Lessons Interviews with the Pros: Shooting Subjects Big and Small with Dustin Adamson

Interviews with the Pros: Shooting Subjects Big and Small with Dustin Adamson​

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From humpback whales to nudibranchs, tiger sharks to flamboyant cuttlefish, Dustin Adamson has shot it all. In this interview, Dustin shares key insights on the gear he uses, as well as his process and workflow for creating stunning underwater films.

Q: What’s your Current Primary Camera System?​

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A: Previously I have worked with the Canon 5D II, Canon 1DX II, and Canon 1DX III cameras. In the last year I have moved to the Canon EOS R5 C which I LOVE! The ability to utilize Canon’s custom white balance through pressing just 1 button is a huge deal for me and my wide angle work. In my opinion, Canon has the best underwater color of any camera out there. Having one button to achieve correct white balance at depth has really been a game-changer for me. The 8K RAW isn’t something I use a lot of, but it is nice to have when a shot calls for that type of flexibility in post as well as extra resolution. Another side benefit for me is that this camera doesn’t have a mirror box (it’s a Mirrorless Camera), so cleaning the sensor on this camera is significantly easier than my previous cameras. Here are some other details of what I use for my primary rig:

• Canon EOS R5 C Camera
• Nauticam NA-R5C Underwater Housing
• Nauticam NA-502S Housing
• Canon RF 100mm ƒ2.8 L Macro lens – For macro work
• Canon RF 14-35mm ƒ4 L Lens – For wide angle work
• Nauticam SMC-1 Super Macro Converter Lens
• Backscatter Macro Wide 4300 Video Lights for Spot and Snoot shots with the Optical Snoot OS-1
• Xit 404 Tripod Legs

Q: It looks like you had some epic whale encounters in Moorea! Tell us about what went into making a compelling edit from your stunning combo of aerial and underwater footage.​

A: I had the opportunity to join the Backscatter group trip this year, and it really exceeded all of my expectations. The accommodations, in water guides and private boat, were really top-notch. Topside Moorea is the most beautiful place I have ever been. The sharp green volcanic mountains are a spectacular sight to see. I incorporated a lot of drone shots in the edit, some of which tested the drone’s limitations. I was fortunate enough to get some aerial shots of the whale inside of the lagoon without feeling the need to bring the drone and launch it on the boat. It's against the rules for swimmers to be with the whales in the lagoon, so that enabled me to get some clean shots without people in the shots. When we were in the water, it was a mixed result on the encounters that we had. You have to swim a minimum of 300 feet (100 meters) to reach the whale. This meant there was a lot of swimming! Sometimes that paid off, other times not. I was happy with the 6 days on the water. This gave us enough opportunities to get good shots in a variety of different conditions, and also shots without people scattered in the image. The private boat with only 6 people that Backscatter arranged was crucial in getting some of these shots without dozens of other swimmers in the frame.

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