Ernest Brooks II, one of America's true pioneering underwater photographers, passed away from heart failure on November 17, 2020. He was 85.
Photography was in his blood as the son of the man who created the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California and the grandson of a Portuguese woman who was a professional portrait photographer.
Known throughout the international diving industry simply as "Ernie," his career accomplishments and contributions encompassed underwater photography, education, environmental advocacy, mentorship, philanthropy, ocean conservation, all of which were combined in his role as an ambassador for the oceans.
Ernie's love of photography came from his mother, his uncle, and his grandmother, who emigrated to America from the Azores. All three were professional photographers. His father, Ernest Brooks, Sr. loved both photography and the sea, and in 1945 founded Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, and started its underwater photography department in 1956. Reflecting on the origins of his career, Ernie noted, "I was destined to spend my life doing what was meant to be,"
He recently recalled that his first steps in a career that spanned seven decades were taken at an early age. He started diving in 1949, making his first underwater camera housing from aluminum, but the early beginnings of his professional photographic career would take him up, not down.
At 18 years of age, during the tensions of the Cold War, he started a tour of duty with the USAF, flying in the high altitude U2 spy plane. "I was very good at figuring out optics. We were using a lot of infrared cameras, and actually I designed the film," he recalled. By the age of 20 he had flown over 70 different countries.
Ernie left the Air Force at age 22 and immediately worked with Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, training a group of divers who were the photographic team aboard Cousteau's research vessel, Calypso. Ernie stayed involved with Cousteau for 17 years, while at the same time working with his father at the Brooks Institute of Photography, which he graduated from in 1962.
In 1971, Ernie became the Brooks Institute's President, elevating the institution to a four-year, university-level school. He introduced audio-visual, undersea technology, physics, and optics componentry programs, and added corresponding graduate degrees. He also continued to develop the underwater photography curriculum at the Institute. His boat, Just Love, acted as a floating studio and darkroom, as it plied the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, rewarding both students and masters with images that would define their careers.
In 2013, the Santa Barbara Underwater Film Festival and the Historical Diving Society USA organized a Tribute Festival to Ernie, in recognition of his pioneering career accomplishments.
His career was recognized by an array of awards from both the diving and photography industries, including the Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences NOGI Award, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association Reaching Out Award, New York's Beneath The Sea Legend of the Sea Award, induction into The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in Grand Cayman.
Brooks not only graduated from his father's institute and studied with Hans Haas, a pioneer of underwater documentaries, but he established the school's underwater photography courses and was one of its champions during difficult financial times.
As a pilot with the U.S. Air Force as a young man, Brooks flew across the world, meeting Jacques Cousteau in Africa where his boat the Calypso was being built. They worked together for 17 years, traveling the world as Brooks trained his photographers.
Published in The Santa Barbara Independent, November 17, 2020
Photography was in his blood as the son of the man who created the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California and the grandson of a Portuguese woman who was a professional portrait photographer.
Known throughout the international diving industry simply as "Ernie," his career accomplishments and contributions encompassed underwater photography, education, environmental advocacy, mentorship, philanthropy, ocean conservation, all of which were combined in his role as an ambassador for the oceans.
Ernie's love of photography came from his mother, his uncle, and his grandmother, who emigrated to America from the Azores. All three were professional photographers. His father, Ernest Brooks, Sr. loved both photography and the sea, and in 1945 founded Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, and started its underwater photography department in 1956. Reflecting on the origins of his career, Ernie noted, "I was destined to spend my life doing what was meant to be,"
He recently recalled that his first steps in a career that spanned seven decades were taken at an early age. He started diving in 1949, making his first underwater camera housing from aluminum, but the early beginnings of his professional photographic career would take him up, not down.
At 18 years of age, during the tensions of the Cold War, he started a tour of duty with the USAF, flying in the high altitude U2 spy plane. "I was very good at figuring out optics. We were using a lot of infrared cameras, and actually I designed the film," he recalled. By the age of 20 he had flown over 70 different countries.
Ernie left the Air Force at age 22 and immediately worked with Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, training a group of divers who were the photographic team aboard Cousteau's research vessel, Calypso. Ernie stayed involved with Cousteau for 17 years, while at the same time working with his father at the Brooks Institute of Photography, which he graduated from in 1962.
In 1971, Ernie became the Brooks Institute's President, elevating the institution to a four-year, university-level school. He introduced audio-visual, undersea technology, physics, and optics componentry programs, and added corresponding graduate degrees. He also continued to develop the underwater photography curriculum at the Institute. His boat, Just Love, acted as a floating studio and darkroom, as it plied the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, rewarding both students and masters with images that would define their careers.
In 2013, the Santa Barbara Underwater Film Festival and the Historical Diving Society USA organized a Tribute Festival to Ernie, in recognition of his pioneering career accomplishments.
His career was recognized by an array of awards from both the diving and photography industries, including the Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences NOGI Award, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association Reaching Out Award, New York's Beneath The Sea Legend of the Sea Award, induction into The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in Grand Cayman.
Brooks not only graduated from his father's institute and studied with Hans Haas, a pioneer of underwater documentaries, but he established the school's underwater photography courses and was one of its champions during difficult financial times.
As a pilot with the U.S. Air Force as a young man, Brooks flew across the world, meeting Jacques Cousteau in Africa where his boat the Calypso was being built. They worked together for 17 years, traveling the world as Brooks trained his photographers.
Published in The Santa Barbara Independent, November 17, 2020
Ernest Brooks II, one of America's true pioneering underwater photographers, passed away from heart failure on November 17, 2020. He was 85.
Photography was in his blood as the son of the man who created the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California and the grandson of a Portuguese woman who was a professional portrait photographer.
Known throughout the international diving industry simply as "Ernie," his career accomplishments and contributions encompassed underwater photography, education, environmental advocacy, mentorship, philanthropy, ocean conservation, all of which were combined in his role as an ambassador for the oceans.
Ernie's love of photography came from his mother, his uncle, and his grandmother, who emigrated to America from the Azores. All three were professional photographers. His father, Ernest Brooks, Sr. loved both photography and the sea, and in 1945 founded Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, and started its underwater photography department in 1956. Reflecting on the origins of his career, Ernie noted, "I was destined to spend my life doing what was meant to be,"
He recently recalled that his first steps in a career that spanned seven decades were taken at an early age. He started diving in 1949, making his first underwater camera housing from aluminum, but the early beginnings of his professional photographic career would take him up, not down.
At 18 years of age, during the tensions of the Cold War, he started a tour of duty with the USAF, flying in the high altitude U2 spy plane. "I was very good at figuring out optics. We were using a lot of infrared cameras, and actually I designed the film," he recalled. By the age of 20 he had flown over 70 different countries.
Ernie left the Air Force at age 22 and immediately worked with Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, training a group of divers who were the photographic team aboard Cousteau's research vessel, Calypso. Ernie stayed involved with Cousteau for 17 years, while at the same time working with his father at the Brooks Institute of Photography, which he graduated from in 1962.
In 1971, Ernie became the Brooks Institute's President, elevating the institution to a four-year, university-level school. He introduced audio-visual, undersea technology, physics, and optics componentry programs, and added corresponding graduate degrees. He also continued to develop the underwater photography curriculum at the Institute. His boat, Just Love, acted as a floating studio and darkroom, as it plied the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, rewarding both students and masters with images that would define their careers.
In 2013, the Santa Barbara Underwater Film Festival and the Historical Diving Society USA organized a Tribute Festival to Ernie, in recognition of his pioneering career accomplishments.
His career was recognized by an array of awards from both the diving and photography industries, including the Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences NOGI Award, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association Reaching Out Award, New York's Beneath The Sea Legend of the Sea Award, induction into The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in Grand Cayman.
Brooks not only graduated from his father's institute and studied with Hans Haas, a pioneer of underwater documentaries, but he established the school's underwater photography courses and was one of its champions during difficult financial times.
As a pilot with the U.S. Air Force as a young man, Brooks flew across the world, meeting Jacques Cousteau in Africa where his boat the Calypso was being built. They worked together for 17 years, traveling the world as Brooks trained his photographers.
Published in The Santa Barbara Independent, November 17, 2020
Photography was in his blood as the son of the man who created the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California and the grandson of a Portuguese woman who was a professional portrait photographer.
Known throughout the international diving industry simply as "Ernie," his career accomplishments and contributions encompassed underwater photography, education, environmental advocacy, mentorship, philanthropy, ocean conservation, all of which were combined in his role as an ambassador for the oceans.
Ernie's love of photography came from his mother, his uncle, and his grandmother, who emigrated to America from the Azores. All three were professional photographers. His father, Ernest Brooks, Sr. loved both photography and the sea, and in 1945 founded Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, and started its underwater photography department in 1956. Reflecting on the origins of his career, Ernie noted, "I was destined to spend my life doing what was meant to be,"
He recently recalled that his first steps in a career that spanned seven decades were taken at an early age. He started diving in 1949, making his first underwater camera housing from aluminum, but the early beginnings of his professional photographic career would take him up, not down.
At 18 years of age, during the tensions of the Cold War, he started a tour of duty with the USAF, flying in the high altitude U2 spy plane. "I was very good at figuring out optics. We were using a lot of infrared cameras, and actually I designed the film," he recalled. By the age of 20 he had flown over 70 different countries.
Ernie left the Air Force at age 22 and immediately worked with Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, training a group of divers who were the photographic team aboard Cousteau's research vessel, Calypso. Ernie stayed involved with Cousteau for 17 years, while at the same time working with his father at the Brooks Institute of Photography, which he graduated from in 1962.
In 1971, Ernie became the Brooks Institute's President, elevating the institution to a four-year, university-level school. He introduced audio-visual, undersea technology, physics, and optics componentry programs, and added corresponding graduate degrees. He also continued to develop the underwater photography curriculum at the Institute. His boat, Just Love, acted as a floating studio and darkroom, as it plied the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, rewarding both students and masters with images that would define their careers.
In 2013, the Santa Barbara Underwater Film Festival and the Historical Diving Society USA organized a Tribute Festival to Ernie, in recognition of his pioneering career accomplishments.
His career was recognized by an array of awards from both the diving and photography industries, including the Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences NOGI Award, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association Reaching Out Award, New York's Beneath The Sea Legend of the Sea Award, induction into The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in Grand Cayman.
Brooks not only graduated from his father's institute and studied with Hans Haas, a pioneer of underwater documentaries, but he established the school's underwater photography courses and was one of its champions during difficult financial times.
As a pilot with the U.S. Air Force as a young man, Brooks flew across the world, meeting Jacques Cousteau in Africa where his boat the Calypso was being built. They worked together for 17 years, traveling the world as Brooks trained his photographers.
Published in The Santa Barbara Independent, November 17, 2020
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