Brian Skerry is a visual storyteller specializing in ocean wildlife and underwater realms. Since 1998 he has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine.
He was named a Photography Fellow by the National Geographic Society in 2014 and a Storytelling Fellow in 2017, the same year he was awarded the title of National Geographic Rolex Explorer of the Year. He is the author of 12 books including Ocean Soul and SHARK. His latest book, Secrets of the Whales, was released in April 2021 by National Geographic as part of a multi-platform project he created that includes the 4-part documentary film series of the same name streaming on Disney +, which he produced and that won the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary.
An award-winning photographer, Brian is praised worldwide for his aesthetic sense as well as his journalistic drive for relevance. His uniquely-creative images tell stories that not only celebrate the mystery and beauty of the sea, but also help bring attention to the large number of issues that endanger our oceans and its inhabitants.
Unique within the field of underwater photography is Brian’s ability to pursue subjects of great diversity. His year-round schedule frequently finds himself in environments of extreme contrast from tropical coral reefs to diving beneath polar ice. While on assignment he has lived on the bottom of the sea, spent months aboard fishing boats and traveled in everything from snowmobiles to canoes to the Goodyear Blimp to get the picture. He has spent more than 12,000 hours underwater over the last thirty years.
For National Geographic, Brian has covered a wide range of stories, from the harp seal’s struggle to survive in frozen waters to the alarming decrease in the world’s fisheries to dolphin intelligence, all cover stories. During 2016 NGM published three consecutive feature stories by Brian about predatory species of sharks. Other features have focused on subjects such as the planet's last remaining pristine coral reefs, the plight of the right whale, marine reserves, sea turtles and squid. His February 2017 cover story NGM focused on protecting special underwater ecosystems in US waters. During his coverage of this story Brian became the first person to photograph a US President underwater.
Brian's work has also been featured in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC Wildlife, GEO, Paris Match, Smithsonian, Esquire, Audubon, Men's Journal and in countless publications worldwide.
Brian frequently lectures on photography and conservation issues having presented at venues such as The United Nations General Assembly, The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, TED Talks, The Sydney Opera House, The National Press Club in Washington, DC and the Royal Geographical Society in London. He has been a guest on numerous television programs.
He has had solo photographer exhibits at Visa Pour l’Image in Perpignan, France as well as cities such as Geneva, Barcelona, Lisbon and Shanghai and at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
Brian can be followed on Instagram (@BrianSkerry), Twitter (Brian_Skerry) and on Facebook. His website is www.BrianSkerry.com
