Sophie's Story
- Sophie Shields
- Oct 12
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 20
Although I cannot imagine not being a photographer now, it was never part of the plan. I have always been a painter, ever since I was little, I have worked in acrylics. When I was choosing my A levels, I wanted to study PE, but my art teachers insisted I take photography. I have so much to thank them for, because that decision changed everything.
I have been a strong swimmer from a young age, my mum likes to say I could swim before I could walk. I discovered diving on a holiday in Greece and instantly fell in love with it. Combining my two passions, the sea and art, led me naturally to underwater photography.
My Instagram username, @the.blind_photographer, comes from the fact that I have a degenerative eye condition called keratoconus, which distorts the cornea. It first affected my right eye, and I underwent a corneal cross-linking procedure just after my 18th birthday. Unfortunately, it didn’t make a significant difference, and during follow-ups, doctors discovered the same condition developing in my left eye, which was also treated and is now being closely monitored.
When I began shooting both above and below water, I had to retrain myself not to use my right eye, which had always been my dominant one. At first, I even used masking tape to keep it closed. I also struggled to see when subjects were in focus, but over time I developed my own techniques and now use technology to help ensure that my focus is sharp.
I am currently in my third year of a BA in Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth University, spending a professional placement year at Porthkerris Divers in Cornwall. I began there as a Dive Master Intern, later qualifying as a Dive Master. I wanted to become completely confident in diving so that when I am underwater with my camera, the technical side of diving feels second nature, allowing me to focus entirely on the art of photography. So far, I’ve logged over 330 dives (and counting!) this summer.
This season, Porthkerris has seen an extraordinary bloom of octopuses, far more than in previous years, likely due to rising sea temperatures. Studying these intelligent, majestic creatures has been one of the highlights of my summer.
I have been especially fascinated by their extraordinary eyes. Ironically, for someone with vision challenges, I have learned that octopuses have highly complex eyes,
their pupils can adjust rapidly to changes in light, their eyes can move independently, and they can even change focus using an eyeball muscle. It’s made me smile to think: perhaps I just need to be a little more octopus.
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