Who is Heather Perry?

History and Portfolio

The History:

In 1991, Heather spent three months studying coral reef ecology on the island of South Caicos, and decided that she had to spend the rest of her life exploring the sea. Since then she has made over 1000 dives around the world, always with a camera in her hands. She became a SCUBA instructor in 1995, and has logged many hours at sea in boats of all kinds.

Beginning with her work in the Undersea Expedition with Brooks' Institute of Photography and combined with a degree in marine biology, Heather is builing a repertoire as an undersea photojournalist. To date, her images have appeared in magazines such as Dive International, Skin Diver, and Ocean Navigator. Currently, she uses her images from beneath the waves in an educational series entitled "The Undersea Experience". The slide talk presentations have intrigued students from elementary schools to the collegiate level, as well as those in adult education courses throughout New England. (Image at top left © Bill Curtsinger 1999. All Rights Reserved.)

In her travels through the world's oceans, Heather has encountered exotic species in many premier dive sites, including Micronesia, the Red Sea, the Galapagos islands, California's Kelp Forest and numerous spots throughout the Caribbean. Her work in marine sciences has encompassed research projects from the tropics to the mudflats of Maine, as well as a Sea Turtle rehabilitation program at Sea World of Florida. Her diverse background in marine studies has evolved into an acute sensitivity to species behavior in the wild.

Most recently Heather has focused her attention in and around the waters of her home state of Maine. Here, she is currently working on several stories from above and below the Gulf's surface. Her projects include issues surrounding some of Maine's fisheries, Maine's fishing culture, as well as some inland pieces, such as Water Dogs in the Lakes of Maine, and Maine's Blue Grass culture. When she's not out in the field, Heather works and writes in her new home office in Bath.

The Details:

Experience:

• Heather Perry Photography, freelance editorial photography, Bath, ME
• Photographic Assistant, Bill Curtsinger Photography, Yarmouth, ME
• Stringer for the Times Record Newspaper, Brunswick, ME
• Aquarium Consultant , Norwalk Maritime Center, Norwalk, CT
• Aquarist, Sea World of Florida
• Scientific Diver , The Living Seas Pavilion, EPCOT Center

  Academic Background:

• Brooks' Institute of Photography - Undersea photography expedition, Channel Islands National Park, California
• Colby College - B.A. in Biology with emphasis on Marine Biology
• School for Field Studies - Tropical Marine Resource Management Program. , South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands.

  Diving Experience:

• P.A.D.I. Open Water SCUBA Instructor and Specialty Instructor
• Over 1000 open water SCUBA dives
• Catalog of sites:
  • Belize
  • British Virgin Islands
  • California
  • Channel Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Florida Keys
  • Galapagos Islands
  • Grand Manan
  • Canada (Bay of Fundy)
  • Gulf of Maine
  • Hawaii
  • Micronesia
  • Red Sea
  • Republic of Palau
  • Turks and Caicos Islands

Credit List:
(as of January 2000)

• Ocean Navigator - American Yacht Review 1999 - "Mickey Finn"
• Skin Diver - September 1999 - "Go It Alone"
• Dive International - April 1999 - "Altered Images"
• The Brunswick Times Record - Contributing Photographer - 1999-Present

References:

• Bill Curtsinger, National Geographic and Freelance Photographer - bcphoto@maine.rr.com
• Mauricio Handler, Freelance Underwater Photographer - mauricio@handlerphoto.com