Today we’d like to introduce you to Eryn M Brydon.
Hi Eryn M, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all began with a small point and shoot underwater camera, an innate love for water and when I think about it now…a really crazy dream; a lightbulb idea that I had no idea would lead me to where I am today.
It was 2011 and I was living on the Hawaiian Island, Oahu and working my first job as a “Photographer”. On our ‘dry’ days we worked with the Parrots, posing them with usually exuberant tourists, much to the dislike of our poor feathers friends. I dreamt of releasing them from their daily torment, but of course, I needed to keep my job.
We also had ‘wet’ days where we would be tasked with asking guests if they would like their photographs taken underwater in the pool. These were the days I looked forward to the most. This was fun, exciting and the guests loved it just as much as I did. I thought to myself… how cool would it be to do this as a full-time business?! What do I have to do…
That’s when I remembered Brooks Institute. My mother had wanted me to apply straight out of High School… back in 2004. I knew I wasn’t ready at that time and part of me really regrets waiting those seven years to apply (mainly because I missed the opportunity to learn while film was still a staple and the underwater course at that time was still called the Undersea course and focused a lot more on diving and ocean photography) but here I was anyway circling back and remembering that they had that Underwater Photography course and knowing I had to go back to school and get my BFA.
So back to the mainland I went. I applied, I got accepted and my life changed forever. I took that class and I was hooked. Addicted. Obsessed. I fell deeply in love with the ocean and capturing moments in an aqueous environment thanks to my mentor Ralph Clevenger and the 5day Live-aboard trip we took on the Conception during that class. Mind you I was still pretty terrified of open water at that time. It was still so unknown to me, but those first few photographs I crafted in the ocean were the beginning of something incredible. A spark that would simmer and eventually explode into a raging fire. A call to be consumed by salt water as often as was humanly (and economically) possible.
I dedicated the rest of my time at Brooks to perfecting my craft in confined water environments, like pools around the Santa Barbra and San Francisco areas as I traveled back and forth between the two frequently. But that spark lingered…. and it grew slowly calling me back to the ocean. I started my own Photography business OceanINK Studios and I had come back to Brooks in 2015 to pursue my MFA after having graduated with my BFA in Professional Photography. I took the plunge and got my open-water scuba certification in the spring of the following year. Once again my life would change forever. I finally found a place where I felt…..completely free and unapologetically myself…..
However, most of my practiced photography remained in confined bodies of water. Fast forward to June 2020. We’re in the deepest part of the Pandemic. I hadn’t dived for almost 5 months and the itch was worse than ever. I had met a dive buddy prior, we happened to be diving off a local boat the same day The Conception caught fire, and we bonded over both the immensity of the tragedy we had just learned about as well as the good memories and connections we both shared with the boat. I saw that he was diving during lockdown and I immediately reached out and asked who he was going out with. He told me Sundiver International and I booked the next possible dive I could. This leads me to another incredibly life-changing opportunity that has resulted in where I am today and where I hope my future will lead me.
On that dive, I befriended the captain, Kyaa, and I expressed interest in coming to crew for them. Anything I could do that would get me out on the water and diving I’d be willing to do it. She asked if I knew how to cook, I said absolutely and I was working for them the following weekend.
After having been a crew member for a few months, I got in touch with one of my previous clients, Mermaid Kairi. I had photographed some of her mermaid attendees at an event she was running called ‘Tails and Scales’ back in 2018. I had this crazy idea that we should try building an experience where we take Mermaids out to Catalina on Sundiver Express and I would take their portraits underwater with Catalina’s gorgeous reefs as the backdrop. The water is warm enough in the summertime for swimming and conditions seemed pretty great August-October. Needless to say, she was all in. We ran our beta version that summer and it was a huge success. The Catalina Experience was born. Spots for 2021 sold out almost immediately thanks to Kairi’s exceptional promotion and event-organizing skills. Her talent for teaching others about breath, posing and free-diving safety has also been an invaluable asset to our joint venture in this photographic experience.
Being an artist and a small business owner in LA is a constant battle and usually comes with a few other jobs attached to it, so I also teach Photography full-time and have started moving more into underwater cinematography and camera operation to further support my dream of continued living in California and maintaining my business, OceanINK Studios and the Catalina Experience.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish I could say that it was an easy journey, but like most things that hold a lot of meaning, this journey has been one paved with bumps, hurdles and its fair share of pitfalls. The biggest struggles have always been funding and earning enough revenue to keep my business afloat.
With underwater photography, there is usually a very steep overhead. The equipment is expensive and it needs constant maintenance. A large chunk of what I make from my shoots goes directly back into the overhead of keeping my business running, even though I don’t have a physical studio location. Pool rentals, Boat fees, Liability and Equipment insurance including some other costs related specifically to what I do can make generating a profit difficult while trying to keep an affordable product and experience for my clients.
Photography is experiencing a shift. It was when I was still at Brooks institute and possibly even before then. That shift is becoming much more clear today and what the future of photography as a full-time career might hold. With the uptick of social media, phone cameras, the ease and accessibility to decent photography without a professional and the demand for immediate content I have found it difficult sometimes to keep up as my work relies on a good amount of post-processing and retouching (which takes time and time = money.) There seems to be an increased demand for what we do as photographers yet the compensation for such work and greatly decreased.
I also find it difficult not having a space, like a pool studio of my own, to practice and hone my craft outside of the ocean. This is a goal I am constant striving to work for and manifest into my life and business, but I have not managed the ability to do so yet. I still consider myself to fall within that ‘starving artist’ realm (though I am lucky enough to be able to put food on the table for myself, my cats and my fish almost every night! so not quite starving.)
Being a right-brained Artist through and through I struggle with the business side of my industry. It would be such a help to be able to afford to hire someone that could help with things that would stimulate the growth and prosperity of OceanINK Studios and the Catalina Experience. Working several different jobs compounds this problem by not offering me a lot of time to really focus on the things that need to be done surrounding the business.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Eryn M. Brydon is a conceptual underwater photographer specializing in commercial and commissioned fine art portraiture and the mind behind The Catalina Experience, an opportunity for stunning underwater portraiture out in the local waters of Santa Catalina Island. A graduate of the late Brooks Institute (2014) she has continued to master her craft both in confined waters as well as the open ocean. A certified diver and educator her passion for both the ocean and the camera found each other a perfect match and OceanINK Studios and a LENS aquatic were born.
There is a certain level of trust that happens when you add the element of water and subtract an element so vital to human survival, breath. Developing that bond of trust with her subjects helps capture moments underwater that reflect and reveal each person’s unique self in a different and exciting way. Water drives the heart of Eryn’s photography. It’s a passion that drives her to create a fun, unique and professional experience that results in an outstanding quality product for her clients.
2020-22 has brought a lot of growth and accomplishment for me in my journey as a photographic artist and visual storyteller. I created the Catalina Experience, which I have talked about previously in this interview and am quite proud to know it is something that I was Abel to craft and create with the help of Mermaid Kairi. I am also immensely proud of the work I did for my Master’s Thesis, where I put together my first solo art show, the Ether Experience. You can see that work on my website here:
http://oceaninkstudios.com/the-ether
My Artist statement for this body of work is as follows;
The Ocean has inspired and captivated my process as an Artist for the last 15 years. A world of Blue, one which most don’t often get to see up close yet supports all life on Earth. Without blue, there would be no green. The art of Cyanotype and the rather modern sport of scuba diving incorporated through underwater photography marry together to bring this work to fruition. The medium, one of the earliest forms of photography, lends itself to speak visually through the eyes of the cool vastness that encompasses 70% of this planet.
Engulfing the viewer in shades of blue and cyan, the large format humbles the viewer as they walk through an ‘forest’ of prints. Utilizing underwater digital captures, I’ve created large format negative inkjet prints brought to life through my own interpretation of the Heart and spirit of the ocean. A sea creature-human hybrid called Y entices the viewer to be led to question the importance of our own connection to aquatic life and thus our own existence.
A portion of the subject matter also speaks to a vital part of our Ocean, Laminariales, or as we better know it, Kelp and marine algae. Unknown to many, it’s responsible for up to 80% of the oxygen we breathe on land. Melding kelp collected from our local waters of Catalina Island and a very common ocean pollutant, plastic, a warning is given that we are suffocating the life force that sustains earth and our existence.
Conservation efforts are most effective when people feel deeply connected to what’s at risk of being lost. When we feel something is a part of us, we’re automatically drawn to defend it. So much of what plights our oceans arises from a lack of understanding in the role the ocean plays for our survival on this planet. We have a stewardship to the sea, the birthplace of all life and this body of work encourages a journey of discovery through an undeniable connection to the human/aquatic spirit.
I believe what really sets me apart from others is my determination and passion for what I do. The messages that I convey through my art impact and inspire others with regard to our oceans. When you book a photo session with me, it’s a total immersion into the underwater world and you’ll take away memories, emotions and an experience that will last you a lifetime, as well as photographs that elicit those feelings that you can cherish forever. The experience is just as special, eliciting magical moments in addition to the finished photographic product you receive.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are a few people which I would not be where I am without their help and support.
Ralph Clevenger of Ralph A. Clevenger Photography & Video
– Introduced me to the world of underwater photography and diving on a professional level. Taught me everything I know and has continued to support me in the pursuit of making underwater photography my career as well as carrying on the knowledge through teaching.
www.ralphclevenger.com | insta: @ralphwildshot
Mermaid Kairi – Insta: @mermaid_Kairi | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kairi.beltran.7
– Spearheaded the Catalina Experience with me. Has been a never-ending well of support for bringing me new and returning clients. Being an integral part of the Catalina Experience, offering her knowledge as an underwater model, water safety and breath coach for every one of my CE clients. A truly exceptional mermaid performer and a very dear friend.
Captain’s Kyaa Heller and Ray Arnst of Sundiver International
– Partnered with me to bring these mermaid experiences to life through the use of their dive boat operations and their unwavering support of my success and future successes.
All of my MERMAZING Mermaid Clients that have continued to support my small business from its inception;
Merman Maui – @mermanmaui
Merman Tempest – @merman_tempest
Mermaid Persephone – @mermaidpersephone
The Nautilus Sea Nymph, Nymphia – @nautilusseanymph | beacons.ai/nautilusseanymph
Mermaid Clarity – @mermaid_clarity
And last but not least, My Parents, whose unwavering support throughout everything has been by far that one thing that has helped push me forward and made a lot of these dreams that much closer to becoming realities.
Pricing:
- Catalina Experience – 2 Edit package $475
- Catalina Experience – 5 Edit package $650
- Catalina Experience – 7 Edit package $795
- Catalina Experience – 10 Edit package $925
- Catalina Experience – Video Edit package $695
Contact Info:
- Website: www.oceaninkstudios.com, www.etherexperience.org
- Instagram: @erynbrydonwtrphotog, @erynbrydon, @alensaquatic, @lostin.thether
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OceanINKStudiosPhotography/
Image Credits
Eryn M. Brydon of OceanINK Studios
