Artists We Love: Helen Walne Photography

INTERVIEWED BY Michaela Stehr PHOTOS Helen Walne

Cape Town-based writer and underwater photographer Helen Walne talks to us about what it takes to capture her mesmerising images of the deep.

Give us a bit of background on yourself?

I’m a writer, journalist and editor – and now, unexpectedly, an underwater photographer. I’ve worked for newspapers and magazines here and abroad and had a stab at being a poet and a patisserie purveyor. I love words and dogs and kelp forests and chocolate eclairs. I hate hustlers, bigots and kombucha.

Tell us about how you got into underwater photography?

I started swimming lengths at Sea Point pool after my brother drowned himself in the ocean. The repetition and the water were soothing. I then got ridiculously fit and started open-water swimming in the sea. I was amazed at what I saw: sun streaming through the kelp, so many fish, so much colour. I was constantly lagging behind the group I swam with, as I wanted to just slow down and take it all in. So I borrowed a terrible action camera and started taking terrible pictures on solo snorkels around the peninsula, and fell in love with the whole process. Dipping down and capturing this beauty was so meditative. I forgot the human world. One thing led to another, and I got a better, compact camera, and started taking better pictures. And now I have a gigantic set-up as big as a pasta-making machine.  

What gear do you need?

Not necessarily a rig as big as a pasta-making machine! All you really need is a good mask and snorkel, a weight belt to help you stay below the surface, a pair of flippers, and curiosity. A wetsuit is probably a good idea in Cape Town’s chilly water, but I can’t be bothered with all that zipping and heaving. So I don’t use one.  

Where are your favourite places to explore?

Anywhere with kelp! We are lucky to have so many marine protected areas in Cape Town, and I often return to the same reefs over and over again. They’re like shrines, and look different every time, depending on conditions, the time of day, and the light. I am also fond of snuffling around yacht basins, as I love seeing all the colourful life that has colonised human structures. Unfortunately, yacht clubs aren’t that keen on me colonising “their” space, so I regularly get ejected. 

What does the ocean mean to you?

Tranquillity, fragility, tenderness, life. 

What are some concerns you have when trying to capture your images?

That I’ll be able to hold my breath long enough to capture a good shot! And that I’ll be so immersed in what I’m doing I’ll be surprised by a big swell or a rogue snorkeller. 

How do you work with light underwater?

I don’t go deep, so I don’t use strobes. I prefer natural light anyway: the play of it under the kelp canopy is sublime. It often requires staying in one spot and waiting for that split-second, perfect illumination. 

What’s the strangest thing that has happened to you while working in the ocean?

Coming across a huge froth of pink compass jellyfish, all huddled together after a storm. The sight took my breath away. 

Decribe your work in 3 words.

Evocative, illuminating, colourful. 

What does a regular day look like for you?

I have a day job, but have negotiated that I only start at 10am (theoretically). So I will usually head for a dive early in the morning, even if conditions aren’t ideal. Because just being in the water is such a privilege, and there is always something incredible to see — I have learnt so much about sea creatures and plants. Then it’s a lot of Teams meetings and writing and editing. 

What are your plans for 2023?

To wangle a way to spend less time in front of a screen and more time in the water. And start working towards a project that showcases the beauty and importance of kelp forests. 

You can buy prints from Helen of her underwater adventures, here.

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