David Doubilet

David Doubilet’s photographic goal is to connect people to the sea. The oceans are 71% of the planet but remain distant from most despite our dependence on them. Much of humanity willingly remains unaware that: As the oceans go so do we.

Chevron barracuda form a near perfect circle around a diver in Papua New Guinea.

David found his passion for photography early. He put a Brownie Hawkeye camera into a rubber anesthesiologist’s bag at the age of twelve and created his first image. He worked and photographed in the Bahamas during his early teens publishing his first story at 17. He earned a B.A. in Broadcast and Film from Boston University, but his greater passion for still photography led to 27,000 hours in the sea, creating a window into a little-known universe. He has since spent five decades on assignment for National Geographic after his first story credit in 1971 documenting Garden Eels in the Red Sea with Society Grantee Dr Eugenie Clark.

This science and storytelling collaboration with Dr Clark, The Shark Lady, galvanized into thirteen stories focusing on the natural history and misunderstood world of sharks around the world long before their populations vanished into bowls of shark fin soup.

Doubilet’s interests range from the microscopic to apex predators, whole ecosystems and a passion for WWII history that lead him and author Peter Benchley through the Pacific on multiple stories. His personal challenge to himself is to create new visual boundaries, including pioneering the technique of half-and-half imagery that captures two worlds, above and below the sea, in one frame.

Chinstrap and gentoo penguins relax on a small iceberg called a bergy bit near Danco Island, Antarctica.

His latest work, supported by a National Geographic Society Grant, focuses specifically on coral reefs through the lens of time. David descends to exact locations on reefs impacted by climate change with historical images in hand to create pairs of before and after imagery that shows a once robust reef that is now a coral cemetery. Embedded geotags will allow others to continue documenting the corals’ ability to adapt to climate change. He believes that photography has the power to celebrate, honor, humiliate, illuminate and educate. He hopes it has the power to convince the unconvinced.

Doubilet is a columnist, contributing editor and author of many books. He is honored to be the recipient of the many prestigious international photographic awards (WPY, POY, NPPA) and to have his image of coral reefs sent into space with the Voyager Mission. He is the recipient of The Academy of Achievement Award, The Lennart Nilsson Award in Scientific Photography and The Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award. He was named a Contributing Photographer-in-Residence at the National Geographic, National Geographic Explorer and Grantee, NOGI Fellow and is a member of the International Diving Hall of Fame, International League of Conservation Photographers and the Royal Photographic Society. David Doubilet is honored to be a Rolex Testimonee since 1994.

BOOKS – (Abbreviated list)
2021 Two Worlds: Above and Below The Sea with Phaidon Publishers
2018 Elysium Coral Triangle, a collaboration
2016 Elysium Arctic, a collaboration
2013 Elysium Antarctica, a collaboration
2009 Face to Face with Sharks, with Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic Books
2003 Fish Face, Phaidon Publishers
2002 Great Barrier Reef, with National Geographic Books
1999 Living Planet, David Doubilet, Frans Lanting and Galen Rowell
1999 Water, Light, Time with Phaidon Publishers
1996 Pearls: Myths to Modern Culture
1993 The Red Sea with White Star
1992 Pacific: An Undersea Journey
1989 Light in the Sea

EXHIBITIONS
2020 In The Heart of Coral: Toulon, Marseille, Cannes and Nice
2019 Elysium Trilogy, China: Beijing, Shanghai, Chendu
2018 Under The Sea – Beyond The Image, Musee Mer Marine, Bordeaux, France
2017 Beneath Tubbataha, Philippines, Monaco
2017 Sea of Dreams, Reutlingen, Germany
2015 Ocean Retrospective, A Coruna, Spain
2014 Visual Dreams and Intense Curiosity in the Sea, Schleswig, Germany
2012 Under Exposed LOOK 3 IN THE TREES Charlottesville, VA
2011 AQUA with Konica Minolta, Tokyo
2010 Water Light Time, L2, Singapore with Rolex
2010 BELOW, Blue Ocean Festival, Monterey California
2008 The World Underwater, Christoprudny Blvd open-air exhibition, Moscow, Russia.
2007 Aqua Luce Tempo, Verona, Italy
2005 50 years of Underwater Photography, Beau Damon Richards Gallery, San Pedro
2004 Foto Freo, Perth Australia
2004 Forbidden City Exhibition, Beijing, China
2003 A Secret Sea, Oceanarium, Lisbon, Portugal
2003 Great Barrier Reef, IVAM Institute Valenciano

FILMS
2016 Racing Extinction in collaboration with Louis Psihoyas
2014 Artificial Reefs, NG Explorer
2000 Great White Shark, Truth Behind the Legend featuring David Doubilet and Peter Benchley
1990 Dancing with Stingrays, NG Explorer
1984 Izu Japan, NG Explorer