Brian Skerry
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Brian Skerry (born September 27, 1961) is a photographer and photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998 he has been a contributing photographer for
National Geographic Magazine ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
. In 2014 he was named a National Geographic Photography Fellow. Skerry is a Founding Fellow of the
International League of Conservation Photographers International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
, the Explorer-In-Residence at the New England Aquarium and in 2015 he was named a
Nikon (, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging products. The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group. Nikon's products include cameras, camera ...
Ambassador (United States).


Early life and education

Skerry was born in
Milford, Massachusetts Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,379 according to the 2020 census. First settled in 1662 and incorporated in 1780, Milford became a booming industrial and quarrying community in the 19th c ...
in 1961, and grew up in
Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxbrid ...
. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in media and communications from
Worcester State College Worcester State University (WSU) is a public university in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1874 and enrolls nearly 5,500 undergraduates and over 900 graduate students. History Founded in 1874 as the Massachusetts State Normal Sch ...
in 1984. Before becoming a professional photographer, he worked selling corrugated materials and pursued photography on the side. After studying at
Quinsigamond Community College Quinsigamond Community College ()(''colloquialism, colloq:'' QCC, Quinsig) is a Public college, public Community colleges in the United States, community college in Worcester, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of over 7,000 students. Many stud ...
, where he earned an associate degree in Liberal Arts, he went on to
Worcester State University Worcester State University (WSU) is a public university in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1874 and enrolls nearly 5,500 undergraduates and over 900 graduate students. History Founded in 1874 as the Massachusetts State Normal Sch ...
earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications Media.


Career

Skerry worked (unpaid) on a diving charter boat based on the coast of
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
from 1982 - 1992, taking divers out to explore New England
shipwrecks A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...
. His early photography focused on marine life and shipwrecks. His first published photograph was in 1984 in
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
newspaper, an image of a shipwreck in
Boston Harbor Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States. History Since ...
. During the 1990s he published photos and wrote stories for a variety of scuba diving magazines. His first book was published in 1995, ''Complete Wreck Diving'' (with co-author Henry Keatts). In 1996 he was the first to photograph a living
Oarfish Oarfish are huge, greatly elongated, pelagic lampriform fish belonging to the small family Regalecidae. Found in areas spanning from temperate ocean zones to tropical ones, yet rarely seen, the oarfish family contains three species in two gene ...
, an animal that inspired sea serpent legends. In 1998 Skerry received his first assignment for National Geographic Magazine. He has published 23 feature stories in National Geographic Magazine and contributed to 4 additional stories. The subjects of his stories have included species such as harp seals, squid, right whales, leatherback sea turtles, bluefin tuna, dolphins and coral reefs. Other stories have featured locations such as the Southern Line Islands, Ireland, New Zealand marine reserves, the
Phoenix Islands The Phoenix Islands, or Rawaki, are a group of eight atolls and two submerged coral reefs that lie east of the Gilbert Islands and west of the Line Islands in the central Pacific Ocean, north of Samoa. They are part of the Kiribati, Republic ...
, Japan and the Mesoamerican Reef. In 2016 National Geographic published three consecutive stories photographed by Skerry about sharks (June 2016 – Tiger sharks, July – Great White sharks, August – Oceanic Whitetip sharks). While on assignment for National Geographic on September 1, 2016, he photographed U.S. President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
snorkeling in the waters off
Midway Atoll Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
in the Pacific Ocean, which lies within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. In 2012 Skerry partnered with the
Conservation Law Foundation Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) is an environmental advocacy organization based in New England. Since 1966, CLF's mission has been to advocate for New England's environment and its communities. CLF's advocacy work takes place across five integr ...
in Boston to create The New England Ocean Odyssey. The NEOO's mission is to share stories and about marine wildlife and ecosystems in New England waters through the ongoing production of still photographs and video. Skerry lectures on issues of photography, ocean conservation and exploration, having presented at venues including The World Economic Forum in
Davos , neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Bergün/Bravuogn, Klosters-Serneus, Langwies, S-chanf, Susch , twintowns = } Davos (, ; or ; rm, ; archaic it, Tavate) is an Alpine resort town and a municipality in the Prättigau/Davos R ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
,
TED Talks TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
, The National Press Club in Washington, DC, The Royal Geographical Society in London and the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
in Australia. He's been a guest on several television programs including as NBC's ''TODAY Show'' and CBS's ''This Morning'' and is a frequent guest on radio shows and podcasts.


Exhibits and awards

Skerry has had photographic exhibits at the photo festival Visa Pour l’Image in Perpignan, France and at the
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...
in Washington, DC. He is a 10-time award winner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition (London). He has also won awards from Pictures of the Year International, Nature's Best, Communication Arts and in 2012 received the
Peter Benchley Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author, screenwriter, and ocean activist. He is known for his bestselling novel '' Jaws'' and co-wrote its film adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works ...
Award for Excellence in Media. In 2012 Skerry received The Emerald Award from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science in Sydney Australia. In 2010 National Geographic Magazine named one of his images among their 50 Greatest Photographs Of All Time.


Books

* * * * * * * * * * Skerry, Brian (2017). "Shark" National Geographic * Skerry, Brian (2018) "The Ultimate Book of Sharks" National Geographic Kids Books * Skerry, Brian (2021) "Secrets of the Whales" Nationa
Geographic


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skerry, Brian People from Uxbridge, Massachusetts American photojournalists American underwater divers Underwater photographers Artists from Massachusetts Living people Worcester State University alumni 1961 births People from Milford, Massachusetts National Geographic photographers