port with an extension that’s huge sufficient in order that the super-wide fish-eye lens doesn’t get reduce off by the design of the dive housing. If you happen to maintain it proper on the floor it could create a water line so you may get break up pictures.
I take advantage of Lightroom and Photoshop for modifying photographs and making prints. I take advantage of Premiere Professional for modifying movies.
How do you determine what you’re going to movie?
I’ve to seek out an thought that’s fascinating to me. Generally it’s a narrative that I believe must be informed, and that I really feel certified with the information to do it. I must know the placement and be assured that I can get the pictures I would like safely. I additionally need to really feel able to telling the story in a significant approach.
Science and wildlife are such large topics. It’s exhausting. There’s lots of people that are likely to tout themselves as wildlife consultants, however until they’re very, very skilled, that raises a crimson flag. I wouldn’t describe myself as that. I’ve to do a number of analysis myself and I study issues alongside the way in which too.
I’m actually obsessed with something aquatic as a result of I like doing underwater pictures and videography. That’s the principle a part of my social media and YouTube channel. I particularly love displaying individuals distinctive environments the place you wouldn’t have a tendency to consider what life seems to be like underwater. I take into consideration what wildlife I’d encounter there, and what conservation story I can weave by that. Additionally, is there sufficient visibility within the water for me to get my digicam in and truly get usable pictures that folks can join with?
There’s a disconnect that exists between individuals and wildlife within the pure world that we now have to actively fight, like local weather change, air pollution, and habitat destruction. There’s one other disconnect between us and what lies beneath the floor, and I actually need to do what I can to bridge that hole. It’s necessary that folks put faces to the creatures that dwell in these locations, irrespective of how massive or how small they’re. They’re all necessary, fantastic, price studying and value caring about. Aquatic ecosystems are very delicate environments. It’s necessary to know what’s there, to know what we would stand to lose.
Do you’ve a narrative in thoughts earlier than you dive, or do you normally piece issues collectively after?
I like pictures and with the ability to inform a narrative by a single picture, however I additionally love longer varieties, utilizing video to inform tales as nicely.
My inventive course of is certainly evolving. I’ll have the beginnings of an thought whereas I’m attempting to work out the storytelling and looking for methods to assist individuals hook up with it. Sometimes I’ll have an thought of the realm I need to cowl for the shot and what I’m going to give attention to. One instance was looking for a really particular species of very tiny fish that lives in springs.
That Gulf Coast pygmy sunfish is an attractive fish.
They’re so cool. So my thought was that it’s going to be about discovering that fish, filming it, hopefully getting some conduct. That was about what I needed to work with, and I used to be fortunate sufficient to see fairly a little bit of conduct.
After I get the footage all edited right down to one of the best clips and have a basic idea of a narrative, that’s after I’ll write the script. Writing the script final isn’t regular for many creators, however I would like the journey and the motion of going out and snorkeling, exploring these locations, to be the center of the channel. Generally I might need just a little bit extra script on sure components, however usually I don’t have any management over what I’m going to see. So I’ve to exit and shoot, after which come again and do the story from that.
What are the largest challenges that you simply’re attempting to work by?
A giant problem is sustainability and the way I might be constant and never burn out, as a result of it’s a lot of labor, going out to discover and dive, typically not having a number of success and different instances having success. How do I tempo myself? I believe I’ve form of settled on a fairly first rate schedule.
One other problem is that a number of YouTube is shock worth and clickbait. I need to use my channel to push again in opposition to that. The algorithm appears to be altering to entertain longer consideration spans and enhance genuine and actual content material. However I would like to have the ability to use my channel to assist individuals admire even little particulars and small issues.
Like in case you go snorkeling and also you’re within the ocean or on a reef, clearly the actually massive issues just like the sharks and big rays are going to be what stand out to you. However in case you’re in a tiny pond and there’s nothing round, and then you definitely discover one dwelling factor, all of a sudden that factor turns into actually fascinating. I would like to have the ability to inform tales about a number of the much less thrilling issues and make these fascinating.
Such because the video you made about Appalachian Hellbenders. I by no means imagined salamanders would duke it out like that. Do you want being based mostly in Florida?
It’s nice, however in a number of methods it’s exhausting and irritating, too. Florida has some completely superb wildlife and superb ecosystems, and as an underwater photographer, it’s an excellent place to be. There’s the coasts, the Keys, freshwater springs, rivers and streams as nicely. There are a number of locations which can be inside cheap driving distance to seek out underwater adventures and tales to inform. It’s irritating as a result of there’s a lot to lose and Florida can also be growing at a really unsustainable charge. There are new developments going up in every single place. A whole lot of spots I like are degrading. I’ve been going to the springs since faculty and a few of them are virtually unrecognizable from after I first visited them 10 years in the past. It’s a difficulty globally and positively across the US, however I believe Florida is experiencing that at an accelerated charge.
It’s place to be as a conservationist as a result of there’s a number of work to be performed, messages to get on the market, however it may be draining and exhausting. Generally [you] really feel such as you’re preventing an uphill battle with no breaks or relaxation.
Feels like politics mixed with being a vacationer and retirement vacation spot.
An enormous drawback is that individuals are transferring right here and never taking the time to study concerning the pure neighborhood that exists previous to their arrival. So individuals transfer right here and are stunned to see an alligator of their yard. Or different actually rich individuals transfer to South Florida and have crocodiles round, they usually freak out as a result of that’s completely new to them. However that is Florida. We now have venomous snakes, we now have alligators, we now have crocodiles. They belong right here. They’re necessary for this ecosystem. If you happen to can’t embrace that, then I don’t know what you’re anticipating.
There are many methods to study to securely dwell alongside these creatures. There’s simply an enormous want to satisfy the inflow of recent individuals with schooling and reminding those that we would like Florida to stay wild. A lot of the enchantment of Florida is its pure setting and so there’s loads of the reason why it must be protected, however it’s form of a continuing battle.
I like Florida a lot. It’s such an attractive place, an necessary place to guard, nevertheless it has a ton of challenges going through it.
Are there any spots that you simply actually need to dive into that you simply haven’t had the prospect to but?
As a result of a number of my stuff is Florida-based, I’d actually like to do a collection of diving in each single state within the US. A few of that might be extra predictable, like diving off the coast of Maine. That’d be cool. However although you by no means hear of anybody going to Nebraska or Oklahoma to snorkel, there’s underwater tales to be informed there and I’d love the prospect to try this. So I’m hoping if the channel grows sufficient, there’ll be curiosity sufficient from the viewers to help one thing like that.
In fact I’d completely like to journey internationally to do some movies as nicely. I believe that’s one thing I would want to earn, as a result of there are positively different individuals who may be extra certified to inform a few of these tales. However I believe if my channel [followers] had been and needed me to, I’d completely love the prospect to try this. There are a number of freshwater springs world wide.
I simply hope that I can proceed to encourage individuals to be variety and curious concerning the world round them and take note of the little issues. It’s necessary to be aware of our particular person impacts on the world round us, but in addition to carry ourselves as a neighborhood and as a rustic to a better customary so far as defending our pure sources and our wildlife, as a result of we don’t get a second probability at this. It’s necessary that we take it critically and we get it proper.
I believe it’s exhausting to study to like one thing in case you don’t know that that factor exists or haven’t been in a position to see it in its residence. So I hope that my underwater movies will help individuals to get a glimpse into these underwater worlds to see that they’re locations which can be actually particular, price defending, and value retaining wild.
