ORIGIN STORY

It all began with a urge to speak louder. Words often fell short here—so I let my photography carry the message. Through my lens, I found a way to share not just the beauty I was witnessing, but also the realities I was confronting firsthand.

-------------​

From an early age, I remember being both captivated and terrified by the power of the ocean. One of my earliest memories is walking along the shoreline in Victoria with my parents, as huge waves crashed beside us. It felt as though the ocean could engulf us at any moment. The Southern Ocean is cold and wild—very different to my now tropical home at Ningaloo Reef—but that deep sense of respect for its power has stayed with me ever since.

That childhood fear gradually turned into fascination when I first learned to snorkel. Discovering the world beneath the surface made the ocean feel less intimidating and far more magical. Like many Australians, I developed a strong connection to the water. I spent hours body surfing, exploring rockpools, and beachcombing on family holidays, and even joined a sailing club as a young teenager.

If you had asked me then where I would end up, becoming an underwater photographer would have been a surprise. During high school, I discovered photography and quickly fell in love with it. I used an old black and white film camera (which I still have and use on special occasions), spending hours in the darkroom and behind the lens. I later applied to study fine art photography in Melbourne… and didn’t get in. For a while, that felt like the end of the road. But in hindsight, it was the beginning.

I went on to study commercial arts in Melbourne, and after graduating, a trip to Thailand changed everything. I was introduced to scuba diving, and from that moment, I was hooked. The underwater world offered a sense of freedom and calm that felt instinctively right. I left my commercial arts career behind and began training as a dive instructor, eventually working throughout Thailand and Indonesia.

During this time, I also volunteered with the Marine Megafauna Foundation, assisting with manta ray research in Indonesia. Conservation quickly became a driving force in my life. As a creative, it wasn’t long before I picked up an underwater camera, and photography became an obsession alongside diving and research.

When I bought my first underwater camera in 2014, I taught myself the fundamentals through time, patience, and countless hours in the water. After several years of teaching diving, I began to crave a more creative path and realised I wanted to pursue photography more seriously.

Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia stood out immediately. I had been following photographers based there and was drawn to its raw beauty and biodiversity. In 2021, I made the move and began working as a photographer on a whale shark tour boat, initially planning to stay for a year and build a portfolio.

Five years later, I’m still here. 

There were two defining pivotal moments that helped set me firmly on this path as a photographer over the years.

The first was a photograph in 2018 of a manta ray feeding through what looked like a “plastic soup” of pollution. The image unexpectedly reached international news and went on to win an award. It was the moment I realised the true power of photography wasn’t just in creating beautiful images—but in the stories they could tell, and the conversations they could start. That moment pushed me deeper into conservation storytelling and strengthened my commitment to documenting the ocean.

The second came in 2022, when I received recognition in the Ocean Photographer of the Year awards. That moment of international recognition gave me the confidence to keep pursuing this path and showed me that the work I was creating resonated far beyond my own corner of the ocean.

​

Exmouth and Ningaloo have become home. What began as a tourism photography job has evolved into a full-time professional photography career, working with brands, tourism boards, magazines, NGOs, and a range of clients. The region offers an extraordinary backdrop—rich marine life, rugged landscapes, and endless inspiration. It’s a place that continues to surprise me and shape my work.

Much of what I do is driven by a deep connection to the wild and a strong belief in the importance of photographic story telling. My images have contributed to scientific research and papers, including manta ray and whale shark identification catalogues, as well as conservation campaigns, publications, and fundraising initiatives. At its core, my work aims to create connection—because when people feel connected to the natural world, they are more likely to protect it.

Since then, my work has continued to focus on documenting wild places and marine life to the subtle and not-so-subtle impacts of climate change on ecosystems. The camera has become both a creative tool and a way to advocate for the places and species I care deeply about.

These days, I split my time between photographing marine wildlife, leading expeditions, and working with brands, magazines, and conservation initiatives—all while sharing stories from beneath the surface in the hope that more people will fall in love with the ocean. 

​

If there’s one thing I hope younger photographers, conservationists and aspiring creatives take from my journey, it’s this: there isn’t only one path. Sometimes the doors that close are the ones that push you to build something entirely your own. Passion, curiosity, and persistence can take you to places you never imagined. But you MUST be persistent and driven. Don't wait, just start doing it.

My journey began at 17 when I first held that film camera, and today I am fully supported by my work as a photographer.

​

If you’d like to follow along with my work and adventures, you can find me on Instagram @brookepykephotography.

​