Ocean Photographer of the Year
2024 Conservation & Impact – 2nd place
Oceanographic magazine
❗❗ WARNING ❗❗ DISTRESSING IMAGE ❗❗ WARNING ❗❗ DISTRESSING IMAGE ❗❗
A story about a gannets life on the wild edge
Reflecting on the most haunting scenes of entanglement
ocean photographer of the year – 2024 finalist & Second Place – Conservation (Impact) category
This moment is seared in my mind.
I whispered to the gannet: ‘I’m so sorry we did this, I’m going to make your life count dear one, you didn’t die in vain.’
Sadly, discovering a gannet entangled in ghost fishing nets is something I have seen before. However, I have never witnessed anything quite like this moment. Moreover, nothing prepares you for the overwhelming sense of powerlessness when you realise you can’t do anything to help this bird. Witnessing this at Noss Island was a devastating sight, and it served as a stark reminder of the grave threats posed by plastic pollution to marine wildlife. These nets, lost or discarded by fishing vessels, drift through the ocean or lie abandoned on shorelines, becoming deadly traps for countless sea creatures.
Gannets, in particular, become vulnerable because they often use materials they find in and around their habitats to build their nests, unknowingly selecting ghost nets. This choice turns their nests into potential death traps, endangering both the adults and their chicks.
In a split second, the polarity of emotions gripped me as my excitement and anticipation for why we went on the water to snorkel with diving gannets gave way to gut-wrenching pain and rising anger at the harm humans inflict on nature. I will never forget this feeling.
I can’t overstate enough how much this moment moved something inside of me.
A feeling of physical pain above my heart. A rupturing, ‘what have we done’ I muttered under my breath. The swell was up and the boat rolling, making it hard to capture this distressing scene. The gannet was spiralling around and swaying on the rope and I knew I needed to capture its profile to really narrate this horror. The boat started to move away and I whispered to the gannet ‘I’m so sorry we did this. I’m going to make your life count dear one, you didn’t die in vain.’
A single image can replace an ocean of words, leaving an indelible mark on our soul.
The impact of plastic pollution is in utterly devastating plain view. Not only is it threatening the immediate health and survival of these majestic birds but it is also jeopardising their breeding success and the overall vitality of their populations. Witnessing this gannet, part skeletal, part feathered, suspended from the material used for its nesting saw so many emotions rising in me. Anger, grief, a powerlessness at the scale of the problem.
“In 2019, the scientists in the British Ornithologists’ Union studied 7280 gannet nests across 29 colonies, and found 46% contained plastic. A gannet colony on the island of Alderney was found by the Wildlife Trust to contain plastic in almost every single nest. Most of this is in the form of fishing gear lost or abandoned at sea.” Source – British Library. It is all too clear to see how vast the problem is, even in this small section of humungous cliffs, their nests look almost entirely formed of plastic. Not only do they suffer from the impact of entanglement but they also end up ingesting the plastic, which can impact on the birds overall health, life expectancy and reproduction, filling their stomachs with plastic, releasing toxins and taking up space that should be filled with nutritious food.
This might be the most important image I’ve ever shot. A visual cry for help from our oceans, embodied in the story of a single gannet.
The potency of a visual story captures what words fail to express
I made a promise to
the gannet to share
its story.
Stories tap into the deepest parts of our humanity
THEY HELP US UNRAVEL WHAT WE KNOW & CHALLENGE US TO alter our perspective
To keep my promise, I entered…
Ocean Photographer
of the year 2024
I wanted to do something to make the gannets life mean something. To amplify it’s story and this harrowing scream from nature. Telling us that the ocean is facing a human induced emergency.
I subscribed to Oceanographic magazine and got an email with a final call for submissions for Ocean Photographer of the year. With the hanging gannet at the front of my mind, I looked through the categories and saw they had an impact category. I entered the image, with the hope that it would be selected and in doing so, go on to amplify it’s story and nature’s message via this incredible platform.
About the Awards
The Ocean Photographer of the Year is co-presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain. ‘Its a celebration of our beautiful blue planet, as well as a platform to highlight the many plights it is facing.’
‘Ocean photographers of all disciplines and experience levels – amateurs and professionals alike – are invited to submit their most impactful imagery to be judged by a panel of ocean photographers, editors and museum/gallery curators.’
‘A total of 118 ocean images are recognised each year, connecting with millions of people around the world via digital, print and in-person exhibitions.’
The true power of a photo lies not in its ability to replace words, but in its capacity to evoke change
Second place
Ocean Conservation (Impact)
Photographer Of the Year 2024
I am humbled to share the story of this dear gannet has been amplified. As the image was shortlisted as a 2024 finalist within the ‘Ocean Conservation Photographer of the year (Impact)’ category and went on to gain second place in this category.
12 images were shortlisted in this category all powerfully communicating some of the many perils facing the ocean today.
The Ocean Photographer of the Year was announced on 12th September 2024.
I’ve been incredibly emotional since hearing the news that my image has been shortlisted as a finalist and it was incredible to learn the image was selected for second place in the category overall, further amplifying the plight of this gannet. For me, it’s not about the personal accolade or achievement. It’s a promise kept to the gannet. Acknowledging the privilege to be in such an incredible place. Entrusted with the responsibility to share it’s story.
This image captures more than a moment; it tells a story. A story I hope will resonate with everyone who sees it, especially those who have the power to drive change.
The visceral response it evokes is disruptive, shaking us to our core. Our ocean needs urgent action. Plastic pollution is choking our marine life. This image is a call to wake up and tackle this crisis head-on.
My soul’s calling is to amplify nature’s messages & messengers
About me & ocean photography…
The wild edge is mesmerising, where land meets sea, capturing the magic within arm’s reach of the surface. Snorkelling in these liminal spaces, I’m connecting people to the nature on their doorstep. Revealing the beauty and fragility of our blue planet. My soul’s calling is to amplify nature’s messages and messengers by harnessing the transformative power of storytelling. Story is remarkable. Unravelling what we know, sparking individual awakening, fuelling enchantment with the interconnectedness of all life. Amplifying collective action for positive change. Igniting this ripple effect through sharing stories of the sea is my mission.
I am a coastliner, born by the sea in Ramsgate, Kent, in the south of the UK. At 14, I took my first job developing film in a newsagent, which cut my teeth on the basics and sparked a passion for chasing sunsets on my bike. Although I was landlocked while pursuing my degree in geography at the University of Sheffield, I quickly returned to the coast. My first graduate payslip went toward my first dSLR. I built my business while lecturing, capturing love stories for the first decade. Then evolved organically into a radically authentic visual storyteller for conscious brands.
from landlocked to taking to the sea
Unlocking new horizons…
I have suffered from severe motion sickness all my life, and as much as I love the sea, I couldn’t travel on the water without feeling terrible.
A life changing moment happened in more than one way, when I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021. This diagnosis not only explained my whole life to me, then my ADHD meds cured my lifelong motion sickness! Levelling out how my brain processes what the vestibular system is feeling and visual system is seeing and thus the nauseating sensation doesn’t exist because now it is synced up.
It has been utterly remarkable to get on boats, at all! Challenging heinous seas, no anti-sickness meds, just my ADHD meds and I’m totally fine.
Unlocking horizons I never thought I’d be able to experience. Meeting my wild edge, allows me to spend more time in the liminal spaces that I love so much.
I am exploring my absolute fascination, the ocean, in a way that I never thought would be possible for me. Now one of the most physically disabling parts of ADHD is managed by the meds.
I know it is a privilege as a woman to not only be diagnosed, but also medicated however this absolutely emboldens me to embrace this access I now have to get into nature. Capturing its beauty, fragility and when confronted by them, sharing stories like the devastating one of the hanging gannet.
I never thought I’d be able to be on and in the sea. My diagnosis inadvertently rewilded my connection to nature. Allowing me to harness the power of storytelling in a space I am so deeply passionate about.
The story behind the making of the image
Snorkelling with diving gannets – fine art print collection
Snorkelling with diving gannets
The curated collection
The Snorkelling with Diving Gannet Collection is a lovingly curated collection of images. Meticulously crafted to celebrate the awe-inspiring beauty and power of these remarkable seabirds.
Each print is produced bespoke in the UK at a pioneering carbon-negative lab, ensuring both exceptional quality and environmental responsibility.
The thrill of witnessing these creatures in their element, their unrelenting focus and seamless synchronicity, is a humbling reminder of the wild edges. Where life’s most extraordinary stories unfold.
This collection is a tribute to breathtaking liminality, capturing the alchemy of the moment, honouring the essence of nature’s untamed spirit.
Oceanographic Magazine Issue 39
It’s an incredible privilege to have my images featured in the special edition Oceanographic Magazine celebrating the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024.
Issue 39 is a stunning collection of photographs that showcase the beauty, resilience, and vulnerability of our oceans. Being part of a publication that champions marine conservation and connects people with the wonders of the underwater world is profoundly meaningful to me. Sharing space with such talented photographers in this iconic magazine is a moment I’ll always cherish.
Ocean Photographer of the Year Coffee Table Book
It’s exciting to announce that all the images from this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year competition, including mine, will be featured in the stunning 2024 Coffee Table Book.
This beautifully designed collection brings together the winning and shortlisted images, celebrating the ocean’s beauty, power, and vulnerability. Having my work included in such an extraordinary publication is a true privilege, and I hope it inspires readers to connect with and protect our blue planet.
see the ocean photographer of the year
Global exhibitions
These exhibition brings together 118 breathtaking images that tell vital stories of our oceans’ beauty, fragility, and resilience. To have my work stand alongside such remarkable photographers, all united by a passion for marine conservation, is truly humbling.
It’s a privilege to contribute to this celebration of our seas and to be part of a movement that inspires awe, reflection, and action to protect the planet we call home.
Ways we can work together.
I’m a radically authentic visual storyteller, working with nature connected visionaries, changemakers and conscious brands.
You can book me for photography, speaking and writing. Drop me an email with more information about your project and we can book some time in to chat.
