The Underwater Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In episode #63 , host Brett Stanley talks with freedive instructor and Florida Springs conservationist David Cobiella about learning comfort and efficiency underwater, comparing freediving and scuba, and protecting the Florida Springs. David shares how he grew up scuba diving, later discovered freediving in the springs, and co-founded a nonprofit to organize underwater cleanups th...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #62 host Brett Stanley chats with with Italian photographer Fran Reina, who is now based in Mexico. They talk about her love of water travel and how she transitioned from a dive guide to underwater portrait photographer shooting in the cenote, near Ply del Carmen. She also lets us in on her business processes, how having a studio assistant made all the difference and wh...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #61 host Brett Stanley chats with surf and underwater photographer Erick Regnard Erick, along with his brother Ian, created an underwater housing for a 5x4 large format polaroid camera 20 years ago, and shot some incredible photographs with it in Tahiti. We talk about how they built the camera and housing, the technical issues they had to overcome, and what it’s like to...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #60 host Brett Stanley chats with underwater Fine Art photographer Lexi Laine. Lexi’s work is beautiful and painterly, and mostly shot in the clear waters of the ocean, which adds a level of difficulty for her as she lives in England - not a land known for its visibility - so she travels the world in search of perfect locations to shoot in. We talk about her approach to...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #59 host Brett Stanley chats with Australian director Nays Baghai about his career in underwater filmmaking. They talk about his new documentary Diving in to the Darkness, and what it was like to bring the life of renowned Cave Diver Jill Heinerth to the big screen - and the many challenges that came along with it. Nays talks in detail about the creation of the film, wh...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #58 host Brett Stanley chats with Christina Karliczek Skoglund, an underwater wildlife and feature film cinematographer. Christina grew up on the coast of Sweden, dreaming of shipwrecks, but it was a trip to New Zealand and Australia as a teenager that really gave her a taste for the underwater world of film. They talk about her work with the BBC and National Geographic...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #57 host Brett Stanley chats with French underwater portrait photographer Alison Bounce. Growing up far from the ocean in the middle of France, Alison had a life long fear of water which she hoped to overcome by moving to the coastal city of Nice and starting her love affair with underwater photography. Since then she’s built her business around her gorgeous prints, wor...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #56 host Brett Stanley chats with John Ellerbrock - owner and President of Gates Underwater Housings.  Gates have been a staple in the world of underwater imaging since the late 60’s when Elwyn Gates started building the first products in his garage, and created a thriving business. John talks about the history of Gates, how he got involved, and what it takes to build c...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #55 host Brett Stanley chats with Underwater Camera Operator and Photographer Jenny Baumert.  Jenny fell in love with underwater photography at the Brooks Institute in California, but quickly moved in to cinematography. She’s worked on commercials and music videos, and just finished up shooting the title sequence for Netflix’s Merpeople docuseries.  They talk about shoo...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #54 host Brett Stanley chats with freedive photographer Tony Myshlyaev, better known as Tones Of Blue. They talk about his journey from learning to scuba dive in Vancouver, Canada, to his love affair with the warm tropical waters of Thailand.  Tony shares some of his techniques for shooting people in open water, his favourite spots to dive, and how the pandemic gave him...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #53 host Brett Stanley chats with freedive champion, film maker, and underwater performer Julie Gautier. Julie’s films are a beautifully visual insight into not just the mind of a freediver, but also into the powerful messages that water can convey through imagery and dance. She talks about her journey from freediver to film maker, and we chat about some of the amazing...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #52 host Brett Stanley chats with landscape photographer turned underwater photographer Adam Attoun. Based in Reading California, Adam talks about his background in landscape photography and how he’s brought many of those techniques and aesthetics into his underwater portrait work. We dig in to his process, how he gets such a unique look to his photographs, and how the...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #5 1 host Brett Stanley chats with underwater cinematographer Jacques Ballard about his work on the feature film The Deep House.  We discuss how he shot the underwater thriller, what cameras and lighting they used, and how problem solving can really be one of the fun parts of underwater filmmaking.  Jacques’s career has been quite varied, with documentaries, feature fil...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #50 host Brett Stanley chats with the man who built the Underwater 3D Cameras for the new Avatar films, Pawel Achtel. Pawel is an engineer with a passion for the underwater world, and has created a variety of imaging solutions, including the 3D Stereoscopic camera system for James Cameron’s new Avatar movies ! We chat about how his rig works, the physics of 3D imaging (...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #49 host Brett Stanley chats with underwater cinematographer and co-founder of The Oceaverse , Ian Takahashi. NFT’s have become a big industry over the last couple of years and they can be confusing for those that haven’t spent time looking in to them - so we chatted with Ian about what they are and how creatives can use them not only as a source of income, but also a w...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #4 8 host Brett Stanley chats with underwater photographer and High Definition Video Pioneer Tom Campbell. They chat about how Tom got started in wildlife photography, his move to cinematography, and how high definition video really opened some doors for him.  Tom also tells us about his stock libraries, selling his first photograph, and he explains how he kinda disappe...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #47 host Brett Stanley chats with cinematographer Sean Ruggeri who’s work with Red Cameras and Gates Housings has really taken him to some amazing places. They chat about how he worked with Red to refine their Camera’s underwater abilities, his role in the new movie The Colony, and what happens in a submarine when you need to go to the bathroom! Follow this guest: Websi...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #4 6 host Brett Stanley chats with photographer and director Scott Rhea. Scott’s career ranges from shooting Advertising and lifestyle images, to directing music video and commercials, and into his amazing personal fine art work – but through it all he’s had a great love of being underwater. They chat about where he gets his inspiration, the importance of meditation, an...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #45 host Brett Stanley chats with Belgian underwater photographer Harry Fayt. Harry’s work is truly beautiful, with the worlds and concepts he creates below the surface, and his messages within each shot are very inspiring. We talk about how he creates these scenes in his local public pool, his love of cinema for inspiration, and how he’s getting his revenge after years...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #44 host Brett Stanley chats with Jamie Johnson, an underwater photographer better known by her artist name of Birdee. Jamie’s work has a rawness to it, and she captures the female form in a very real way. Through her images she examines themes of femininity, strength, and grace, as well as exploring the healing element of water. They talk about her love of film photogr...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #43 host Brett Stanley chats with Hal Wells, safety diver and co-owner of Hollywood Divers. Hal shares with us his experiences working on film sets, how he plans for underwater productions, and what it’s like to deal with talent and crew under the water. They also discuss what it’s like being addicted to scuba diving, and how water people seem to be the most chill peopl...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #42, host Brett Stanley is joined by Antonio Lennert , life & business partner to Surf and Fine Art Photographer Lucas Murnaghan who tragically died in March this year of a rare cancer. As a way of memorialising Lucas they talk about his life and work, and how Antonio is keeping the memory alive by curating Lucas' images - a lot of it previously unseen - into n...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #41, host Brett Stanley chats with experimental photographer Barbara Cole. Barbara’s underwater work spans over 20 years and her approach to photography is akin to alchemy, where she pushes the boundaries of what can be done with the tools available – and even creating her own to accomplish the task. She’s had great success with vintage processing techniques such as Tin...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #40 , host Brett Stanley chats with underwater performer and actor Claire Friesen. Claire grew up fascinated with water, and solidified her love it with it when she discovered synchronized swimming. After competing on the Canadian National Team, she moved to Las Vegas to start her dream job of performing in the aquatic Cirque show Le Rêve – a mind bending extravaganza o...

Send us Fan Mail In episode #39, host Brett Stanley chats with underwater director of photography Zac Macaulay. Zac’s career has taken him from assisting in his younger days to a sort after stills photographer shooting underwater commercials for large brands, and now a cinematographer working out of his base in Brighton, England. They chat about his start in the industry, what kind of work he enjo...