I’m Shawn Murphy—cave diver, underwater photographer, and the author of Liquid Light. But a decade ago, I was standing in a kitchen in Haverhill, Massachusetts, cooking 70-hour weeks as a gourmet chef and feeling like I was living someone else’s life.

I sold everything I owned and moved to Cozumel, Mexico, chasing a gut feeling that diving—something I’d tried only once—was my path forward. My family thought I’d lost my mind. But within six months, I had completed my PADI Divemaster training and logged 80 dives.

The diving industry didn’t open its arms right away. After countless rejection emails, I took a position working for free in Sicily. It turned out to be a harsh lesson in exploitation and safety, but it was also the start of something real: I was willing to endure, to learn, and to go all in.

From there, I returned to Cozumel to become an instructor and then flew halfway across the world to El Nido, Philippines. That’s where I first picked up a camera—a knockoff GoPro—and started documenting the wild beauty of the ocean. I was hooked. In Boracay, I upgraded to a Canon S10 and built my first camera tray by hand using jungle-cut bamboo. In that remote island village, photography became my lifeline.

Then came The Bahamas.

I worked as a liveaboard chef and shark diver, spending three to four hours a day underwater at Tiger Beach, surrounded by tiger, hammerhead, bull, and lemon sharks. It was pure immersion—equal parts chaos and clarity—and I leveled up creatively in ways I never expected. My images began to carry weight.

After that, I spent time in Jackson Hole and California, recharging in the mountains, before diving headfirst into the vibrant waters of Jupiter, Florida. There, I fine-tuned my skills with strobes and SLR setups in challenging current and visibility. I became a full-time underwater photographer and began leading trips, managing dive operations, and finally getting paid to create.

But it was the cenotes of Mexico that changed everything.

These sacred freshwater caverns pulled me back to the Yucatán—back to where it all started. I sold everything again and returned to Mexico, this time to photograph the underground. Today, I live in Playa del Carmen and specialize in lighting the darkest places on Earth—working with wide-angle setups, powerful video lights, and long exposures to turn cave systems into living art.

My photographic journey traces a clear evolution:

The Philippines: where I learned to see
The Bahamas: where I learned to shoot
Florida: where I learned to refine
The Cenotes: where I learned to create

This year, I published my first book—Liquid Light: An Underwater Photographer’s Guide to the Cenotes of the Riviera Maya—a visual and instructional deep dive into the places that have shaped me most. It’s a hybrid of technique, story, philosophy, and creative fire.

If you're a diver, photographer, or explorer who dreams of going deeper—in water, in craft, and in self—this book was made for you.

📘 Grab the book here

This isn’t just a career. It’s a calling.
And the best shots still lie ahead.

Dive into the ancient underworld of Mexico’s cenotes and learn how to capture them like never before. Liquid Light blends pro techniques, spiritual depth, and cinematic imagery into an unforgettable guide for divers, photographers, and creatives alike.

📕 Hardcover

📱eBook