Kate Vylet is a conservation and underwater photographer and videographer based in Monterey Bay, California. Her work has been featured in BBC Wildlife magazine and Oceanographic magazine, and she is a partner photographer with Girls Who Click.
- In the dead of the night, this diver saw a bizarre thing scuttling out of the darkness
- “The current was swirling in all directions and my buddy’s bubbles were heading downwards. Not a sight any diver wants to see...”
How did your career start?
Growing up in urban Los Angeles, I connected with nature by photographing the animals found along the edges of civilisation.
I continued at college and after learning how to scuba dive I started shooting underwater extensively, honing my skills and building my portfolio, until I found the direction for my work today.
- “Straight out of a sci-fi film." Diver spots strange animal on Great Barrier Reef. What it was doing blew her mind
- “That’s unbelievable.” Scientists strapped a camera to a turtle. What it filmed shocked them all
You focus on the ocean. What is it about the underwater world that appeals?
Being underwater feels like exploring an alien planet. You’re floating through this incredibly intricate world that’s hidden right below the surface, with so much colourful life that’s just out of sight for us as land animals. It can only be described as magical, and as a photographer I want to capture that magic for everyone.
Which of your photographs has particular significance for you?
I took a photo of urchins piling on a kelp blade that had fallen from the canopy. A lot of kelp forest has been lost to overgrazing by urchins, but for me the image is hopeful because the urchins are eating kelp detritus in a lush kelp forest. It’s a scene of new-found balance in a changing world; a symbol of resilience.
What’s the most unusual species you’ve seen in California?
I saw a 2m sturgeon swimming through a kelp forest. I remember seeing a magnified scute (one of its bony scales) through my macro lens and deciding to just enjoy the moment. It was only afterwards that I learned how rare an event it was. No photos, but my dive buddy will attest to the sighting!
What’s your most memorable encounter with an animal?
On New Year’s Day in 2018 I was almost bulldozed by a humpback whale. I was shooting photos and looked up to see what appeared to be a big reef. Then I realised it was a young whale moving directly towards me. I’m not sure if it noticed me, but I kicked out of the way as it passed.
Have you had any other frightening experiences while in the field?
The scariest was a rapid ascent caused by a DSMB. This is an inflatable buoy that is used to mark your location while submerged. It was my first time launching one underwater and the reel caught my hand, causing the gradually accelerating float to pull me upwards. Thankfully, my training had taught me to remember to breathe and I managed to stop it 4m from the surface.
Any epic fails to share?
I’ve put batteries into my strobes the wrong way; realised I didn’t even have a battery after carrying my gear all the way into the water; and noticed too late that I had a hair stuck to the inside of my ‘dome port’ lens. You learn to improvise and make checklists...
What species have you always wanted to photograph that has eluded you?
An adult sarcastic fringehead. It’s a tube blenny – an elongated fish that dwells in abandoned invertebrate shells or burrows – and males are famous for their massive, colourful mouths. I’ve seen subadults and itty-bitty babies, but a fully grown male with its impressive jaws continues to elude me.
What’s been your most challenging shoot to date?
Surfgrass shoots are physically challenging. It grows on turbulent reefs and even on a calm day the churning water makes you feel like you’re inside a washing machine. The pressure is hard on your ears and you’re being smacked into rock and blinded by bubbles as you try to compose a shot.
Any tips for budding wildlife photographers?
Just keep shooting. Honing skills comes from practice and there’s always more to learn. You don’t need to travel to take photos – explore your local pond, forest and beach. Seek out nature hidden in the nooks and crannies of cities, yards and parks. Wildlife is everywhere, you just have to look.
See more of Kate's work at katevylet.com.
- "Our jungle guide sprang into action, shouting urgently 'Run! Quickly! Run!' We were seemingly running for our lives from we knew not what"
- “The waves were several metres high and I was so sick. I got to know the boat’s ‘puke hole’ very well – but I still got the footage I needed!”
- “I nearly lost my dive watch and a glove while ‘holding hands’ with an octopus in this way.”
- “I once worked at an elevation of more than 5,000m in Bolivia and it was very difficult to breathe, eat and sleep.”
