RICHARD BARNDEN
Richard has spent the last few years diving at sun rise and drifting in the middle of the pacific ocean at night to photograph and document some of these little known about events. While not spending time underwater Richard likes to write about what he has learnt and been able to witness. He has published articles for Asian Diver magazine, Scuba Diver, Diver Training, Tauchen, Alert Diver, Submerge and Dive Photo Guide.
Richard has also worked with numerous production companies including ABC (Australia), Brazil TV, and BBC "Shark" . Named 2019 Underwater Photographer of the Year | www.richardbarnden.com
ROGER MUNNS
Roger is a British, Emmy award-winning underwater cameraman, based in Sabah, Malaysia. Specialising in Natural history and documentary film-making, Roger was one of the principal cameramen on the BBC’s recent Blue Planet II series. An underwater cameraman since 2001 Roger has experience working in diverse locations and habitats from the Antarctic to the tropics, open ocean to coral reefs. While enjoying the challenge of filming megafauna, his specialty is crafting complex, character-led stories. Notable sequences include the first filming of the humpback whale heat-run in Tonga for One Life and a brutally enthralling turtle mating sequence for David Attenborough’s Life Story. Roger is an experienced freediver and also dives a rEvo closed circuit rebreather. He owns and operates an 8K Red Epic-W cinema camera and a Gates Deep Weapon housing and has worked extensively with lighting and grip underwater. www.roger-munns.com / @rogerborneo
SCOTT GUTSY TUASON
An award winning underwater photographer, Gutsy first started shooting at the early age of 16. His first co-authored book "Anilao" won the Palme D'or at Antibes. Gutsy is an artist who thrives on thrills. Whether it is throwing himself into the middle of a shark feeding frenzy in South Africa or charging bull sharks during snapper spawning aggregations in Palau, he is sure to be at the center of the action to get the winning shot. His photos are published in the 2013 book titled "Notes from the Sea" and is working on a new book featuring his blackwater photography titled "Blackwater / Open Blue". Gutsy is a staunch advocate for shark and ocean conservation, and shares his passion for marine life through his work. UPY2017 Underwater Photography Book of the Year
JAY CLUE
Jay Clue is an award winning underwater photographer, educator, and conservationist based in Baja California Sur, Mexico that focuses on utilizing tourism as a vessel to further marine conservation, research, and environmental awareness through creating unique ecotourism platforms with his team at Dive Ninja Expeditions. His work concentrates largely on oceanic predators & marine megafauna which has led to him creating courses on whale conservation, apex predators, devil rays and sustainable tourism; as well as authoring numerous articles for magazines such as Oceanographic, Saving Earth, Dive Travel Adventures and more. Jay’s passion for the ocean has earned him numerous accolades including being recognized as a PADI Torchbearer, a Mares Mexicanos Photographer, an Ocean Culture Life Storyteller & Ocean Guardian, and a Nakawe Project Closed Hook Ambassador. @jayclue | www.JayClue.com | www.DiveNinjaExpeditions.com
DR. RACHEL GRAHAM
For 30 years, Rachel has worked with institutions such as the United Nations, the University of York, the Smithsonian Institution and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Working with partners in several countries to identify threats, research needs and conservation opportunities for threatened marine wildlife and their critical habitats. An active member of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, she helped to found several National Shark Advisory Committees. in 2011, she won the Whitley Fund for Nature Gold Award for her work with sharks and communities. In 2014, Rachel founded the international NGO MarAlliance to promote impactful and inclusive grassroots science and conservation of marine wildlife. www.maralliance.org / Feature in NYTimes
PAUL COLLINS
Paul is a diver, videographer and research scientist involved in a number of research projects both jointly with the Coral Reef Research Foundation (Palau), SCRIPS Oceanographic Institute, The University of Delaware and the University of Southern California. Paul researches varied topics but most recently spawning aggregations throughout Palau, and has filmed spawning behavior that have not been previously documented anywhere in the world. Why the spawning events happen at these specific locations is one of the big questions, and by capturing bathymetry data Paul is able to generate 3d models of the spawning locations to compare and contrast these sites with other spawning locations in the world to find clues. In addition to his research projects, Paul has also worked with numerous production companies including working on BBC "Shark" / www.paulcollinsunderwater.com
ELISABETH LAUWERYS
Elisabeth Lauwerys is an award-winning photographer and videographer based in Thailand. As an experienced PADI and BSAC Instructor, Elisabeth has long been passionate about exploring the marine depths. In 2004, she opened Oceans Below Underwater Video Productions and Training. She’s since created the dive industry’s first professional-level underwater video training course; won numerous international awards for her photos and videos, including a prize at the Festival Mondial de l’image Sous Marine in Marseille; worked extensively with the BBC and other production houses on various documentaries and continues to create new looks for PADI promotional and marketing materials. She continues to teach the art of underwater video, but is increasingly focused on productions and traveling in pursuit of the most spectacular and diverse diving environments. Oceans Below
RILEY ELLIOTT
Riley Elliott is a shark researcher and has a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours in Zoology and a Masters with distinction in Marine Science. His interest in sharks started during time spent working for and then helping run the Oceans Research Great White Shark Station in South Africa. Here he learned to freedive with sharks alongside experts Mark Addison and Ryan Johnson. Riley is also a PhD candidate at the University of Auckland studying the Blue Shark. With the use of high tech satellite transmitters Riley hopes to learn more about sharks and investigate the effects of global pressure from fishing. He is currently working to address international conservational issues as the presenter of Shark Man TV.
TAMARA ADAME
Tamara is a Mexican technical diving instructor and Scientific Diver. She grew up in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, and has been in contact with the Ocean since birth. Her father, a boat captain, taught her to swim, freedive and water ski at a young age and she learned to scuba dive in 1995. She has been a Scuba Instructor since 2014 and has participated in numerous reef conservation initiatives, restoration projects and scientific diving jobs. In 2019 she and a team of filmmakers produced an award-winning short documentary film about plastic pollution in the Mexican Caribbean: Mermaids Against Plastic
Since 2020, Tamara has been dedicated to technical cave diving and spends most of her time swimming through the underground passages of the Mexican Cenotes. IG: @cenote_girl
JERO PRIETO
Jero Prieto is the founder and Board Director of Pelagic Life an NGO dedicated to protecting open ocean marine life in Mexico. Jero is the director of the award winning documentary film Mexico Pelagico. He has worked with National Geographic and Discovery Channel to bring pelagic life to the screen. As a scuba instructor and expedition leader he also strives to bring the ocean closer to the public with the effort to make pelagic species be worth more alive than dead. With background in engineering from ITESM and business administration from Northwestern Kellogg School of Business he is constantly working to bring realistic solutions to protecting open ocean marine life. Pelagic Life
VANESSA VERGARA (VANI)
When she turned 25, Vanessa Vergara made a bold move : she left a promising career in public relations to pursue her passion — the ocean. As the ocean has always been her first love, she trained to be a scuba instructor and her many travels have taken her to exotic places like South America. As she embarked on her journey she realized the threat to our oceans is greater than how the public perceives and that we are in a unique point in time where drastic changes can happen. She has then dedicated her life to using her skills and experience to empower people to join the cause. As the head of Reef Check Philippines, she has created programs to allow recreational divers, tourists and everyday citizens to play a huge role as citizen scientists and fight for the fate of our oceans. These days, she travels around the world in the name of the sea, advocating sustainable ocean tourism and safe diving. She takes photographs and volunteers her time to conservation as she aims to inspire people to save the ocean before it is too late. IG : @VANIVERGARA
BOBBY SETTLEMIRE
Bobby Settlemire is a Director of Photography who has had a rich and diverse career in the film and television industries for the past 20 years. His specialty is underwater cinematography. He has advanced his skills while working on blockbuster features such as Pirates of the Caribbean I, II, III, IV, The Life of Pi, The Revenant; to name only a few. Bobby’s work in the documentary and IMAX fields have taken him around the world several times. He is currently working as an underwater camera operator on Jim Cameron’s Avatar 2 & 3. Bobby lives in California with his wife and son who love to travel with him on his water-film adventure
A detailed cinematic list of Bobby’s work can be found here at his IMDB page.
TRAVIS PAYNE
Travis is an accomplished big wave surfer, who was born and raised in the cold and rugged waters of the Northern California coast. Travis has dedicated the last 20 years to the infamous big wave break Mavericks. His dedication and focus landed him 2nd place overall the last time the event ran. When not competing or in the water Travis works for the San Francisco Fire Department as a firefighter, paramedic, and surf rescue swimmer.
NOEL GUEVARA
Noel is an award-winning photographer and director based in Manila, Philippines. For the past 8 years he has directed commercials, online videos, and documentaries for a variety of local and international clients. He also runs a design and social media marketing firm, Burnwater Design Studios, which he founded back in 1998 in high school. As a photographer, Noel specializes on portrait and conservation projects, and has worked with organizations such as WWF, Coral Triangle Initiative, and Large Marine Vertebrate Research Institute (Lamave). His underwater photos have won recognition in international competitions such as Sony World Photography Awards, Scuba Diving magazine, and DEEP Indonesia. He focuses heavily on shark conservation and is currently working on a book on this topic. www.noelguevara.com
FORREST GALANTE
Forrest Galante is an international wildlife adventurer and conservationist who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of amazing animal encounters and previously unaccomplished expeditions. Growing up in Zimbabwe, Forrest spent his time discovering the depths of the African bush. He wrangled snakes, trapped mammals, snorkeled in muddy dams and explored remote islands of the Mozambique archipelago looking for untouched reefs. Forrest graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Biology. Forrest found one of the best ways to study and appreciate the aquatic world is through responsible sustainable harvest of his own proteins by becoming part of the food chain via freedive spear fishing. Forrest is a skilled freediver and renowned spear fisherman with 3 world records to his name. Check out his new show "Extinct or Alive" on Animal Planet and more of Forrest’s adventures at: www.forrestgalante.com
FRANCESCA REINA
Francesca is an underwater photographer from Italy. She’s currently involved in a coral propagation project , Coralisma. The project aims to restore the suffering reefs of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Fran is running the logistics and the nursery maintenance, as well as being in charge of the volunteers’ program. She is currently monitoring and documenting the progress of the coral's growth through her underwater images. Fran is an active cave diver, always looking to explore and photograph new cenotes of Quintan Roo. www.onedropmexico.com .
MARK ROMANOV
Mark is a wildlife filmmaker, cameraman and editor. He has worked on projects for BBC, DisneyNature and National Geographic, and works closely with Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Rick Rosenthal of Wild Logic LLC producing wildlife documentaries for international broadcast. While much of Mark’s work-life is spent underwater, he also builds and flies custom octo-copters for cinema-grade cameras. With a background in ecology and research, he focuses on capturing rarely seen behavior and stories of the natural world. www.markromanov.com
DR. JOHN BURNS
John is a coral reef biologist whose research focuses on coral health and disease. He conducted his PhD at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology where he studied coral reefs throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. John developed innovative methods to create high-resolution 3D reconstructions of coral reefs to determine how disturbance and disease alters the structure and function of these ecosystems. He is dedicated to sharing his work with the public and developing new digital tools to help connect people to coral reefs through virtual platforms. John is currently a professor at the University of Hawaii where he started the Multiscale Environmental Graphical Analysis (MEGA) Lab. themegalab.org | johnhrburns.com | coralhealth.uhh.hawaii.edu
KAʻILIKEA C. SHAYLER
Ka‘ilikea is a marine conservationist from Hawai‘i. He specializes in indigenous ecological monitoring and traditional ecosystem-based resource management techniques. His work ranges from program development & capacity building to field monitoring & ecosystem restoration. Currently he works as a Community-based Marine Management Trainer for the State of Hawai‘i’s Division of Aquatic Resources and as a Coral Reef Management Fellow for NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. He holds close to 4,000 hours spent underwater on SCUBA alone with over 11 years’ experience teaching recreational, rescue, and scientific diving. When Kaʻilikea isn’t underwater or working with communities, he can be found surfing, fishing, paddling, or sailing traditional canoes.
JULIE OUIMET
Canadian Julie Ouimet is an underwater and wildlife camerawoman with a passion for sharks and big animals. She is an Inductee of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, a Fellow of the Explorers Club, Associate Member of the Boston Sea Rovers and co-owner of N2Pix, a company that specializes in underwater imagery and organizing exploration oriented expeditions. Julie is a guest speaker in dive shows and events throughout Canada and the United States and as a filmmaker, her underwater images and films have been presented throughout the USA, Canada and Europe. She co-writes articles, is a regular contributor with En Profondeur Dive Magazine and is one of the co-founders of an International underwater film festival. Julie is a Rebreather and Trimix diver, technical supervisor, PADI Assistant-Instructor and DAN Instructor. www.n2pix.com
MICHEL LABRECQUE
Michel is a full time underwater photographer, photojournalist and expedition leader. His images and articles are internationally published. They have been featured in several magazines in both print and electronic versions. His credits include Smithsonian, National Geographic, Sport Diver, Diver (Canada and UK), Ocean Geographic and Plongez!, amongst others. Michel is a Fellow of the prestigious Explorers Club, an Associate Member of the Boston Sea Rovers and a guest speaker in major North American dive shows. In 2016, Michel was named as a PADI Ambassador. He is a rebreather diver and his teaching credentials are numerous: he is a PADI Master-Instructor, DAN Examiner, IANTD Trimix Instructor, PSI Instructor, Tec Rec Technical Instructor, TDI Technical Sidemount Instructor, EFR Instructor Trainer, Trimix Gas Blender and Equipment Technician Instructor. www.n2pix.com
