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IMAGING
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S H O O T E R
combination of personal preference and practicality that kept me working
close to home off the West Coast, but it was a function of the wealth of the
marine life there that big animals became part of my repertoire.
I was good at sitting in a little boat for weeks on end waiting for things to
happen. Determination and patience were my greatest attributes. One can
learn the technical aspects of photography, but without patience and the
willingness to invest considerable time with no guaranteed rewards I could
not have capitalized on the photo opportunities I’ve had in my career. The
early shoots were six weeks of self-funded rigor, and for years my life was
all about finding enough money to buy a bag of rice and gas for my boat. I
was driven, for sure, but not by fame. I wanted to create a way of life, to be
successful enough so I could go where I wished and shoot what I wanted.
SF
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How did you decide where you wanted to shoot? You were funding
your own travel, so you had to feel confident you could make a return on
those photos.
BC
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I have always tried to select my subjects carefully. I would analyze the
market to see if there were too many photos of a specific animal out there
already. I had a sense that there were lots of photographers taking pictures
of the same subjects in the same destinations and selling them to the same
clients. I didn’t want that to be me, so my travel was usually for subjects that
were difficult and remote, and that gets expensive. I could spend $2,000 to
go on a liveaboard where accessibility is easy, I could do five dives per day on
a Caribbean reef, or I could try my own thing: Spend a lot more money and
be by myself with breaching whales. The latter plan, though risky, resonated
with me more solidly.
In the end, the animals are what truly motivate me. The driving force
over 20 years of photography is to be in or on the water with marine life.
If I could, I’d leave the hassles of the camera behind and just interact with
the creatures of the sea. I had this conversation with David Doubilet once.
He was telling me all about the history and science of photography and the
pioneer days of underwater image-making, and I told him I’m happy just to
be in the water and pointing the camera in the right direction. We laughed
and agreed to disagree about our approaches to photography.
SF
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Your early monk-like discipline might be harder for you to sustain
these days. You’re married, and while I know Melissa often travels with
you, it still must be hard to spend the time on the road like you did when
you started out.
BC
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I’ve given my everything to this career, and while it may not be
sustainable for another 20 or 30 years, particularly with current market
dynamics, just being out in the wild still provides me with the energy and
drive to carry on. Melissa and I have just celebrated our 16
th
anniversary. I
take pictures, and she is an accomplished and successful marine-life artist.
We don’t have kids, and she is very understanding and supportive of a career
that keeps me on the road 150 days per year.
My work is primarily editorial in nature. I don’t teach or lead tours or even
shoot much advertising photography. I’ve spent a lot of effort and money
to build a strong big-animal collection, and I think this is important work.
92
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SUMMER 2012
Above, from top: A diver swims along a wall encrusted
with all manner of invertebrate life, including plumose
sea anemones. Chevron barracuda swirl above the Great
Barrier Reef. Steller sea lions cavort in British Columbia.
A Southern right whale makes a close pass in Patagonia.
Opposite: A California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)
opens wide in the Sea of Cortez.