Learning to SCUBA dive early in life and my passion for marine animals led me to a career of science and ocean exploration. As a professional marine ecologist, researcher, and photographer, my focus has been on the study of the distributions and behaviors of fishes. I have logged more than 2000 SCUBA dives in many locations around the world. In addition to exploring the ocean with SCUBA, my work has provided the opportunity to use submersibles and remotely operated camera systems to visit rarely seen fishes and invertebrates in tropical and temperate waters. Also, I’ve piloted a one person submersible deep into the submarine canyons off Central California to capture video and photos of cold, dark places and the creatures that live there.
My photography for many years revolved about the science of fish and their habitats. As I studied animals and their behaviors, and learned the reasons why fish shapes and colors are so varied, I began to appreciate the undersea landscape in an artistic way. Now I watch fish from both scientific and artistic perspectives. I find underwater photography to be relaxing and transformative. It is relaxing because patience and an artistic eye are needed to capture undersea life. It is transformative because photography makes me view the impressive variety of scale of life underwater – a world in which small, multicolored snails crawling on a coral can be in the foreground while a huge manta ray glides by a few feet away. Although big marine animals are impressive, I usually focus on small scenes. It is in these vignettes that I most appreciate the diversity of life in the ocean. I enjoy sharing my perspective of the underwater realm through my photographs. Several of my photos have won awards at juried art shows and most recently my photo of a Napoleon Wrasse was a finalist in the 2020 National Wildlife Federation annual photo contest.
Click on my photos and arrange to buy them if you like. You can contact me at:
