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new press
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One of our Striped Marlin
(Tetrapturus audax) underwater photographs from Mexico
was just published as the front cover of Marlin magazine, February
2010 issue. We have a strong collection of marlin
feeding on sardine baitball photos.
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new feature
Selects
We've
created this new feature on our web site ( link
) to highlight some of our favorite photographs
from over the years, and to give you a quick, easy look into the subject
diversity of our photo library. We will update this page monthly, so check
back regularly.
Blog
We finally join the
blogosphere. Come on over to our blog
for updates, news, and other info.
new
coverage
Bryde's
Whales feeding on baitballs Earlier
I reported on our very successful marlin shoot. But I did not mention that
in addition to striped marlin, I also was fortunate enough to capture some
of the most dramatic underwater feeding shots of Bryde's Whales (Balaenoptera
brydei) in the world today. I wish I could say that these pictures of this
unusal rorqual whale resulted from careful research, but that would be a
lie. I had absolutely no idea that these baleen whales were going to show
up to crash the marlin party. I was simply in the right place at the right
time. Lady Luck deserves much of the credit this time. Anyhow, it was
quite the experience to have to dodge the rapier-like bills of fiesty
marlin AND twenty tons of blubber at the same time. The National
Geographic Magazine has just published two of the images in the October
2009 issue, and I can finally post my collection on my web site. Photos
here: ( link
)
Bottlenose
Dolphins Fresh from last
month's dolphin shoot in the Caribbean: new stunning sunset shots,
intimate portraits, dolphins at play, and underwater images. We've added
the first batch of dramatic mages to our web site. More to come soon. This
new coverage adds to our already class-leading collection of marine mammal
photography. Please contact us to discuss how we can help bring your next
editorial project or advertising campaign to life. Photos
here: ( link
)
New
Zealand I'm not sure why it's
taken so long to dive Middle Earth. Whereas previous trips to this
magical land saw me focusing on whales and dolphins, this time we did
everything that we had not done before, including scuba exploration of the
Poor Knights Islands. Which I'll sum up with "Great fun, bold color,
interesting critters, refreshingly different underwater habitat." But
that was only the start. With scuba gear still wet, we piled into a
campervan and went on a rampage, north to south. Our list of topside
adventures included caving in the Waitomo area, Maori culture and boiling
mud pits in Rotorua, hiking up volcanoes in Tongariro National Park,
clawing up and sliding down Franz Josef Glacier, kayaking in Milford
Sound, cruising on Doubtful Sound, killing swarms of sand flies in
Fiordland, marveling at tree-sized ferns in temperate rainforest, and
much, much more. Honestly, I would say that there's more exciting
outdoorsy stuff to do here, and more jaw-dropping scenery awaiting around
every corner, than just about any place on earth. What a trip! Photos
await: ( link
)
Sailfish
and Striped
Marlin feeding on baitballs I
just returned from two wildly successful photography expeditions and have
something very cool to share with you: brand new underwater pictures of
striped marlin and sailfish. Not struggling on a fisherman’s line, but totally wild
and free, lording it over the blue. Quality
underwater photos of these majestic gamefish are very rare. I was
fortunate enough to finally find myself in the middle of amazing baitball
action with dozens of billfish on the hunt. Displaying remarkable agility
and speed, the excited, neon-flashing "stripies" and
"sails" rocket into the
spinning mass of sardines and mackerel, slashing with spear-like bills to
separate, stun, and then swallow one unlucky baitfish at a time.
Photographing these eight-foot long menacing "superfish" hunting
in the open ocean was one of my career highlights. (
Marlin photos link
) ( Sailfish photos link
)
Fiji
While it's undeniable that many of
the world's coral reefs are suffering, it's wonderful to find some which
go against the tide and are as healthy, or healthier, than I remember
fifteen years back. On a ten day extended live-aboard diving cruise
through Fiji's Bligh Waters and beyond, Melissa and I joined close friends
and fellow photographers and experienced colorful coral nirvana. ( link
)
Orcamania
in my blood 5am wake-ups and
100 mile plus days on the water in my little boat under a scorching sun is
the price I must pay for a few minutes alone with Killer Whales, my
ancestral totem animal. ( link
)
California
August found me tangled in the
golden clutches of Southern California kelp forests, and racing alongside
herds of Common Dolphins. Meeting up with old dive buddies to revisit old
stomping grounds, we photographed Giant Black Sea Bass, San Clemente
Island's reefs, blue whales, and more. ( link
)
South
Australia I ventured Down
Under to throw myself into the middle of 1) a mating frenzy of Giant
Australian Cuttlefish, and 2) a swirling million-dollar mass of Bluefin
Tuna. Great new pictures of alien invaders and endangered sushi. ( link
)
Mangroves
As part of my commitment to
diversify and photograph some new subjects in 2008, I visited Bimini
Bahamas to work in the mangroves alongside shark researchers. A
fascinating shoot! ( link
)
New work from Cozumel and Riviera Maya MEXICO,
clockwise starting from top
left: pz2799 diver in cenote, pz2360 cenote's decorated cavern, pz2325
woman snorkeling in cenote, pz0117 diver over Cozumel coral reef, pz2199
lily pads in cenote, pz0239 sea stars, pz4091 diver and boat, center:
pz1475 splendid toadfish
Cozumel
and Riviera Maya, Mexico It
has taken fifteen years for us to finally get around to visiting Cozumel,
the Caribbean's most popular dive destination, an island just offshore
Cancun which lives and breathes scuba. ( link
) Another personal first is exploring
the Mayan underworld of Xibalba. The Riviera Maya region of the Yucatan
Peninsula is riddled with cenotes, doorways into submerged caves and
caverns, part of the elaborate underground river system. Fairy tale
limestone formations, crystal clear freshwater, dazzling light shows...
it's quite unlike any diving we've done before. ( link
)
Indonesia
This island nation-
an archipelago straddling the equator between the Asian mainland and
Australia- contains some of the finest coral reefs on the planet. Though
extraordinarily alluring beneath the waves, it would be a shame to stay
submerged... The people and culture of Bali help to complete the perfect
tropical scuba diving holiday. A working holiday, of course. My wife and I
recently returned from a productive, memorable three week shoot in Komodo
and Bali. It will be quite some time before the edit is complete. The
first batch of photos have been uploaded, and await your perusal. ( link
)
Guadalupe
Island, Mexico One
of the world's top three spots to encounter the great white shark. (The
other two are South Africa and South Australia.) Guadalupe offers easy
cage diving and superior visibility, which helped contribute to a
successful shoot during which I created my cleanest portraits yet of
Jaws. ( link
)
Monterey
CA Witness a
Trial of Life, orca (killer whales) attacking gray whales while migrating
northward to their summer feeding grounds ( link
).
Maldives A
long, long way from home, adrift in the Indian Ocean lies what I'm sure is
the lost coral kingdom of Atlantis. Atolls world famous for their fishes
and Crayola bright reefs, ponderous whale sharks and graceful but alien
manta rays, Maldives is a must for the coral reef ecosystem connoisseur. Avoid
the jetlag and keep your wetsuit dry by experiencing immersion virtually: (
link
)
Visit Search
for easy to use Keyword Search Engine and Category Search
upcoming
travel
2010
Planned shoots include the world's most diverse
coral reef ecosystem in Raja Ampat (West Papua Indonesia), a return to the
Galapagos Islands, the mantas and sharks of Socorro Island, salmon of the
Pacific Northwest, and certainly additional projects
yet to be determined. Please let us know if you have a "piggy-backable"
assignment you'd like us to complete.
news
bulletins
National
Geographic Magazine We're pleased to announce that one of our Great White Shark underwater photos from Guadalupe Island Mexico has just been published in the
August 2009 issue of NGM as a double page spread in the Visions of Earth feature.
( link
)
Selects
We've
created this new feature on our web site ( link
) to highlight some of our favorite photographs
from over the years, and to give you a quick, easy look into the subject
diversity of our photo library. We will update this page monthly, so check
back regularly.
Melissa's
Blog My wife
and partner Melissa, an artist specializing in colorful, detailed
paintings of fish, birds, and other animals, has recently updated her web
site , added e-commerce capability, and a blog.
Please stop by for a visit and see fantastic art in the making!
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