FBRETT SEYMOUR
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Photographer
Brett Seymour is the staff photographer and dive safety officer for the National Park Service (NPS) Submerged Resources Center (SRC) based in Santa Fe, New Mexico (www.nps.gov/sumberged). A graduate of Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania with a degree in Television and Film Production, Brett started working as a full time underwater photographer in 1994. His work with the SRC has provided underwater access to our nations most captivating national parks. In addition to creating thousands of images of submerged park areas available to the public he is responsible for documenting historically significant underwater sites around the world.

The highlight of Brett’s portfolio has been working on the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor since 1998 creating images of the national icon for the public. For the past 8 years, Brett has spent hundreds of hours underwater on the Arizona that was sunk during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Honored as one of this nations most significant memorial, the Arizona still entombs 1177 men and is closed to all diving outside of the Arizona Memorial dive team and the SRC. A detailed synopsis of the NPS SRC work as well as a glimpse into the daily operations of a research project on the battleship can be found at http://www.pastfoundation.org/Arizona/.

In the summer of 2000 Brett was the project photographer for the H.L. Hunley recovery off Charleston, South Carolina. His responsibilities included underwater and topside documentation of the recovery effort for the NPS, Friends of the Hunley and National Geographic. During the course of the 5-month field project, Brett could count on one hand the number of days visibility was sufficient to image the first successful submarine in maritime history that sank in 1864.

Although his primary responsibility is shooting NPS underwater archeology projects throughout the nation, his still photography has appeared in a wide variety of national and international publications including National Geographic, Rodale’s Scuba Diving, and Smithsonian Magazine. He has also worked with National Geographic, the History and Discovery Channels, Touchstone Pictures and PBS to capture the underwater world for television and film.

In 2005, Brett made the transition from open circuit to a closed circuit Evolution rebreather for both technical mixed gas operations as well as shallower assignments for the National Park Service. The concept of a single dive system while working in the diversity of depths and conditions throughout the NPS system has provided increased safety and proved a tremendous asset.

Brett has been a dedicated Aquatica & Nikon user for his entire NPS career. Like most professional photographers, he has embraced the world of digital photography and no longer limits his exposures to 36frames per housing. Currently his primary camera system is a D100 with Sea & Sea YS90Duo dual strobes on TLC arms. His workhorse lenses are the 10mm fisheye for low visibility work and a 16mm fisheye to capture the expanse of submerged sites. For his underwater cinematography, Brett has depended on Amphibico housings for over a decade. Currently, he shoots with the Phenom housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 HDV camera and dual Halcyon Apollo 50 watt HID lights.

When he in not on travel with the Submerged Resources Center, he lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife Elizabeth, son Cameron and chocolate lab, Reef.


Contact

Brett Seymour
US National Park Service
Submerged Resources Center
Santa Fe, NM
brett_seymour@nps.gov
www.nps.gov/submerged

btseymour@comcast.net
www.brettseymourphotography.com
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