Ernest H. Brooks II

Ambassador of the marine environment, adventurer, diver and educator, Ernest H. Brooks II was born to be a photographer. As the son of Ernest H. Brooks, founder of the internationally renowned Brooks Institute of Photography, Ernie Brooks was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps for part of his life’s journey before forging his own path.

As a noted professional photographer, Brooks won international acclaim for underwater photography and, in his pursuit of dramatic marine images, descended into the treacherous waters beneath the polar ice caps and into the depths of every ocean on Earth. As a trailblazer in the development of underwater photographic equipment and technique, Brooks witnessed great industry advances, and though he harnessed and implemented much of that new technology, at a time when a plethora of color underwater photographs illustrated magazines and glossy brochures, he, perhaps surprisingly, always favored black and white.

His photographic legacy is the evidence that illustrates the dramatic changes in our oceans, and he himself was a tremendous voice for oceanic exploration, and through that, the preservation of our marine environment.

Exclusively for The Sea, Ernest Brooks chose a series of images which we present in a special format. A unique chance to acquire an original print by this exceptional artist, whose limited editions reach prices of several thousand dollars among art collectors. Yet what fascinates far more is the artistic quality and the history that resonate in Ernest Brooks’ images.