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PT Hirschfield chats with the award-winning underwater photographer Brett Lobwein about taking pictures apex predators, epic expeditions and grass-roots conservation efforts.
When he’s not within the water and topside photographing polar bears, leopard seals, orca, humpbacks and minke whales, crocodiles and sharks, Brett Lobwein is a software program firm supervisor, underwater photograph gear enterprise proprietor and co-ordinator of the Underwater Awards Australasia photograph competitors.
He teaches pictures workshops, together with topside whale workshops, as a Sony Digital Imaging Advocate: ‘I find these workshops are a great gateway to help people connect with the ocean, hopefully turning a few more people into divers as well’. He’s additionally an envoy for Isotta underwater digital camera housings.
In September 2024, Brett organised a small group expedition to Argentina’s Peninsula Valdes to {photograph} and movie the southern proper whales within the water: ‘This was done under a very strict filming permit, ensuring the whales have a safe place to breed and raise their young.’
‘Over a number of days, we had some incredible encounters with these large, curious animals. But it was actually on my first day that I went out on a test run without my guests that I had a truly incredible encounter with a white whale, or ‘Blanco’.’
‘I’d been within the water with a mom and calf for a while when my crew yelled out ‘Blanco!’ I jumped again into the zodiac and we motored 800 metres to the white child whale.’
‘It was curious, swimming straight up to me. I managed to pull a few frames before the other whale and calf I’d left behind repositioned themselves proper in entrance of me. It was like they have been saying ‘No, you’re our human toy’. I might see the white whale circling behind, however might by no means get again to it.’
Brett grew up on the waters of Port Hacking River in Sutherland Shire. He recollects his first scuba expertise – a DSD on the Great Barrier Reef – as very humble beginnings: ‘I’d someway missed many of the briefings through the boat experience out to the reef, however managed to attempt atone for the fundamentals. I put my head underwater and liked it, however realised I had no concept what I used to be doing.’
Nowadays Brett is PADI Rescue Diver licensed, having executed over 1,500 dives. He owns and operates UW Images, a specialist distributor of underwater gear together with housings, lights and strobes. He enjoys main journeys for divers and non-divers, in addition to doing business or documentary image-making work.
‘Soon you’ll see a few of my current work on Season 6 of BBC’s Deadly 60 TV present. We showcase a number of the superb diving off NSW’s coast, proper close to my house.’
Brett’s dive life has taken him on adventures to Fiji, Indonesia, Maldives, East Timor, Mexico, Cuba, Solomon Islands, Norway and Tonga: ‘I’ve additionally been fortunate to work within the water within the Arctic and Antarctica.’
His quest to {photograph} leopard seals concerned crusing on a small expedition yacht for a month in freezing waters: ‘I’m pleased with the photographs I got here house with. Though I actually wished a shot of predation on a penguin, so I assume I’ll have to return to cross that one off the Bucket List’.
In late-2025, Brett’s ardour is taking him full circle again to the Great Barrier Reef the place he’ll be an Expedition Photographer for Australian Geographic’s Coral Futures Expedition: ‘We’ll go to the Forever Reef Bio Bank in Port Douglas, the place I’m actually trying ahead to photographing a few of their 179 totally different coral species.’
Brett says that whereas ‘over the years I’ve been fortunate sufficient to win a variety of pictures awards and shootouts, I discover rather more satisfaction by means of inspiring individuals to take their very own pictures journey additional’.
‘In 2024, I collaborated with Dive Photo Guide and Underwater Australasia to create a brand new photograph competitors name Underwater Awards Australasia.
I’m very happy with what we achieved within the first yr, adopted by the 2025 competitors which provided $70K in prizes throughout 9 classes.’
‘I wanted to use this platform to showcase what Australian diving has to offer, so we created a dedicated Australian Waters category. Also as we partnered with the GO Diving Show in Sydney to present the award ceremony, we really also wanted to show what Sydney has to offer, hosting a dedicated Sydney category’.
In addition to interacting with underwater photographers, Brett’s eager to assist most of the people develop a stronger reference to the ocean by means of being motivated to take care of it. His spouse Sarah-Jo is a full-time conservationist, working principally within the house of Single Use Plastic: ‘Together we started SO Shire – Sustainable Organisations of the Sutherland Shire – promoting grass roots, on-the-ground, local action. Sarah-Jo is really the brains and puts in the hours. Together we run monthly beach clubs and community awareness.’
The want for hands-on ocean conservation hits house laborious for Brett: ‘There are a number of pressures that we humans have applied to ocean from over-fishing, climate change resulting in warming of oceans, ecosystems collapse, and single use plastic. As divers, we’re witnessing these impacts first-hand, at house and throughout each ocean.’
‘Last year while working on Lord Howe Island, I witnessed first-hand the most southern coral reef in the world bleaching, with entire reefs taken out by urchins because they thrive in warmer water. It was one of the first times I’ve cried underwater.’ ‘It’s now unimaginable to dive in Sydney with out seeing plastic. My greatest concern is that many nonetheless see the ocean as an countless useful resource, the place we are able to take all we would like and dump something we would like into it.’
His philosophy of affecting change is straightforward: ‘As divers and underwater photographers, we have a duty to help connect more people with the ocean. It won’t be the actions of a single person who modifications the world, however collectively we are able to affect governments and firms to drive actually change. I discover you actually should embrace the small wins to maintain optimistic.’
This take care of the state of the ocean extends into Brett’s hobbies which might be principally ocean-focused: ‘Diving, snorkelling, freediving, swimming or walking our local beach, usually including a daily mini clean-up. At the end of last year, we unfortunately lost our beautiful labrador Charlie, who shared our love for the ocean and beach.’ Brett has a number of thrilling tasks and expeditions lined up, together with whale swims in Tonga and main an unique journey for simply 4 individuals to the Galapagos in 2026.
To have interaction together with his pictures, be taught extra about his excursions and underwater pictures gear gross sales, comply with Brett on Instagram and go to: brettlobwein.com or uwimages.com.au
It gained’t be the actions of a single person who modifications the world, however collectively we are able to affect governments and firms to drive actually change. I discover you actually should embrace the small wins to maintain optimistic.
Who is Brett Lobwein?
Brett Lobwein is an award-winning underwater photographer, PADI Rescue Diver, and proprietor of UW Images. He is a Sony Digital Imaging Advocate and co-ordinator of the Underwater Awards Australasia, identified for his work with apex predators and marine conservation.
What digital camera gear does Brett Lobwein use for underwater pictures?
Brett is an envoy for Isotta underwater digital camera housings and a Sony Digital Imaging Advocate. He focuses on utilizing high-end mirrorless methods outfitted with specialised housings, strobes, and lighting distributed by means of his enterprise, UW Images.
Where are the perfect locations to dive with Brett Lobwein?
Brett leads unique pictures expeditions to world-class diving locations, together with Argentina for southern proper whales, the Galapagos Islands, Tonga for whale swims, and the Great Barrier Reef.
What is the Underwater Awards Australasia?
Co-founded by Brett Lobwein, this competitors showcases the perfect of Pacific and Australian diving. It options classes like “Australian Waters” and “Sydney,” providing important prize swimming pools to encourage the subsequent technology of underwater image-makers.
How is Brett Lobwein concerned in ocean conservation?
Alongside his spouse Sarah-Jo, Brett co-founded “SO Shire” (Sustainable Organisations of the Sutherland Shire). They deal with grassroots actions like month-to-month seashore clean-ups and neighborhood consciousness to fight single-use plastics and habitat loss.
This article was initially printed in Scuba Diver Magazine
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