Jonathan Bird
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Bird is an American photographer, cinematographer, director and television host. He is best known for his role as the host of Jonathan Bird's Blue World
, a family-friendly underwater exploration program on PBS
in the United States. His work is largely underwater in nature.
while in college at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
and combined his interest in photography with diving. His first underwater photographs were made in the waters of Massachusetts. He worked as an electrical engineer
for several years until leaving his position to pursue underwater photography full time in 1993. He became a freelance underwater photographer, working for magazines including Sport Diver and Skin Diver. His first book, Beneath the North Atlantic, a collection of his favorite images from the waters of New England, was published in 1997 by Tide-mark Press. He is the author of 7 books and his images have appeared in top nature publications including National Geographic Magazine and International Wildlife. He cites David Doubilet
, Chris Newbert and Marty Snyderman as photographic influences in his photographic work.
His first television film, Sharks: The Real Story, co-produced with longtime collaborator Art Cohen, was completed in 1995 and aired on PBS. Bird is fond of sharks as a subject matter and has made 5 films about sharks. In 2005, Bird completed his first film for National Geographic Channel
, called Sharks: Deep Trouble. His broadcast work has earned Bird 6 Emmy awards and 2 CINE Golden Eagle
awards. He cites Howard Hall as a major influence in his cinematography.
was completed in 2001 and shopped around without success for several years. The project was dropped while Bird worked on several broadcast documentaries. In 2007, without a television buyer, the first few episodes were put on the web. After gaining notoriety there, NETA offered Jonathan Bird’s Blue World distribution to U.S. public television. Currently, the third season has just been completed and pre-production has begun on season 4. The series is distributed internationally as well.
Ocean Artist Society and is an amateur wine maker.
Jonathan Bird's Blue World
Jonathan Bird's Blue World is an educational television program about the underwater world. The show is hosted by underwater cinematographer Jonathan Bird. This series airs on PBS stations in the US. The program is designed for family viewing, and each segment finds Bird trying to unravel a...
, a family-friendly underwater exploration program on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
in the United States. His work is largely underwater in nature.
Underwater photography
Bird learned to scuba diveScuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
while in college at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
and combined his interest in photography with diving. His first underwater photographs were made in the waters of Massachusetts. He worked as an electrical engineer
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
for several years until leaving his position to pursue underwater photography full time in 1993. He became a freelance underwater photographer, working for magazines including Sport Diver and Skin Diver. His first book, Beneath the North Atlantic, a collection of his favorite images from the waters of New England, was published in 1997 by Tide-mark Press. He is the author of 7 books and his images have appeared in top nature publications including National Geographic Magazine and International Wildlife. He cites David Doubilet
David Doubilet
David Doubilet is a well known underwater photographer known primarily for his work published in National Geographic Magazine. He was born in New York and started taking photos underwater at the young age of 12. He started with a Brownie Hawkeye in a rubber anesthesiologist's bag to keep the water...
, Chris Newbert and Marty Snyderman as photographic influences in his photographic work.
Cinematography
Bird formed Oceanic Research Group, Inc. in 1991 to produce educational ocean-related materials. Oceanic Research Group became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1993. Oceanic Research Group’s first underwater film was produced in 1992 for the educational market and was distributed by AIMS Media, which has since been acquired by Discovery Education. Bird and Oceanic Research Group have made 13 educational films for use in schools about ocean topics since then, the most recent being Sharks: Predators with a Purpose in 2007.His first television film, Sharks: The Real Story, co-produced with longtime collaborator Art Cohen, was completed in 1995 and aired on PBS. Bird is fond of sharks as a subject matter and has made 5 films about sharks. In 2005, Bird completed his first film for National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
, called Sharks: Deep Trouble. His broadcast work has earned Bird 6 Emmy awards and 2 CINE Golden Eagle
CINE
CINE is a consortium formulated to depict American life and thought realistically for a global audience. CINE recognizes and fosters the highest quality of non-theatrical film and video production through its semi-annual film competitions....
awards. He cites Howard Hall as a major influence in his cinematography.
Jonathan Bird’s Blue World
The pilot for Jonathan Bird's Blue WorldJonathan Bird's Blue World
Jonathan Bird's Blue World is an educational television program about the underwater world. The show is hosted by underwater cinematographer Jonathan Bird. This series airs on PBS stations in the US. The program is designed for family viewing, and each segment finds Bird trying to unravel a...
was completed in 2001 and shopped around without success for several years. The project was dropped while Bird worked on several broadcast documentaries. In 2007, without a television buyer, the first few episodes were put on the web. After gaining notoriety there, NETA offered Jonathan Bird’s Blue World distribution to U.S. public television. Currently, the third season has just been completed and pre-production has begun on season 4. The series is distributed internationally as well.
Personal life
Bird lives in Massachusetts with his wife Christine and two children. He plays guitar in The Wetsuits, a rock band made up of all professional underwater photographers including Michel Gilbert, Danielle Alary, Michael Lawrence, and Paul Cater Deaton. He is a member of the WylandWyland
Robert Wyland , known simply as Wyland, is an artist best known for painting large, outdoor murals of whales and other ocean life.-Personal life:...
Ocean Artist Society and is an amateur wine maker.