STANDARDS
Core Art Standards: VA2, VA4, VA10
CCSS: R3, R6, R9
Zooming in on Life at Sea
Photographer Kathleen Gorby talks about her career in the U.S. Navy
Navy Media Content Service (NMCS)
How is underwater photography equipment different than regular cameras?
Scholastic Art: What is your job?
Kathleen Gorby: I am a chief mass communication specialist for the U.S. Navy, and I specialize in photography. I document military exercises, missions, historical events, and ceremonies. My photos help tell the Navy’s story by building a visual history for future generations. I’ve been in the Navy for 23 years, both in active duty and the Reserves, and have traveled to 18 different countries so far.
SA: Is it true you are one of just two female underwater photographers in the Navy?
Image courtesy of Kathleen Gorby
Kathleen Gorby
KG: Yes. There are many career paths for photographers in the Navy. I chose underwater photography because it was the most challenging. The only way to become an underwater photographer is by successfully completing the same rigorous training required of all naval divers. Diving is one of the most dangerous jobs in the Navy, so I had to train hard to become as fit and capable as career divers. After graduating from Navy dive school, I studied underwater photography and shot in locations such as the Red Sea, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean.
SA: What are some of the challenges of shooting underwater photography?
KG: I have to work within strict depth, time, and safety limits and be constantly aware of my surroundings. Not doing so can be deadly. At the same time, I have to focus on my mission to get all the shots I need. Diving with scuba and underwater photography gear also requires managing a lot of bulky and pressure-sensitive equipment, including tanks, underwater camera housing, lighting, and cords. Limited light and low visibility are other frequent challenges.
U.S. Naval Forces.
In what ways do elements like light and visibility affect Gorby’s work?
SA: What has been your most difficult mission?
KG: For my first underwater shoot, right after graduating from dive school, I was deployed to the island country of Bahrain. My mission was to document damage and maintenance operations to a ship at sea. I dove beneath a huge destroyer that weighed more than 9,000 tons and stretched over 500 feet long. The ship’s giant 15-foot-high propeller blades were damaged, and I had to carefully position myself below the hull to shoot. Repairs were being made by a team of divers, so I needed to be extremely mindful of my positioning and movements to avoid disrupting their work.
SA: What kind of art training do you have?
KG: My training began with six months of coursework at Fort Meade, Maryland, where I studied photography, visual design, digital imaging, photojournalism, and videography. I was later selected to receive advanced training, which gave me the opportunity to attend the military visual journalism program at Syracuse University in New York. This involved a full year of academic study focused entirely on photojournalism and storytelling.
Image courtesy of Kathleen Gorby.
Why is storytelling an important part of Gorby’s job?
SA: Are there any upcoming projects you are excited about?
KG: I will be the official Navy photographer for the D-Day Memorial in Normandy, France, in June. The event commemorates the beginning of the end of World War II and the liberation of Europe from the Nazis. Having the opportunity to go to France to document this event for the Navy is a huge honor.
U.S. Navy.
What is unexpected about Gorby’s work for the Navy?
SA: Why is your job important?
KG: The photos we take today are the D-Day and Iwo Jima flag raising images of tomorrow. We’re leaving behind a visual legacy through photographic storytelling that future generations can look back on.
