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new press

striped_marlin_underwater_photograph_Mexico_Pacific_Ocean_www.brandoncole.com

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.

 

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 )

 

Copyright_2008_Brandon_Cole_All_Rights_Reserved
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 )

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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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