Although born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, I have been living in the tropical Pacific for the vast majority of the last ten years.  Sick and tired of rain and cold water, I set off for Palau in 1999 to work as a full time diver.  Soon after starting work on a live aboard there, I was promoted to the position of Photo Pro on account of my underwater photography experience, which at the time was zero!  Through much trial and tribulation, and the reading of many books I eventually mastered the art of the Nikonos V.  The challenge of creating artistic photos soon became addictive and rare was the dive that I didn’t have a camera in my hand.  The sheer variety of sea life in Palau provided a seemingly endless choice of photographic subjects.  My favorite location was Jellyfish Lake; I shot 36 photos there every week trying to capture the essence of this unique mangrove environment.

After three years in Palau I decided I needed a change.  After a short stay in the colorful waters of Fiji, I moved on to French Polynesia.  French Polynesia is known as the “Shark Capital of the South Pacific” and it didn’t disappoint.  Sharks of all varieties are very common and I was able to concentrate on capturing the ultimate shark photograph.  Working closely with a talented shark feeder, Sebastien Bertaud, I was able to obtain some outstanding images of a shark feeder in action.  The rich waters of the Tuamotu island chain are home to a large variety of sea life.  Mantas, dolphins, eagle rays, and huge schools of fish all presented themselves as fantastic photo subjects.

With the advent of technology, I have embraced the world of digital cameras.  I recently purchased a Nikon D70 with an Aquatica housing and I look forward to the advantages of digital.  I am constantly seeking new ideas in composition and this new tool will certainly help in capturing new ideas in photography.