About
I’m Rich Stevenson, a UK-based underwater camera operator based in Bath, working internationally across feature films, television and commercial productions. Working as an underwater camera operator, I support underwater shoots end-to-end: from pre-production planning and logistics through to on-set delivery, with a focus on capturing distinctive imagery while keeping underwater work efficient and safety-led.
Meet Rich
My work is principally based around underwater camera work and cinematography. I began my career as a deep-water exploration diver in the late 1990s, leading a specialist cave diving and rebreather training centre (Deep Blue Diving) before transitioning full-time into underwater filming for media production in 2009.
With over 20 years of underwater filming experience, I have operated on productions in some of the world’s most challenging environments in the world, from under Norwegian ice on a James Bond feature to the flooded cave systems of Mexico for National Geographic. I own and operate underwater housings and specialist grip for all major cinema camera systems including ARRI, RED, Sony and Canon.
Collaboration
Underwater filming is collaborative. I work with a trusted group of industry professionals whose skills include underwater camera operation, boat handling, dive supervision, marine coordination and TV presenter support. Every team member brings extensive experience working alongside high-profile talent and broadcast crews, enabling safe, efficient and well-organised underwater working practices on every production.
Areas of specialism
- Performance and talent-led underwater sequences
- Action and high-movement underwater coverage
- Natural history filming support
- Creative and unique underwater visuals
- Remote and demanding environments, including under-ice work, flooded caves and shipwreck interiors
- Deep and technical diving shoots – experience dating from 2003
Who I work with
I work with leading broadcast and film producers across both UK and international productions, regularly collaborating with directors, directors of photography, production managers and on-set coordinators for production companies and agencies.
History
My route into underwater filming grew out of a lifelong interest in water, particularly oceans, rivers and lakes, and a career as a technical diving instructor. In 1997 I founded Deep Blue Diving, a training centre specialising in cave diving, deep wreck exploration and rebreather techniques. I trained divers and ran live-aboard expeditions across Europe, including dives on notable wrecks such as RMS Carpathia and HMHS Britannic.
By 2007 I had decided to focus on underwater filming and media support full-time. Deep Blue Diving closed in 2009, and Waterproof Media was set up to provide specialist underwater filming services to the broadcast and film industry. richstevenson.co.uk is my individual profile as a camera operator and underwater DOP.
- 1997 – Deep Blue Diving founded; specialist cave diving and technical training centre
- 1999 – First live-aboard vessel acquired; exploration dives on RMS Carpathia and HMHS Britannic
- 2003 – Began deep and technical diving shoots for media clients
- 2009 – Deep Blue Diving closed; Waterproof Media established for broadcast and film support
- 2017 – BBC Blue Planet II underwater camera operation
- 2021 – Underwater camera operator on James Bond feature No Time to Die, filmed under ice in Norway
- 2021 – BBC Vigil underwater sequences
- 2023 – Underwater camera operator on feature film Napolean
- Ongoing – Regular credits across BBC, Netflix, National Geographic, ITV and international feature productions
Expertise and track record
I have credits across a wide range of underwater production types, including feature films, scripted TV drama, documentary and factual programming, branded online content, broadcast commercials, natural history and music videos.
Select credits include No Time to Die (Universal Pictures / EON), Blue Planet II (BBC), BBC Vigil, Atlantis Rising (National Geographic), BBC Top Gear Special, Diving into the Darkness, and Channel 4 Random Acts. A full list of credits is available at imdb.me/richstevenson.
Approach to client work
My approach is built around preparation, clear communication and practical problem-solving. I work closely with production departments, directors, DPs, production managers, marine coordinators and safety teams to keep underwater sequences organised and safe without adding unnecessary complexity.
On the creative side, I focus on delivering reliable coverage and well-composed framing that fits the brief, whether the shoot is performance-led, action-focused or natural history.
Deliverables
- Pool-based and controlled underwater environment shoots
- Open-water filming with complex logistics
- Remote and technically demanding dives – under ice, in caves and inside wrecks
- Bespoke setups for specialised underwater sequences
- Underwater commercial and broadcast production work
Experience, Equipment & Professional Standards
I own and operates underwater housings and specialist grip for the most widely used cinema camera systems, including ARRI Alexa, RED, Sony and Panasonic. For productions with highly technical requirements, I also design and build bespoke specialist grip where standard setups won’t cut it.
That technical knowledge is backed by over 20 years of underwater filming, including deep and technical dive work going back to 2003. My background as a deep-water exploration diver means I’ve worked in the kinds of environments where planning and safety have to be exact: under ice, inside flooded caves, and deep inside shipwrecks. My credits speak to that range, with work on productions for BBC One, Netflix, National Geographic, ITV, Channel 5 and Amazon Studios, including No Time to Die (2021) and BBC’s Blue Planet II.
Safety and efficiency run through everything I do on a shoot. I work closely with production departments, dive supervisors and on-set crews from the start of every project, making sure the underwater team, talent and topside crew are all on the same page before anyone gets in the water. I give honest assessments of what’s achievable within a given brief, covering environment, schedule and budget, and won’t take on work I can’t deliver safely.
I hold the following qualifications:
- HSE Pro Scuba diver – registered and insured to work for UK productions
- IANTD Cave and Wreck diver trained and certified
- IANTD Ice diver trained and certified
- IANTD Mixed gas deep wreck diver trained and certified
- IANTD Diver Propulsion Vehicle trained and certified
- HSE recognised first aid at work trained with Oxygen administrator certification.
- RYA Sea Survival certified
- RYA Powerboat Level 4 certified
- IANTD stands for International Association of Nitrox and Technical divers
- RYA is the Royal Yachting Association
- HSE is the Health and Safety Executive
Locations
I am UK-based, working from Bath, and cover key production centres including Bristol, London and Manchester. I am available to travel internationally for underwater shoots.
How to get in touch
To discuss an upcoming project, share what you’re filming, where it will take place, and your likely dates. I will advise on logistics, availability and the most practical approach for your underwater requirements.
Telephone
Location
Bath, Somerset, UK
IMDB
Learn more
Explore my work and get in touch:
- Underwater filming – showreel and production examples
- Underwater photography – stills portfolio
- Credits – full IMDB listing at imdb.me/richstevenson
- Contact – discuss an upcoming production
- Waterproof Media – Rich’s Underwater Broadcast Equipment Hire