David Doubilet

For more than half his life David Doubilet has spent his days underwater. Doubilet took his first underwater photograph off the Jersey Shore when he was 12 years old, using a Brownie Hawkeye camera sealed in a rubber bag. Searching for brighter colors and more varied marine life than the continental U.S. could offer, Doubilet set his sights on the third largest barrier reef in the world, set off the coast of Andros Island in the Bahamas. There he spent his summers leading dives and photographing marine life. Doubilet shot his first story for National Geographic as a junior at Boston University in 1969.

Arguably the leading underwater photographer in the world, Doubilet has shot over 60 stories for National Geographic. Exploring remote atolls, barrier reefs, and exotic marine life, Doubilet has introduced generations to a largely hidden world. Prized as much for their scientific value as their aesthetic beauty, his photographs are celebrated worldwide. Honors include the prestigious Sara Prize (1969); the Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award (2000); and the Lennart Nilsson Award (2001). He is a member of the International Diving Hall of Fame in the Cayman Islands and an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society of London.

In 2001 Doubilet was named a National Geographic Society contributing photographer-in-residence. This program was created to showcase and support the work of some of the world’s preeminent photojournalists. Fieldwork conducted by Doubilet during his residency will be supported by and conducted under the banner of the Society.