We were lucky to catch up with Jonathan Lavan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jonathan , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

There is an inherent interconnectedness to everything in our world. That’s how the natural world works. Everything depends on every other thing; animals, plants, the very earth itself and yes, humans. We are an integral part of the natural world and we could not continue to thrive without help from a wide variety of creatures. We can take that interconnectedness a step further. Everything is made out of atoms. They always exist. So, everything is recycled. Think of it this way; the juice you drink today will pass through your body and end up back in the water table. Those atoms of water could then rain down on a grape vine. Those grapes could be eaten by a deer. That deer could be eaten by a bear. When that bear dies the moisture in its tissues is reabsorbed by the earth or eaten by insects or fungi around and around forever. It is my hope and mission, using my images, and my ability to educate people, that they will come to an understanding. That adults and children, alike, will realize that we are all part of a great and wonderful machine and to continue running we must work together and protect ALL citizens of Earth.

Jonathan , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am the owner and operator of Jonathan Lavan Underpressure Nature Photography. I am a citizen scientist and wildlife expert and I have been SCUBA Diving for thirty years and taking photographs both above and below the waterline for ten. As an award winning underwater and topside photographer, I have been a teacher, speaker, author and research associate for many different well-known and little-known environmental organizations. I lead diving/photography and naturalist trips all over the world. I share my images freely and they can be seen all over the place. I am a staunch environmentalist and educator of young people. I am committed to making a difference on this planet through my images and my message of goodwill to all creatures.

If you want to go on an ecotour please contact me. Next up with availability: Dive and explore the incredible Sea of Cortez this July!

Also: Free online use of any of my images for any environmental non-profit.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I was brought up by people who taught me that respect for others and their time is of the utmost importance. If I agree to do something, even if the circumstances change, I still do it to the best of my ability because I made that promise and I care about my reputation and my work. If someone sends me an email I respond within a day if not immediately. It took me a long time to learn that many people don’t operate that way. They fear any kind of conflict and would rather glad hand you and promise you the world then simply say they have no interest. Which in the long run is much more frustrating then simply being told “no thank you” from the beginning. Now I count on nothing until the check from the gig has cleared at the bank.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I have always been of the mindset that you have to put yourself out there. To get involved with other companies and organizations even if you aren’t exactly sure how you might benefit from the situation. As an example I saw that one of San Diego’s dive companies; Marissa Dive Charters was having trouble filling the boat due to the pandemic. I decided I would charter the boat once a month and take a group of diver/photographers out to explore and relax. Everyone paid their own way so at first it was hard to find people. Then two things happened. If someone wanted to go but didn’t have the money (college students) I would pay their way. The captain was already giving me a reduced rate so it was no hardship to me. Nine times out of ten once they got the free bee they would pay the next time. The second thing that happened is that the captain was able to purchase a sonar device that read the topography of the ocean bottom in three dimensions so we could find interesting new sites that had never been dived on before and we could name the new sites as well. This sense of adventure and exploration really appealed to people and from then on the monthly dives would sell out quickly. Additionally I would go on the boat on other days, when there was room, as the onboard naturalist and get to share my expertise with people, educate them about what animals they were seeing and advertise my website, etc. The captain and I became good friends and I started to write a regular column for Marissa’s weekly email blast. This did a couple of things it put me and my work in front of a very large audience that I would otherwise not have access too. And it gave me another platform to advertise dive trips I was leading. And it worked! I sold a bunch of spots for my next trip and every time the ad runs I pick up a few more people. Taking only paying gigs is not always the best way forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.underpressurephotog.com
• Instagram: @jonathanlavan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/underpressurephotog/
• Youtube: Jonathan Lavan or underpressurespurdog

Image Credits
All images taken by Jonathan Lavan