Maurine Shimlock & Burt Jones

About the photographers

From the beginning of our careers we did not rely on technology; we always selected our subjects based on our love for the sea. Our intense involvement with the marine world led to the idea that quality images somehow should reveal the relationships between the animals that lived there. Now, exploring the web of tropical reef life has become our passion and has led us to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all ecosystems, terrestrial and marine.

Tropical reefs burst with life and sometimes the overall view can be overwhelming, so we search for patterns, aberrations, and macro relationships that otherwise would not be noticed but can be revealed through the art of photography. Even when documenting new species for science, our goal is to create artistic images that evoke a sense of awe and wonder. We believe that by photographing the »art in the animal«, perhaps a small seed is planted which fosters a greater feeling of connection between our audience and the sea.

"Secret Sea", a collection of our images, was designed to progressively take the viewer inside the intricate patterns of life in the sea. Through our work we have also always wanted to depict the pleasure and freedom of diving. This has been a difficult challenge: to successfully portray an activity that takes place in three dimensions in a two dimensional medium. Almost automatically now, before we click the shutter, we think about how we can use lighting, framing and our canvas or negative space to create a sense of movement within the image. Thus, even for the brief moments viewers focus on our images, they too become part of our dream and experience the joy of life on a tropical reef.