Inspired by Jacques Cousteau, I have been fascinated with coral reefs since I was very young. Throughout my childhood and early teens I thought that I would become a marine biologist, but life eventually took me in a different direction. I first became a biophysicist and then a business professional, but the marine biologist lives on in me. I have been a long-time snorkeler, and in 2012 I finally took the plunge into SCUBA diving while on vacation in Barbados. Over the years my passion for diving took me to the Red Sea, Hawaii, Caribbean, Puget Sound, New England, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand’s Milford Sound and the Maldives, all with an underwater camera in hand.

I initially started taking underwater pictures because I thought that it would be the best souvenir that I can bring home from my travels. But I quickly realized that photography also lets me see the underwater world in a completely different way – the flash replenishes the red waves of the light spectrum that are lost within the water column, and the macro lens magnifies to incredible detail.

It is exhilarating to capture the magnificence of tropical coral reefs that feature a kaleidoscope of colors and creatures alike. However, cold water photography around the Salish Sea (where I live) has a special place in my heart. It requires more gear and carrying substantially more weight, and it is cold even with a drysuit. But my imagination was irreversibly captured on the first cold water dive that I did on Alki where I saw large aggregations of the brilliant white plumose anemones with their gentle appearance. Over time I discovered unique creatures like the giant pacific octopus, the east pacific red octopus and the wolf eel, along with a variety of nudibranchs and strange-looking creatures and fish. And most importantly, this is home, and I want to know and photograph what’s around where I live. I share my pictures in hopes that my photography can help educate about the beauty of the underwater world, whether warm or cold, as well as inspire to protect these fragile environments.

In 2013 I completed the SSI Divemaster certification, and for the 2013-14 seasons I led SCUBA diving excursions around New England as part of staff at East Coast Divers in Massachusetts. I hold a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology, as well as an MBA, and I am currently based in Seattle where I work in strategy at a Tech company. I am also a member of the volunteer dive team at the Seattle Aquarium. When I'm not diving or coming up with business strategies I enjoy playing piano, swimming, hiking and cooking.

Most of the photographs were taken with a Nikon D850 in Nauticam housing. I also have two Sea & Sea strobes. I use a Sigma 15mm fisheye lens in an 8.5” acrylic dome, and a Nikkor 105mm micro lens with an optional +10 Saga diopter. Before moving to a dSLR in 2019 I used a Canon G10 and then a Canon G16. These small cameras taught me to shoot in manual mode, how to use a strobe and a macro diopter. They excel at macro, but they never really enabled me to take wide-angle shots, where the dSLR opened a whole new range of possibilities. I am excited to continue to expand my photography kit and to constantly improve my skill with it, as well as to strive to capture the best shot I can and to show marine life in the best light possible.