My Journey
I’m Shawn Murphy — cave diver, underwater photographer, and coach.
A decade ago, I was working 70-hour weeks as a chef in Massachusetts. I sold everything I owned and moved to Mexico to pursue diving full time.
Within six months I became a Divemaster. Within a year, I was working internationally.
The early years weren’t glamorous. I worked for free. I made mistakes. I learned the hard way. But I built something more valuable than credentials — I built experience.
Over the last ten years, I’ve worked in demanding underwater environments around the world:
• The caves of the Yucatán
• Macro ecosystems in Southeast Asia
• Shark diving in the Bahamas
• South Florida
• Cold-water shipwrecks in the Great Lakes
Each environment forced me to refine something different:
Control.
Positioning.
Light discipline.
Environmental awareness.
Execution under pressure.
Underwater photography isn’t about talent.
It’s about repeatable systems.
Through thousands of dives, I developed a structured approach to:
• Light placement
• Diver positioning
• Buoyancy refinement
• Shot planning before descent
• Building images intentionally instead of hoping for them
The cenotes of Mexico became my proving ground. They demand precision. There is no room for sloppy trim or lazy lighting. That’s where my work matured — and where I now coach divers to operate at a higher level.
Today, I live in Playa del Carmen and specialize in underwater photography coaching and cenote intensives. I work with divers who want to move beyond random shots and build real control.
I’m also the author of Liquid Light: An Underwater Photographer’s Guide to the Cenotes of the Riviera Maya, where I break down the system in detail.
If you’re serious about improving — not just collecting dives — you’re in the right place.
Serious About Improving?
If you’re interested to learn more, please click apply for coaching now and fill out the intake form -
See what’s waiting beneath the surface.
180+ pages. Pro techniques. One unforgettable world.
Available now as an instant eBook download.
Cenote Underwater Photography Workshop – Playa del Carmen, Mexico
3 Days | Guided Dives, Pro Coaching, and Light Mastery in Mexico’s Iconic Cenotes
Shoot. Learn. Level Up.
