Imagine diving miles offshore, at night, to look for tiny sea monsters. That is Jeff’s typical Friday night, and it is called blackwater diving. Jeff is a pioneer in blackwater photography and loves sharing what he has learned about this enigmatic habitat with guests. His imaging successes often feature strange larval fishes and exotic squids, but you never know what he is going to find next.
It is this unknown factor, the sense of exploration, which drives much of his photography. Jeff started shooting underwater when he realized that his biology degree would allow him to document places that very few others would get to see. He has since splashed in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, met with the locals of Papua New Guinea, and even recently visited the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument-a huge area so remote that most people have never heard of it!
So if you are traveling near his home in Kona, Hawaii, it might be worthwhile to reach out. Jeff is often happy to take a break from shooting tiger sharks, dolphins, mantas, or blackwater to show you how to get the most out of your camera, or take you for a peek into the nightlife of the middle of the ocean.
Awards + Achievements
- Underwater Photography Guide: 2018: 1st Place Macro Category
- World Shootout Underwater Photo Grand Prix. 2017: 1st Place Portfolio.
- Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year 2016-2017-Small Exotic Animal Honorable Mention
- Beneath the Sea 2017: Honorable Mention Macro Category
- Underwater Photographer of the Year London 2017: Highly Commended Portrait Category
- World Shootout Underwater Photo Grand Prix. 2016: 1st Place Nationals Competition Team USA
- Underwater Photography Guide: Ocean Art Underwater 2016: Honorable Mention Portrait Category
- Smithsonian Institute: Nature’s Best Photography Magazine and Alert Diver’s Ocean Views Contest 2016: 8th Place
- Our World Underwater 2016: Gold Macro Unrestricted
- Beneath the Sea International Imaging Competition 2016: 3rd Place Macro
- Underwater Photography Guide: Ocean Art Underwater 2016 Photo Contest: Best in Show, 1st Place Macro Category.
- Smithsonian Institute: Nature’s Best Photography Magazine and Alert Diver’s Ocean Views Contest 2015: Highly Honored.
- Wetpixel and Dive Photo Guide: Our World Underwater 2015: Honorable Mention Macro Unrestricted.
- Underwater Photography Guide: Ocean Art Underwater 2014 Photo Contest: 1st Place Macro Category.
- Alert Diver. “Remote and Wild: Exploring the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.” In press, feature article.
- Pacific Science. “Nocturnal census of pelagic fauna.” Cover. October, 2018.
- Sportfishing Magazine. “Making Babies.” Pg. 102-206. December, 2017.
- Bluewater Magazine. “Face-to-face with a swordfish at night.” Pg. 17. July 2017.
- Website: Scientific American. “The Strange World of Nighttime Open-Ocean Diving: Underwater photographer Jeff Milisen swims with animals that most people never get to see.” March 14, 2017.
