I sourced, pitched, and wrote this editorial feature highlighting cave diver and photographer, SJ Alice Bennett, for the January 2026 issue of Professional Photographer magazine. The piece expanded coverage into an underrepresented photography niche while reinforcing the publication’s mission to inspire photographers through aspirational storytelling and real-world creative journeys.

Project Overview

Strange Magic: Exploring the Cenotes of Mayakoba is a member spotlight feature published in the January 2026 issue of Professional Photographer magazine. The article profiles underwater cave photographer SJ Alice Bennett and explores the technical, physical, and creative challenges behind documenting subterranean cave systems.

Objective

The goal of this feature was to:

Showcase an inspiring photographer working in a highly specialized field
Expand editorial coverage into underrepresented photography niches
Reinforce PPA’s mission of elevating the photography profession
Provide aspirational storytelling that resonates with readers at different stages of their careers

My Role

I independently:

Identified and researched the photographer
Developed and pitched the story concept to editorial leadership
Conducted background research and narrative development
Wrote the full feature article
Adapted tone to align with Professional Photographer’s editorial style and brand voice
Submitted the final piece for publication in the January issue

Strategy & Approach

Since cave diving photography is rarely covered in mainstream photography media, the article also aimed to introduce readers to a unique discipline while maintaining accessibility for a broad professional audience.

The writing process included:

Research into cave diving photography and cenote ecosystems
Translating technical concepts into accessible language for readers
Aligning with Professional Photographer editorial standards and style guidelines
Collaborating with editorial leadership for final publication

Impact

This feature contributed to PPA’s goal of showcasing its diverse membership and expanding reader’s perspectives on what is possible within the profession of photography.

Key Skills Demonstrated

Editorial writing
Story development and pitching
Brand voice adaptation
Narrative storytelling
Research translation
Interview-based writing
Audience-focused messaging
Content ideation

Strange Magic | Exploring the Cenotes of Mayakoba
Member Spotlight — Professional Photographer Magazine, January 2026

SJ Alice Bennett’s photography takes her beneath the surface of the earth, exploring the primordial twists and turns of underwater cave systems few people see with their own eyes.

Bennett took her first cave diving training in 2012 while living in Thailand. She embraced the rigorous program and set her sights on Mexico, a utopia for cave divers because of clear visibility and picturesque underwater landscapes. In Mexico, Bennett connected with Matt Scantland, a diver and the owner of multiple villas in the Mayakoba Resort of the Yucatán Peninsula, who had taken a year off to document the submerged cave systems beneath the resort.

With the support of the nearby Rosewood Hotel, he began his project, called The Cenotes of Mayakoba, in 2020, with the goal of creating a coffee table book and a documentary mapping the cave system.

The word “cenote” comes from the Mayan word ts’ono’ot, which means “a cavern filled with water.” Cenotes are made visible when the ceiling of a cave collapses, exposing the groundwater below. Over time, acidic rainwater dissolves the limestone rock, creating a vast underground network of cave systems that connect to the ocean. Across the Yucatán Peninsula, cenotes appear as open-air pools, deep lakes, and caves.

Scantland hired Bennett to teach a four-day workshop for his team. Shortly after, he asked her to join the team, which included a producer, a director, and three divers, two of whom were underwater camera operators.

When Bennett plunges into the water, she’s carrying about 130 pounds of equipment. She also must focus on many crucial, life-saving factors such as oxygen conservation and her body’s direction in the water, as well as her connection with her dive partners, she explains. Despite all these considerations, Bennett says the underwater stillness is like meditation.

One of her favorite aspects of the project was witnessing the beautiful optical illusions caused by the halocline—the zone where freshwater meets saltwater. As sea levels fluctuate, the halocline moves, dissolving the surrounding rock at different depths and forming new levels of horizontal caves within the larger system.

By the light of her strobe, Bennett saw green, orange, and purple reflected on the surfaces of the rock formations. Together, the team navigated through underwater cathedrals of stalactites and stalagmites. Bennett says she aims for a documentary photography style, not overly staged, but captured as if the caves were naturally lit.

Each guest room at The Rosewood Hotel now features a copy of the 200-page book The Cenotes of Mayakoba, and the film also plays on its TVs. The documentary earned a Merit Award from the National Speleological Society (NSS), and Bennett also earned multiple Merit Awards and honorable mentions from NSS for her cave photography work.

Today, Bennett is a graphic designer by day and pursues cave photography in her free time. She says she dreams of photographing caves full-time, a goal she moves closer to with each new expedition. In late 2025, she joined a group of divers to document a 170-meter-deep cave in the Texas desert.

“I want to show the beauty of our natural planet,” she says.

• Professional Photographer magazine, January 2026•

Member Spotlight: SJ Alice Bennett, Cave Diver and Photographer