Dr Shaun Nykvist is an internationally recognised researcher, author, speaker, and educational innovator with a passion for open source projects and open content. By day, he’s a professor of education who challenges students to think creatively and solve problems from unique perspectives — an approach he brings equally to his photographic workshops.

By every other hour, he’s a camera-wielding explorer with over two decades of experience photographing streets and underwater worlds across Asia, Europe, Australia and beyond. An award-winning photographer and certified Dive Instructor since 1995, Shaun has been teaching students to capture the magic beneath the surface almost as long as he’s been doing it himself. His long-running projects in Vietnam and Malaysia span more than 20 years and counting.

His work is deliberately candid — real moments, real people, real stories — though he’ll freely admit to the occasional detour involving mannequins. As an Apple Distinguished Educator, he champions digital media and mobile devices in teaching and learning, which conveniently justifies always having a camera on him (yes, the smartphone counts).

One of the questions Shaun gets asked most is about his gear (though the gear shouldn’t define your creative work). He’s currently working with the following cameras — though this list is, as ever, subject to change:

• Leica Q3
• Sony A7R III – definitely on its last legs
• Olympus OM-D E-M5 MII – mainly for underwater photography
• Go Pro Hero 11 – mostly random adventures
• Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
• DJI Mini Pro 5

His workshops are always limited to 3 to 4 participants and are only scheduled 2 to 3 times a year. The main location for workshops during 2026 and 2027 include Vietnam (Hanoi and surrounds), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and surrounds), India (Chennai) and Portugal (Porto or Lisbon).