The Photographic Art of Scott Kerrigan

© Scott Kerrigan

Before he was a marine photographer, Capt. Scott Kerrigan spent more than 20 years as a professional sportfishing captain or mate. Then two things happened that changed his life. First, he won the Boy Scout Tournament as a mate in St. Thomas in 1990, which gave him a “bump in cash.”

The second, however, was not so pleasant. As he was wiring a blue marlin, he didn’t notice a loop of line wrapped around his hand. The fish surged, and the ensuing struggle damaged his middle finger so badly that the top joint had to be amputated. “I never fished another day after that as a professional fisherman,” he told Worldwide Angler. The odd thing about the accident, he said, was that “Our crew was a well-oiled machine and it was our 720th or so blue marlin release.” In the end, the accident was “the proverbial kick in the pants” he needed to start his photography career.© Scott KerriganHooked up with a nice marlinOpportunity is often borne from adversity and experience. Kerrigan’s time on the water as a professional fisherman has helped him as a photographer, just as winning the Boy Scout Tournament helped him buy his first equipment. “Photography was always an interest…I shot photos for 10 or 12 years as a hobbyist…As a traveling crew member, I saw stuff that was as good or better than pictures I had seen in sportfishing magazines,” he says.

Because of his intimate knowledge of how a crew works, Kerrigan contends that he knows “how to stay out of the way” when shooting, and therefore gets invited to come down to the decks of the boats he rides on. This is different than most marine photographers, who are instructed or choose to stay on the bridge. Kerrigan thinks that he gets his shots because he is “able to see and anticipate what is about to happen next.”© Scott KerriganWOW - Fat Dolphin

The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native grew up as a “water baby,” constantly hanging around on boats. He worked through high school at bait and tackle shops. Then, Kerrigan says, “I got sucked into the allure of someone paying me to fish.” His target fish in the professional days were billfish, especially blue marlin. These days, he still visits his “little circuit” of sportfishing boats where he once crewed, but now as a photographer. “I continue to do the same thing, just not as a professional fisherman,” he says. From North Carolina, throughout the Bahamas, the Caribbean and across to the Galapagos Islands, Kerrigan revisits many of his old haunts. He also incorporates new adventures to Costa Rica and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in order to add to his well of marine images.© Scott KerriganWoo!

Unlike many marine photographers, Kerrigan embraces the digital aspect of new technology. “I’m a computer nerd at heart,” he says. “And digital technology is relatively new, so there are some guys who are naturally resistant. But, I like the ability to show people immediately what I’ve got.” Kerrigan has a degree in computer science, so it is no wonder that he “buries his head” in his laptop to produce slide shows for the captain and crew he happens to be riding with for his shoots. This is his way of reciprocating.

Kerrigan says that he “lives simply,” and that this is what has allowed him to survive and thrive as a marine photographer. He has contributed to industry magazines like Marlin Magazine, Sport Fishing Magazine and Florida Sportsman, but he has also sold images to publications as varied as STUFF and The Wall Street Journal. Whatever the case, he says his new chosen profession is a passion, not a job. “If I complain once, then kick me,” he concludes.

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