Should you’re like me, you’ve been anxiously trying to find any reduction from the Unhealthy Information™ and countless stream of AI slop plaguing your feed. Joseph Ricketts’ breathtaking wildlife movies may very well 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 relaxing and curious gaze to a number of the extra obscure underwater vistas by means of his work as a scientist and wildlife researcher, together with his pictures and videography expertise. Together 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 change into a ardour challenge. The Verge caught up with him to find out about his fascinating YouTube content material.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Science or pictures first?
It could 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 and so they had been actually huge. That simply blew my thoughts and set me on the trail of being keen on wildlife. My dad received a digicam sooner or later and on some household journeys I’d use it and received actually keen on it. All of that collectively led to me getting keen on 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, folks have very sturdy emotions about snakes. They don’t like them — particularly the venomous ones. It was neat to look at Steve Irwin and the way in which that he approached all kinds of animals, regardless of how harmful they had been, with immense pleasure and curiosity. To see somebody in my very own group even be keen on that, it was like, “I can do that too.”
After which, studying to like these animals however nonetheless seeing lots of people who simply wished all of them eradicated from the surroundings. Even once I was younger, I used to be considering: what does it imply to guard these animals and what does it imply to encourage different folks to alter their mindset? How do you justify defending and conserving an animal that is perhaps probably harmful? What in regards to the environmental significance of predators? I used to be so and passionate, I ended up learning conservation science in undergraduate and grad college.
And also you now specialise in alligators?
Loads of my skilled work has been with reptiles and amphibians. At present I’m learning 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 challenge I helped with was placing satellite tv for pc transmitters on crocodiles we captured and monitoring their actions by means of city areas in South Florida. The purpose of that challenge 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 could be in a very small space, however then generally they’ll simply up and go for a 20-mile swim to some other place fully. The purpose is to discover ways to higher domesticate protected coexistence with these animals in such a dense and extremely populated space akin to South Florida.
How did you begin moving into underwater filming?
I first began out with a GoPro, as a result of it’s a really accessible and never too costly solution to get a digicam underwater. In faculty, my roommates and mates all the time tried to go on some type 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 all the way down to Florida. We snorkeled within the Keys and found Florida’s springs alongside a few of these journeys.
I’d take images with the GoPro, regardless that it’s probably not meant for that. However underwater pictures tools is absolutely costly and I simply thought, “There’s no manner, 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 time, after which, as a result of she’s initially from Pensacola, Florida, we moved again. I received a job performing some 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 dimensions of my digicam. It was a tenth of the worth of what a mean full equipment value. So I received it. I needed to make some modifications and I really used Lego items to make a number of the controls match my digicam. I had fairly restricted management underwater, however I may do auto ISO, after which management the aperture and the shutter pace, and pull the set off to get a shot. After I did video, I needed to begin recording, put the digicam within the housing, shut it, after which I couldn’t do anything. It could 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 respectable wildlife photographer.
I took some images and I received shortlisted in some fairly main worldwide competitions. I didn’t push by means of to be a finalist, nevertheless it was sufficient to be, “I even have some talent on this and it’s value pursuing.” It simply type 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 absolutely improve my equipment to the place I’m at now.
What sort of tech is in your diving equipment?
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 a little bit bizarre as a result of all the things’s a little bit distorted and type of rounded, however while you’re underwater, it’s actually nice for taking images that simply type of immerse you in that system. You may focus extraordinarily near your topic. You could be an inch away and nonetheless give attention to it. Because the angle is so broad, you’ll be able to lock in on the attention of the wildlife and type of seize their face, but additionally the remainder of the scene and their total physique, even when it’s a much bigger animal.
I exploit an Ikelite 200DL Dive Housing, and I’ve received two Sea & Sea YS-90DX strobes and two 2900 VTL BigBlue Dive Lights. The strobes connect 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 shortly and that little flash of white mild simply type of restores coloration to the scene.
I even have an Ikelite 8-inch Dome Port with an extension that’s broad sufficient in order that the super-wide fish-eye lens doesn’t get minimize off by the design of the dive housing. Should you maintain it proper on the floor it could possibly create a water line so you will get cut up pictures.
I exploit Lightroom and Photoshop for modifying images and making prints. I exploit Premiere Professional for modifying movies.
How do you determine what you’re going to movie?
I’ve to search out an thought that’s fascinating to me. Typically it’s a narrative that I feel must be informed, and that I really feel certified with the data to do it. I have to know the situation and be assured that I can get the pictures I would like safely. I additionally wish to really feel able to telling the story in a significant manner.
Science and wildlife are such enormous topics. It’s laborious. There’s lots of people that are likely to tout themselves as wildlife specialists, however until they’re very, very skilled, that raises a crimson flag. I wouldn’t describe myself as that. I’ve to do a variety of analysis myself and I be taught issues alongside the way in which too.
I’m actually enthusiastic about 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 exhibiting folks distinctive environments the place you wouldn’t have a tendency to consider what life appears like underwater. I take into consideration what wildlife I would encounter there, and what conservation story I can weave by means of that. Additionally, is there sufficient visibility within the water for me to get my digicam in and really get usable pictures that folks can join with?
There’s a disconnect that exists between folks and wildlife within the pure world that we have now 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 wish to do what I can to bridge that hole. It’s essential that folks put faces to the creatures that dwell in these locations, regardless of how huge or how small they’re. They’re all essential, fantastic, value studying and price caring about. Aquatic ecosystems are very delicate environments. It’s essential to know what’s there, to know what we’d stand to lose.
Do you’ve got a narrative in thoughts earlier than you dive, or do you normally piece issues collectively after?
I like pictures and having the ability to inform a narrative by means of a single picture, however I additionally love longer varieties, utilizing video to inform tales as properly.
My artistic course of is unquestionably evolving. I’ll have the beginnings of an thought whereas I’m making an attempt to work out the storytelling and looking for methods to assist folks connect with it. Usually I’ll have an thought of the realm I wish 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 a fantastic 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 all the way down to the perfect clips and have a basic idea of a narrative, that’s once I’ll write the script. Writing the script final will not be regular for many creators, however I would like the journey and the motion of going out and snorkeling, exploring these locations, to be the guts of the channel. Typically I might need a little bit bit extra script on sure elements, 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 most important challenges that you simply’re making an attempt to work by means of?
A giant problem is sustainability and the way I could be constant and never burn out, as a result of it’s a variety of work, going out to discover and dive, generally not having a variety of success and different occasions having success. How do I tempo myself? I feel I’ve type of settled on a fairly respectable schedule.
One other problem is that a variety of YouTube is shock worth and clickbait. I wish to use my channel to push again in opposition to that. The algorithm appears to be altering to entertain longer consideration spans and increase genuine and actual content material. However I would like to have the ability to use my channel to assist folks recognize even little particulars and small issues.
Like should you go snorkeling and also you’re within the ocean or on a reef, clearly the actually huge issues just like the sharks and large rays are going to be what stand out to you. However should you’re in a tiny pond and there’s nothing round, and you then discover one dwelling factor, immediately 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 variety of methods it’s laborious and irritating, too. Florida has some completely wonderful wildlife and wonderful ecosystems, and as an underwater photographer, it’s an amazing place to be. There’s the coasts, the Keys, freshwater springs, rivers and streams as properly. There are a variety of locations which might be inside affordable driving distance to search 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 fee. There are new developments going up in every single place. Loads of spots I like are degrading. I’ve been going to the springs since faculty and a few of them are nearly unrecognizable from once I first visited them 10 years in the past. It’s a problem globally and positively across the US, however I feel Florida is experiencing that at an accelerated fee.
It’s an excellent place to be as a conservationist as a result of there’s a lot of work to be executed, messages to get on the market, however it may be draining and exhausting. Typically [you] really feel such as you’re preventing an uphill battle with no breaks or relaxation.
Seems like politics mixed with being a vacationer and retirement vacation spot.
An enormous drawback is that persons are shifting right here and never taking the time to be taught in regards to the pure group that exists previous to their arrival. So folks transfer right here and are shocked to see an alligator of their yard. Or different actually rich folks transfer to South Florida and have crocodiles round, and so they freak out as a result of that’s completely new to them. However that is Florida. Now we have venomous snakes, we have now alligators, we have now crocodiles. They belong right here. They’re essential for this ecosystem. Should you can’t embrace that, then I don’t know what you’re anticipating.
There are many methods to be taught to securely dwell alongside these creatures. There’s simply an enormous want to fulfill the inflow of recent folks with schooling and reminding people who we wish Florida to stay wild. A lot of the attraction of Florida is its pure surroundings and so there’s loads of explanation why it must be protected, however it’s type of a continuing battle.
I like Florida a lot. It’s such a fantastic place, an essential place to guard, nevertheless it has a ton of challenges going through it.
Are there any spots that you simply actually wish to dive into that you simply haven’t had the prospect to but?
As a result of a variety of my stuff is Florida-based, I’d actually like to do a sequence of diving in each single state within the US. A few of that may 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 do 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 properly. I feel that’s one thing I would want to earn, as a result of there are positively different individuals who is perhaps extra certified to inform a few of these tales. However I feel if my channel [followers] had been and wished me to, I’d completely love the prospect to do this. There are a variety of freshwater springs around the globe.
I simply hope that I can proceed to encourage folks to be form and curious in regards to the world round them and take note of the little issues. It’s essential to be conscious of our particular person impacts on the world round us, but additionally to carry ourselves as a group and as a rustic to a better normal so far as defending our pure sources and our wildlife, as a result of we don’t get a second likelihood at this. It’s essential that we take it severely and we get it proper.
I feel it’s laborious to be taught to like one thing should 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 may help folks to get a glimpse into these underwater worlds to see that they’re locations which might be actually particular, value defending, and price holding wild.
