Zooming Out On Zen

Zen. 

That is how freelance photographer Romona Robbins Reynolds describes the feeling she gets when she dons her goggles and takes to the saltwater with her camera. Above sea level, Reynolds juggles a small business, a home, a husband, a daughter, two dogs, a cat, and a fish. 

“I have a lot of anxiety,” she says, noting that she’s prone to stress. 

But all of that slips away when she enters the water, surrounded by a world where coral reefs and schools of fish trump worries of the anxious brain. It is the quiet beauty enabling her to leave her normal world behind. 

Underwater, she finds herself living in the moment. Underwater, it is just Zen.

That tranquility is evident in her photography. 

Reynolds doesn’t just show you an animal, she shows you an environment. Images give viewers a glimpse into the world of a manta ray, whale, or sea turtle. A sense of place radiates from many of her images shot in clear waters around the world, from the Gulf of Mexico to the coasts of the Maldives and beyond.

Reynolds married adventure video producer Shane Reynolds in 2008. The pair have traveled far from home to capture the world’s natural beauty above and below water. But Destin is where they call home. There, she operates as Romona Robbins Photography, shooting commercial, portrait, and editorial work. 

Her mother from Taiwan and her father a major in the U.S. Air Force, Reynolds spent her childhood traveling to and living in coastal destinations, including Hawaii and the Philippines, before her family settled in Destin. She later earned a biology degree before spending three years in Taiwan learning her mother’s native language. It was there she developed a love for painting and photography. 

“But I sucked at painting,” she says with a laugh. 

After her father passed away, she returned to Destin where she met now-husband Shane, whom she credits for instilling the confidence she needed to take her photography from hobby to career. 

“He inspired me,” she says. “I would have never dreamt of becoming a freelance photographer. But he was like, ‘Oh my god, your work is really good.’”

Reynolds started doing weddings, then branched out to magazine publication, travel work, and other avenues. 

“I shoot an array of subjects, and every one is challenging and different,” she added.

But the saltwater subjects are those which call to her. 

Reynolds started shooting underwater images as soon as she earned her diving certification in 2005. She admits it took years to become comfortable juggling her camera housing and lighting equipment with ease. 

“But I am always learning,” she says. “It is always a new experience.”

Free diving was the next step. Less equipment means less bubbles and disruptions in the water, attracting marine life subjects to come closer for more detailed shots. But that closeness comes at a cost. Free divers have to hold their breath at great depths, limiting diving time.

Years of diving experience have enabled Reynolds to fine-tune her distinct style. Her individuality comes from her quest to incorporate landscape into her imagery.

Although, she’s not one to withhold any industry secrets. 

Reynolds shares her knowledge by leading workshops in exotic destinations. She recently held one in Cuba where she worked with several photographers in the Gardens of the Queen, widely known as one of the most pristine reefs in the world.

But when Reynolds made her first dive, she was brought to tears. 

“All the coral was bleached,” she recalls. 

Coral bleaching has increased at an alarming rate in recent years as ocean temperatures continue to rise. Records show that water temperatures reached an all-time high in 2023 with a 1 in 3 chance of 2024 outranking the previous year’s statistic. 

“It was just sad … really, really sad,” she says. “I had all these great expectations for the reefs, only to see them suffering.”  

Leading another trip to Roatan, she recalls acting as protector of the still surviving, fragile reefs, preaching care to divers with clumsy fins and a curious nature. Damaged reefs can take years to mend. 

“Only 1 percent of the ocean is made up of coral reefs, so there is not much left,” she says. “But the reefs are so important to all marine life.”

She remains haunted by her firsthand accounts of ocean detriments. With her biology background, Reynolds knows how impactful her work can be. Her images carry with them a hope to enact change.

But the ocean can be an unpredictable place to work. The unknown beckons her despite its dangers. After a number of encounters with bull and tiger sharks, among other creatures, she’s found comfort in experiencing the exhilarating beauty of great depths.

“It’s a world worth protecting,” she says. 

In her Zen space, Reynolds finds more than peace; she finds purpose. 

To see more of artist Ramona Robbins Reynolds’ work,
visit her website at RomonaRobbins.com, or her Instagram page, @Romonarobbinsreynolds. For more information about attending a workshop retreat with Reynolds, go to BlueWaterDiveTravel.com/trip-leader-romona-robbins.