Photographer and conservationist Bryant Austin had long searched for an impactful way to inspire change in whaling nations. For many years, he searched for a way to photograph whales in the wild that would capture their awe inspiring beauty, grace and intelligence. A chance encounter with a humpback calf and mother finally opened Austin's eyes and helped him to develop a novel way of producing high resolution, life size photography of these astounding creatures.
Spending weeks with groups of whales off Tonga, Dominica, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Austin immerses himself in the water for many hours each day, waiting patiently for whales to approach him. He remains motionless, allowing humpback, sperm and minke whales that are sometimes 100 feet in length and weigh as much as 55 tons to come within ten feet of him. This allows him to create detailed, intimate portraits of his subjects.
Austin's first book, Beautiful Whale presents remarkable close ups of whales, including a special focus on their eyes, as well as full body portraits created by compiling hundreds of images. The book includes a foreword by oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle.