The Underwater Designer

It's pretty exciting to have my work as an underwater photographer and filmmaker featured on This Lens by SmugMug. I love sharing our underwater world and giving insight into what's below the water line.

This production was made during the filming of Protected Waters: Exploring La Jolla with Alex Rose. She did a great job capturing me underwater for these segments while we worked with some unusual conditions.

I'm more nervous working in front of someone I know and love so well than with a group of strangers. Although I find being in front of the camera instead of behind it awkward, this was an amazing collaboration. The production team at Teak put this together. I can't say enough kind words for them.

Taking the story underwater
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD5lR6uQU8Q

I've used SmugMug to power my website for a decade. It has helped me quickly communicate who I am, what I do, and why it matters. Although I am a front-end web developer, I never have time to work on my website. To that end, I look forward to launching my brand refresh this year. I promise. It's hard to make time for my materials when I work on so many amazing projects.

Many thanks to Odyssea By Fletcher, Alex Rose, and Anton Lorimer for helping show what it's like to work as an underwater photographer and filmmaker.

The full story:
https://www.smugmug.com/this-lens/jennifer-Jennifer Idol

This lens takes you under the surface—Jennifer Idol Jennifer Idol believes we cannot love what we don’t know. After bearing witness to the devastation caused by the Deep Water Horizon oil spill from a plane, J...

Wishing a fintastic Mother's Day to everyone. Humpback whales are very nurturing. It's special to observe these intimate moments. This encounter was during our Big Fish Expeditions expedition in French Polynesia.

Can you have too many shark experiences? Absolutely not.
I love every encounter on our trips with Big Fish Expeditions

Just drying off my feet from a week at sea on our Tiger Beach trip with Big Fish Expeditions. We had a fintastic trip with great guests. Read all about it in my trip report.

What was left unsaid is that I'm pretty sore about having to leave, but Dolphin Dream Team said stowaways aren't a thing ;)

I so love spending time with these lovely sharks! Join me next April for more tiger shark action. These are incredible animals that are so worth keeping as part of our ecosystems. They're quite misrepresented and I feel lucky to see them if only for a moment.

https://www.bigfishexpeditions.com/2024/04/15/tiger-beach-2024/

We had an awesome time on our Big Fish Expeditions trip to Tiger Beach. We're just now heading in and closed out with some lovely tiger sharks. We saw all six species of sharks on this trip (I photographed five of them).

Our lovely guests had a great time enjoying all the sharks we saw. The tiger sharks are the draw but the bull was especially fun for me to see. We enjoyed watching them across the reef and sand. Other sightings included the lemon sharks, nurse sharks, reef sharks, and great hammerhead.

I can't wait to return next April 12-18, 2025!
Sign up on BigFishExpeditions.com to join me on this sharky adventure
https://www.bigfishexpeditions.com/trips/scuba-diving/tiger-shark-diving/

Thunder Bay International Film Festival is more than the sharing of inspirational films. It is an exchange of thoughts, education, and insight between filmmakers, students, and the community. The in-depth and open conversations illuminate how we can do better for our world, for communities, and as creators. I hope to see you next year at this festival in beautiful Alpena as we celebrate our waters from all perspectives above and below.

It is a must for filmmakers who get the opportunity for candid and supportive reviews.

It is enriching for those who attend to also get to meet people such as dignitaries Paula Jones and Jay Haigler, who showed Black Godfather of Scuba, a documentary not just about Dr. Albert José Jones, but of the extraordinary community and history he created. Dr. Jones founded dive club Underwater Adventure Seekers and co-founded the National Association of Black Scuba Divers - NABS. His wife Paula is an articulate children’s author and dive expert who is championing this community with her entrepreneurial daughter Kendall Jones. Most poignantly, Jay Haigler of Diving With A Purpose spoke to the important work of protection, documentation and interpretation of African slave trade shipwrecks and the maritime history and culture of African Americans.

Other content creators were also broadcasting the events such as The Great Dive Podcast. I had the joy of chatting with them about the intricacies of the scuba industry and how we can show adventurers how diving is the plunge they need to take to sea the world.

I’m moved by this experience and amazed again by this gem of a National Marine Sanctuary.

Visit NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and learn something.

Many thanks also to the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Stephanie Gandullafor their passion and commitment to this event and the mission of the sanctuary. For twelve years, nearly 800 films have been shown in this remarkable destination. I’m honored that the film Alex Rose and I showed was well received and encouraged to take it farther.

Travel time! I'm heading to the amazing museum at NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary for the premiere of our film in the Thunder Bay International Film Festival.

Read about our latest film, Protected Waters: Exploring La Jolla as featured in The Alpena News.

Alex Rose and I collaborate on this special film series to illuminate protected waters. It's a joy to work with such a dedicated filmmaker with a marine biology background so that we can provide informed footage about complex ecosystems. We have a little fun too!

https://www.thealpenanews.com/news/local-news/2024/01/thunder-bay-international-film-festival-all-weekend-in-alpena/ #:~:text=%E2%80%9CProtected%20Waters%3A%20Exploring%20La%20Jolla%E2%80%9D%20is%20produced%20by%20Jennifer,to%20dive%20all%2050%20states.

We’re thrilled to share the trailer for our film Protected Waters: Exploring La Jolla as we dive into how an ecosystem is supported by protected waters.

Fellow explorer Alex Rose and I are premiering our film at Thunder Bay International Film Festival this Saturday!

Many thanks to Trystan Snodgrass, Andy Nosal, Net Zero Expeditions, and Odyssea By Fletcher

Protected Waters: Exploring La Jolla trailer

Protected Waters: Exploring La Jolla trailer Join us on an adventure as we dive into protected waters and investigate how and why they are preserved and managed. We showcase extraordinary life and cultu...

I'm honored and amazed to be a finalist for the Underwater Photo Competitions World Shootout Best Picture of 2023 and Wide Angle category.

It is an absolute joy to share my image of a beautiful encounter I had with a humpback whale in French Polynesia on our Big Fish Expeditions. This was truly a special moment. I very much look forward to our trip this fall and observe more of this magnificent species.

Alex Rose and I are thrilled to announce the next film in our series, Protected Waters: Exploring La Jolla, is premiering at the Thunder Bay International Film Festival (TBIFF) with Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Join us on Saturday, Jan 27, 2024, at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, Michigan, as we dive into the many Marine Protected Areas in Southern California.

Special thanks to Net Zero Expeditions, Trystan Snodgrass, Jules Jacobs, Andy Nosal, and Odyssea By Fletcher.

https://thunderbayfriends.org/index.php/film-festival/

I’ve been completely swamped in reviewing footage from Catalina and then this …
I’m going to the dark side and it appears I will be selling my Sony A7siii with Nauticam housing and my Nikon D5 with Nauticam housing. Official sales postings coming soon.

Officially, the blame lies with Reef Photo & Video for outstanding customer support (Nauticam housing getting ordered tomorrow) and with John Borys, Alex Rose, and Peter Venoutsos. You are all very bad influences in the most loving way possible. Watch out John! I’m look forward to another shoot with you.

The Underwater Designer has been under the radar for two years building design, film, and photography assets for Dive Avelo. Finally, I'm able to reveal some of the action. Check out our new product!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOJzSF6C0qk

Avelo Arrives Simply better scuba.Avelo redefines your dive experience through a system that provides training based on a diving philosophy that enables the use of signifi...

I'm wishing everyone health and safety as we weather this event. Looking forward to new dawns and hope on the horizon.

The tides are changing! I can't wait to share fintastic developments for 2020. Until then, wishing you the best and thank you for your support.

It's been a fintastic year! Thank you for following my journey. I look forward to sharing the news to come.

Until then, I bid you tides and greetings from the shores of Newfoundland! I've fallen in love with this great island and will be leading a trip there in 2020. I have a few spots open, so ping me for the details.

The Underwater Designer is evolving! News to come soon about developments.

In the meantime, I’ve been exploring Newfoundland and have a love for this Canadian province and the people here. I’m thrilled to work with Ocean Quest Adventure Resort for next July’s adventure.

Next time, I hope to share it with you too as The Underwater Designer begins again leading trips to world class experiences. Let’s go dive!

I'm lucky to work with amazing people and meet new divers along the way. As I was diving in North Carolina, I had the honor of working with KISS Rebreathers, Olympus Dive Center, and Metro West Dive Club - MWDC.

Don't take my word for it. Sea for yourself in these photos of a really special time on the water.

Want me on your boat or want to collaborate on a project? Send a message if you want to include my professional services for your marketing needs.

I recently had a fintastic adventure with James Blackman, creator of the YouTube Channel Divers Ready. Jump on in and see what delightful trouble we got into exploring Key Largo.

Want to win a copy of one of the coolest books ever written about Scuba Exploration? Check out our new video featuring Jennifer Idol, the first woman to dive all 50 states, for details! Link: https://youtu.be/3M47E6GZEN8

.divers .lighting

Sometimes I create photos because I'm hired to. Other times, I create images because they tell stories about places and events that I am passionate about.

Bonaire was a destination that has been on my must-see list for a while and it refreshed me to see life on the reefs from big to small. The island is doing their best to adapt to modern living with as much consideration for human impact as possible.

It is important to do our best to be positive influencers when we travel and in our daily lives by choosing not to use single-use plastics like cups, plasticware, straws and bags, by using safe sunscreens like Stream2Sea, disposing of our waste properly, and choosing chemical free lives such as vinegar for cleaning. Individual actions add up, whether for the good or bad of something. I like to do my best and continuing learning how I can help the world around me.

I get to work with the best clients.

KISS Rebreathers not only makes a great product, but they're great people too. They take their gear to some extreme destinations.

I love every opportunity to work with them and have been fortunate to have a hand in designing their rebranded logo, exhibit materials, and create some photography.

Bahamas Shark Safari

You're the first to hear this.

It's been too long since I shared news on The Underwater Designer, but want you to know you're not forgotten. I appreciate everyone who follows my work and adventures and plan to bring more rewarding content to this page beginning today.

I've been thinking very hard about the direction of my creative services business and am rebranding to help others better understand my work and passion projects.

1. I love creating underwater images that illuminate our waters for assignments, fine art, and clients.

2. I also love leading expeditions, such as for Big Fish Expeditions. I'm getting sharky with it in November:
https://bigfishexpeditions.com/trips/scuba-diving/bahamas-shark-safari/

3. And, I will continue providing graphic design services such as custom websites, logos, and print materials.

So, let's jump in together on new adventures!

bigfishexpeditions.com

I’m looking forward to meeting everyone at DEMA Show and swap sea tales. I’ll be sharing new plans and ecofriendly businesses stickers.

St Croix: Changing Tides on the Caribbean Isle

X-Ray Magazine recently published my article on the Changing Tides of St. Croix.

After a year of low nesting activity and hurricanes, where is the island now? Take a look at what's going on in this Caribbean island.

https://xray-mag.com/content/st-croix-changing-tides-caribbean-isle

Cane Bay Dive Shop helped connect me with The Nature Conservancy, an organization making a difference for reef growth. They were part of the heart of the story and I thank everyone involved for helping me bring news of this must-see island to you.

xray-mag.com

I love being on the road taking photos in natural environments. I also love helping my clients achieve their dreams.

Join me in celebrating the initial launch of my newest client project, custom website design for https://discovertheoceans.com. Their goal is to make it easier to connect you to underwater destinations and opportunities.

Follow them on Facebook: Discover the Oceans

Sea what it's all about

Getting caught up in trying to create the most amazing images can overshadow an experience. The beauty of an image, even just one, is that you can feel the appreciation and awe later.

I loved seeing belugas with Big Fish Expeditions. As I fulfill my other work and plan future photos, I’ll remember this first encounter.