Image by Terry Ford

Shane Gross is one lucky son of a bitch. No offence to his wonderful mother, Francine, who is one of the reasons he is so lucky. He grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada to a very loving family. He was fortunate to have access to a cabin on a lake outside the city where he grew to love nature – especially fish. When he was 17 he got his first of many dream jobs – a sport fishing guide on the very lake he grew up on. The lucky SOB didn’t even have to ask for it, the owner just knew him and offered it to him.

Ever greedy, Shane then decided he wanted money so he went to business school. When he graduated he took out a loan (from his parents) and travelled Australia for a year. You can roll your eyes now. While getting in adventures all over that wonderful country his love of the ocean deepened (pun intended?). He got to swim with whale sharks and cage dive with great whites. He pet a wild kangaroo, went skydiving and took scenic flights over the Great Barrier Reef. He called his parents for more money. Then he got his next dream job – working on a HBO TV-miniseries (The Pacific) as an extra getting all the free food he could eat while being paid handsomely. Ass.

When he got home he had to actually work. After a year in the real world (yes, only a year, not 30 years like the entire generation before him) he got a little restless. He decided to take out a car loan and buy some underwater camera equipment. Still not satisfied he now had to go on expensive expeditions to use his camera. He took pictures of sailfish hunting, oceanic whitetip sharks, whale sharks, bull sharks – ok ok, you get the picture.

Time for dream job number 3! I know you probably hate him by now, but please read on…turns out his dad is an ocean lover as well, often accompanying him on photographic expeditions. He decides to buy a dive shop in a tropical paradise. What luck! So, Shane leaves the cold winters of Canada and heads on down to the Bahamas. Now he works as a scuba diving instructor and takes pictures every chance he gets.

In a bit of irony he has decided fishing is not for him any more (remember his dream job #1?). He feels our waters are under enough pressure and doesn’t need one more fisherman. He is happy diving and taking pictures while educating everyone he can about the amazing blue space we call the ocean.

Oh not that I have to rub it in any more  but his photography has been recognized as pretty good. He has placed in prestigious contests and won trips around the world. Gag.