Portrait Photographer Alison Bounce

In episode #57 host Brett Stanley chats with French underwater portrait photographer Alison Bounce.

Growing up far from the ocean in the middle of France, Alison had a life long fear of water which she hoped to overcome by moving to the coastal city of Nice and starting her love affair with underwater photography.

Since then she’s built her business around her gorgeous prints, working on removing the colour blue from her palette, and literally writing the book on underwater portraiture. 

Follow this guest: Instagram, Website

Episode Summary

In this episode, acclaimed underwater photographer Alison Bounce shares her remarkable journey in the world of aquatic imagery. The conversation delves into her experiences, ranging from the technical aspects of underwater photography to the emotional depth encountered during shoots.

Alison recounts a perilous incident during a shoot in Australia where she found herself in a life-threatening situation. Her poignant description of the harrowing moment, intertwined with the humorous realization that her client inadvertently became her savior, adds a layer of suspense and genuine human connection.

The episode takes an emotional turn as Alison narrates a transformative shoot with Magali, a cancer survivor. Magali’s strength and vulnerability shine through as Alison captures her underwater, showcasing the therapeutic power of photography in overcoming life’s challenges. The subsequent exhibition featuring these poignant images becomes a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Listeners are offered a glimpse into the intricacies of Alison’s artistic process, from handling technical equipment to the challenges of selecting the perfect image to convey a message. The conversation also touches on Alison’s foray into videography, exploring the potential to expand her business and provide clients with a more immersive experience.

Alison concludes by sharing her upcoming project—an exhibition intertwining mythology, art, and ecology, aimed at raising awareness about the critical state of the [...]

Welcome To The Underwater World

The underwater podcast, a deep dive into the world of underwater portrait photography, cinematography, and everything in between. Featuring interviews with creatives, technical discussions of gear and techniques ,and how to stay creativity motivated in today’s strange chaos.

Hosted by Brett Stanley, an award winning underwater portrait photographer, cinematographer, and educator based in Los Angeles.

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Recent Posts

  • Portrait Photographer Alison Bounce

    In episode #57 host Brett Stanley chats with French underwater portrait photographer Alison Bounce.

    Growing up far from the ocean in the middle of France, Alison had a life long fear of water which she hoped to overcome by moving to the coastal city of Nice and starting her love affair with underwater photography.

    Since then she’s built her business around her gorgeous prints, working on removing the colour blue from her palette, and literally writing the book on underwater portraiture. 

    Follow this guest: Instagram, Website

    Episode Summary

    In this episode, acclaimed underwater photographer Alison Bounce shares her remarkable journey in the world of aquatic imagery. The conversation delves into her experiences, ranging from the technical aspects of underwater photography to the emotional depth encountered during shoots.

    Alison recounts a perilous incident during a shoot in Australia where she found herself in a life-threatening situation. Her poignant description of the harrowing moment, intertwined with the humorous realization that her client inadvertently became her savior, adds a layer of suspense and genuine human connection.

    The episode takes an emotional turn as Alison narrates a transformative shoot with Magali, a cancer survivor. Magali’s strength and vulnerability shine through as Alison captures her underwater, showcasing the therapeutic power of photography in overcoming life’s challenges. The subsequent exhibition featuring these poignant images becomes a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

    Listeners are offered a glimpse into the intricacies of Alison’s artistic process, from handling technical equipment to the challenges of selecting the perfect image to convey a message. The conversation also touches on Alison’s foray into videography, exploring the potential to expand her business and provide clients with a more immersive experience.

    Alison concludes by sharing her upcoming project—an exhibition intertwining mythology, art, and ecology, aimed at raising awareness about the critical state of the [...]

  • Gates Housing President John Ellerbrock

    In episode #56 host Brett Stanley chats with John Ellerbrock – owner and President of Gates Underwater Housings. 

    Gates have been a staple in the world of underwater imaging since the late 60’s when Elwyn Gates started building the first products in his garage, and created a thriving business. John talks about the history of Gates, how he got involved, and what it takes to build camera housings for some of the worlds best cameras.

    We discuss the manufacturing process, where Gates housings are being used, and where he sees the industry going in the future.

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  • Camera Operator & Photographer Jenny Baumert

    In episode #55 host Brett Stanley chats with Underwater Camera Operator and Photographer Jenny Baumert. 

    Jenny fell in love with underwater photography at the Brooks Institute in California, but quickly moved in to cinematography. She’s worked on commercials and music videos, and just finished up shooting the title sequence for Netflix’s Merpeople docuseries.

    They talk about shooting 1000 frames per second underwater on the phantom high speed camera, how she made the move from camera tech to operator, and how drinking Timothy Leary’s ashes with Susan Sarandon totally changed her visual style.

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  • Freedive Photographer Tony Myshlyaev

    In episode #54 host Brett Stanley chats with freedive photographer Tony Myshlyaev, better known as Tones Of Blue.

    They talk about his journey from learning to scuba dive in Vancouver, Canada, to his love affair with the warm tropical waters of Thailand. 

    Tony shares some of his techniques for shooting people in open water, his favourite spots to dive, and how the pandemic gave him a massive creative push.

    Follow this guest: Instagram

  • Performer & Filmmaker Julie Gautier

    In episode #53 host Brett Stanley chats with freedive champion, film maker, and underwater performer Julie Gautier.

    Julie’s films are a beautifully visual insight into not just the mind of a freediver, but also into the powerful messages that water can convey through imagery and dance. She talks about her journey from freediver to film maker, and we chat about some of the amazing locations she’s been diving – including swimming with sleeping Sperm Whales. 

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  • Photographer Adam Attoun

    In episode #52 host Brett Stanley chats with landscape photographer turned underwater photographer Adam Attoun.

    Based in Reading California, Adam talks about his background in landscape photography and how he’s brought many of those techniques and aesthetics into his underwater portrait work. We dig in to his process, how he gets such a unique look to his photographs, and how the Northern California weather really limits his shooting days!

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  • Cinematographer Jacques Ballard

    In episode #51 host Brett Stanley chats with underwater cinematographer Jacques Ballard about his work on the feature film The Deep House. 

    We discuss how he shot the underwater thriller, what cameras and lighting they used, and how problem solving can really be one of the fun parts of underwater filmmaking. 

    Jacques’s career has been quite varied, with documentaries, feature films, and amazing underwater collaborations with freediving talent like Julie Gautier and Guillaume Nery.

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  • Imaging Engineer & Cinematographer Pawel Achtel

    In episode #50 host Brett Stanley chats with the man who built the Underwater 3D Cameras for the new Avatar films, Pawel Achtel.

    Pawel is an engineer with a passion for the underwater world, and has created a variety of imaging solutions, including the 3D Stereoscopic camera system for James Cameron’s new Avatar movies!

    We chat about how his rig works, the physics of 3D imaging (and how to stop movie goers throwing up), and a neat trick to stop pesky micro bubbles from sticking to your camera’s dome.

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  • NFTs & The Oceaverse – Ian Takahashi

    In episode #49 host Brett Stanley chats with underwater cinematographer and co-founder of The Oceaverse, Ian Takahashi.

    NFT’s have become a big industry over the last couple of years and they can be confusing for those that haven’t spent time looking in to them – so we chatted with Ian about what they are and how creatives can use them not only as a source of income, but also a way of raising money to go towards ocean conservation projects – which is where the Oceaverse comes in.

    As a platform for promoting and selling NFTs, the Oceaverse not only showcases some of the best underwater creative artists, but they are reinvesting portions of the profits back in to conservation.

    We talk about how Oceavers is doing that, ways that crypt currency can actually help the environment, and the future of crypto mining.

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  • Wildlife Cinematographer Tom Campbell

    In episode #48 host Brett Stanley chats with underwater photographer and High Definition Video Pioneer Tom Campbell.

    They chat about how Tom got started in wildlife photography, his move to cinematography, and how high definition video really opened some doors for him. 

    Tom also tells us about his stock libraries, selling his first photograph, and he explains how he kinda disappeared for a few years!

    Follow this guest: Website