Stephen Frink – DEMA Board of Directors Candidate, Category A3

Stephen Frink – Biography

Stephen Frink is the world's most frequently published underwater photographer with editorial work appearing in for whom he is Director of Photography and writes a monthly column on underwater photo trends and techniques. His work has also been published in a wide variety of general interest publications such as NATURAL HISTORY, GLAMOUR, TIME, NEWSWEEK, ISLANDS, TRAVEL AND LEISURE, ESQUIRE, FORTUNE, MONEY, as well as numerous NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC publications. Frink has authored a coffee table book entitled WONDERS OF THE , and teaches the Stephen Frink School of in his home waters of Key Largo, . Frink wrote a textbook for , THE SYSTEM, and other books to which Frink was a major contributor include UNDERWATER PARADISE and GREAT CORAL REEFS.

Clients for assignment photography over the past 24 years have included Nikon, Aqua Lung, Victoria's Secret, Mercury Marine, Jantzen, , R.J. Reynolds, Sea Quest, Henderson Aquatics, Club Med, major ad agencies, and scores of resorts and live-aboard dive boats throughout the world. Broadcast television work includes hosting an ongoing series to promote the Florida Keys for Sea-TV, and programs for ESPN's "American Photo Magazine Safari". Rolex Watch Company has also engaged Frink for product endorsement.

Other Frink enterprises include a dive travel company, WaterHouse Tours and Reservations (www.waterhousetours.com) and a stock photo agency (www.stephenfrinkcollection.com) Frink is also the North American and Caribbean distributor for the Austrian camera housing manufacturer Seacam (www.seacamusa.com) and is also an inventor of a unique diver safety device known as the Safety Observation Signal – SOS (www.stephenfrink.com/sos.php

Mission Statement – I have been in the dive industry since 1978. That was the year I moved to Key Largo and began my career in underwater photography. My best friends in life have been part of this industry, running dive shops, live-aboard boats, underwater photo businesses, and dive magazines. I want them to do well. Perhaps more importantly, I want recreational scuba, my life’s passion, to remain as relevant and compelling to my daughter and her friends as it has been to me and mine. I’m not sure it is.

The truth is I don’t see as many young people on boats today, and identify this as a major problem for our industry. Granted, there are more competing interests out there, with the web and other extreme sports vying for the attention of our youth. But maybe there’s more to the problem than simply having more choices these days. Maybe we aren’t speaking to their needs. Maybe we need new role models or media directions that they can relate to. I don’t suggest I know the , but I’m pretty darn sure we have a problem. I’d like to be a part of a vibrant and concerned DEMA board that explores options towards that solution.

Which is not to say I’m a “gloom and doom” guy. Actually, I see some very positive directions shaping our industry. Digital imaging is revitalizing underwater photography, and I see the profusion of vendors with housings and accessories exhibiting at DEMA as proof we are moving in the right direction. Divers are excited to bring home the visual souvenirs of their underwater adventure, and can now easily share them with friends via e-mail or prints done on their home computers. The learning curve is quicker than ever before, and divers are getting positive reinforcement quickly and (relatively) inexpensively. I see the day where underwater photography is so easy, popular, and empowering that Lexar, Epson, Sony, Kodak and Canon may have booths at the DEMA show alongside our traditional exhibitors like Ikelite, Sealife, Sea and Sea, and Light and Motion.

Travel is another strong component in our future growth. Some traditional favorite destinations are less accessible today due to global geopolitical issues, while others emerge as the new exotic hot spots. Local diving has broader appeal, especially considering the hassle and expense of air travel. Many of the long-time favorite destinations in the Caribbean and Bahamas remain strong because they are safe, easy to get to, and frankly deliver a very good product. The diversity and professionalism in our live-aboard industry is very impressive as well. Overall, the dive travel industry has a terrific presence; and when they are healthy, the equipment manufacturers and the dive publications all prosper. We have to make it exciting, easy, and desirable to get certified and stay active. Then the travel, gear purchases, and media support will all follow.

Do I have the answer? Not really. But I’d like to be there with the other creative and influential members of DEMA to give it a try. By pooling our significant strengths and specific industry experience, we can make a difference.