Editor's Note: We are proud to introduce our new DIVEVOLK Ambassador, Sean Elliott. His passion for pushing the limits of what's possible with smartphone and action camera photography is an inspiration. We're honored to have him share his story in his own words.
We are incredibly proud to announce that our new Brand Ambassador, Sean Elliott, has received a prestigious award in the 2025 Underwater Awards Australasia. His winning photograph, a stunning macro shot of a tiny 'Shaun the Sheep' nudibranch, was captured in Australia using his smartphone inside a DIVEVOLK housing. This achievement is a powerful testament to how the DIVEVOLK system empowers photographers to achieve professional, competition-level results with their phone. You can see all of the spectacular winning images featured on PetaPixel.
My Story
My name is Sean Elliott and I am based in Victoria, Australia. The first time I took a photograph underwater was with a film camera over 25 years ago, and I have been obsessed with underwater videography and photography ever since. My current passion is seeing how good an image I can get out of Action Cameras and Smart Phones and teaching others how they can do it as well. My personal favorite by far is a Google Pixel paired with a Divevolk Seatouch 4 Max.
YouTube: Sean Elliott Underwater Video
Instagram: @seanelliott_underwatervideo
From 25kg Rigs to a Search for Something Better
In 2002, I was sitting in a hotel room in the Galapagos. I was there filming for a TV series and dragging around a huge camera that weighed 25kg. I’ll never forget talking to the editor and discussing how soon we would be using high-definition cameras that could record directly to a hard drive. I pictured dragging around another 25kg camera with a large external drive attached to it that might hold a couple of gigabytes. I would have never dreamt that by 2025 my phone would be shooting up to 8K and have an internal drive of 1 TB!
By 2016, I had had enough of dragging around professional cameras for my private videos. I turned to the GoPro and loved being able to shoot 4K footage to an SD card on a tiny little camera. It was light and portable. Whilst I always longed for extra features and manual control, there was no way I was going back to dragging around kgs of equipment.
I watched as GoPros and other action cameras stagnated with little real upgrades in years. At the same time, phone companies kept pushing their cameras, which were getting better and better.
Discovering the DIVEVOLK Solution
The problem was, I wanted to be able to access the full features of the phone and third-party apps, which surely wouldn’t be possible inside an underwater housing. Standard camera apps, let alone some of the housing manufacturers' apps, just weren’t good enough. I’d rather just stick with a GoPro. Then one night, I saw an ad for the Divevolk Seatouch 4 Max. Could it be true that I could use my phone underwater while still being able to access my touchscreen and all the advantages that would bring?
What an amazing idea…I was instantly hooked! I had just picked up a new Google Pixel 9 Pro at the time and knew if I could get it underwater with full access to third-party apps I would be able to get some great video and photos.
The first time I used my Divevolk housing was also something I’ll never forget. Having access to the touch screen of my phone and all the great benefits that it brings, while still in such a small and economical package. This was what I had been dreaming of for years. I had owned dozens of cameras and had done almost 2000 dives with a camera in my hand. I just loved having the unique advantages my phone could offer me in a Divevolk Housing.
I have become a huge fan of the Divevolk system and have no hesitation in saying it is far better than any other phone housing on the market, and a much better option than an Action Camera.
"I’ve sat on deco stops playing Candy Crush, phoned my children whilst floating on the surface of the ocean, and I’ve filmed low-light cave dives and basic shore dives. I’ve identified fish underwater and even edited a video whilst still diving!"
Capturing the Award-Winning "Shaun the Sheep"
With the Divevolk Housing, I can easily outshoot any action camera, but by adding accessories like the +18 Macro diopter, I have been able to capture images that I just would have never thought possible with such a small and economical setup.
In fact, on a recent trip to Indonesia, I was determined to get a photo of a Shaun the Sheep. One of my favourite little critters that are far too small to shoot with an action camera, and it had been 20 years since I had been at Tulamben with a professional setup. But now I had a Divevolk Housing, a 5x optical lens on my phone, and the sharpness of the Divevolk +18 Macro lens. A good shot might just be possible.
When my guide found one, I was slightly disheartened as this little guy was even small for a Shaun the Sheep. Could I get a shot when he was only a couple of mm in size, waving on his leaf in the current?
I steadied myself and started shooting. It wasn’t long until I had some great video and photos of this little guy that I never dreamed I could get with a smart phone or action camera. Not until I had discovered the Divevolk Seatouch Max 4 anyway.
When I got back to Australia, I showed my wife the picture I had taken and she told me that I should enter it into the Underwater Australasia Photo Competition 2025. I entered my photo with little expectations. My wife was right, as normal, and I got to see my photograph on display at the Go Dive Expo in Sydney where I took out second place.
Why It Was Only Possible with DIVEVOLK
There is no doubt in my mind that the only way I was able to get that shot was due to my Divevolk Housing and my Google Pixel 9 Pro. Without being able to use third-party apps, get access to the best telephoto lens on a mobile phone or action camera and pair it with the quality and sharpness of the Divevolk +18 Macro lens, there is just no way I could have got that same optical quality for such a tiny subject.
The only thing I kicked myself about was that I hadn’t got the Divevolk SL20 Snoot Light back when I took my Shaun the Sheep picture. If I had been able to just isolate that little guy surrounded in darkness I may have just come first. Photo competitions have strict rules and I would have been disqualified for heavy editing. I had to provide the raw image to show that there was only basic editing done to my photo. Just another reason why third-party apps and quality accessories are needed, so that your picture can be taken with no post-production required. Only Divevolk offers you that.
Now I have the new and even better focusing Google Pixel 10 Pro (and the Divevolk SL20 and snoot), I am ready to start planning for next year’s entry. Which leads me to one other amazing thing I love about my Divevolk housing. Even though I went from a Pixel 9 Pro to the new and larger 10 Pro XL, all I had to do was download the 3D print template from the Divevolk website for free, print my new holder, and then I am back in the water using the exact same system and my preferred apps.
If you would like to learn tips and tricks on how to use your phone underwater, then please subscribe to Sean Elliott channels.
- My Youtube Channel
- My Instagram Page
- Sean Elliott's underwater works 👇
