Time to capture hidden depths
Janice Creenaune meets photographer Brodie Whalan, who dives and takes beautiful and alluring images of hidden creatures beneath the waves
To most people, the hidden depths of the ocean and its creatures are a mere thought imagined, a picture captured on a page or a legend we have read. To 22-year-old Brodie Whalan, they are as real as any common flower in our gardens.
He has spent years perfecting his diving craft in the waters off Ulladulla, encouraged by family and in particular his pop, where he has long held a special relationship.
He moved to Thirroul and the northern Illawarra for the "hometown" vibe and proximity to so much more. Brodie dives in many pristine international dive-spots and photographs images for himself, the general public and even the prestigious Australian Geographic magazine.
“So many people don’t experience what I am able to experience," Brodie says.
"Diving and generally being in water, swimming and surfing too, just normalises my world. It really allows me to reset my life, and in the silence of the water, I can think and see my life clearly. I have always known it is where I should be.”
Brodie gets to the depths - and the shallows - where he captured this image of a spotted eagle ray
He has dived at sites including the Maldives, Ningaloo Reef and the Cook Islands.
“I really feel a commitment to show others the great beauty of creatures hidden from most beneath the oceans," Brodie said.
"The vibrant colours must be captured in the moment to feel the real power of the situation. That is what I am trying to do… not only developing my own passion, but allowing a passion to grow in others.
"The oceans, environment and all the creatures within it need to be on view, and people educated to really understand its environmental importance.”
Brodie’s passion glistens in his eyes as he speaks: “In some respects I am telling a story through my experiences and my photographs and trying to convey that to my viewers.”
Grey nurse shark and leopard shark by Brodie Whalan.
The world Brodie examines is not a simple one.
“The weather needs to be right for the images I am trying to collect," he says. "It may happen in any conditions, and I am prepared to take risks for the images sometimes. Zero wind can help with lighting as the sun’s rays penetrate the water. So it can take hours each day to collect the shots I am aiming for.”
Brodie admits there are dangers involved, especially when diving to great depths. “Though I have never been scared of diving to depths and I am very calm and collected by nature, I have had a couple of very uncomfortable occasions.
“Once I did lose power of my legs and arms and eventually my faculties, when diving at depth, but my dive buddies are capable and the experience is one I learned from.”
The greater the depth Brodie dives, the greater the diminishing of the light. “I have special cameras housed in an underwater case with moveable lights to focus in various directions in an attempt to capture the beauty of my subject from the best angles and the best light. But I am also mindful of the special needs of my subjects. I want the opposite reaction to enable the best of images. I want them to feel comfortable.”
Avaavaroa Passage on the southern coast of Rarotonga, and a wobbegong shark by Brodie Whalan
In the Maldives, with whale sharks as their photographic ‘prey’, Brodie and his crew begin at 5pm with briefings for the crew.
“Sometimes we leave at midnight if a whale shark is spotted and gear up and pack the boat. Every day is different. Sometimes I want and need softer light, sometimes harsher depending on the creature and the conditions.
“We use no cages for our tiger shark photographs, for example, but we spend countless hours on educating ourselves. How the pectoral fins drop in hunt mode. Every interaction must be carefully considered, ethically sustained.
"All our work must be about conserving these wonderful creatures and ensuring their environment and our interactions remain pristine.”
None of this preparation or travelling is cheap to organise, and gathering others who are trusted and equally passionate about their diving is not easy.
“I need to depend on everybody and all the gear etc. It is important for safety, our longevity in our diving and certainly for our lives.”
When not in the water, Brodie spends four-five hours a night working with the images he has taken, planning for future trips and various opportunities.
“I am well aware that I must keep my commitment to my employer and remain steady and steadfast. It, too, is part of who I am and I am grateful for every opportunity I am given.
"But it is when I am diving, I switch into another place and that feeling is simply amazing. I have no ‘head noise’ or anxiety and I am simply content to be underwater. When I am filming and diving, I am just me with my environment and one with my beautiful creatures. It really is my ideal place to be.”
Brodie says he produces most photography for himself and his own artistic pursuits (a bevy of fans surrounding him at the recent Bulli Markets belies this modesty) but he also admits the projects he completes for the Australian Geographic magazine have other parameters.
Brodie is hoping to continue to travel far to Norway and photograph orcas, and to French Polynesia and Tonga for humpback whales. It will be a lifelong pursuit of beauty on his part in a world most of us never experience.
Follow @oceanbrodie to view the many beautiful images of underwater creatures and corals by Brodie Whalan.
