What inspired you to first get into underwater photography?

I grew up in Moree — a small country town surrounded by dust, footy fields, cotton and grain. Life was rough. I lost my mum at a young age, and art became my escape. I’d sit for hours sketching anything I could — it was the one place I felt free.

We’d escape to Hervey Bay when we could, to see my nan. That’s where I first fell in love with the ocean. It wasn’t until years later — while struggling with my mental health, that the sea truly changed my life.

I booked a solo trip to Lady Elliot Island. None of my mates could come, but something told me to go anyway.

I found myself 18 metres down near the Severance wreck, completely alone — and suddenly, I was surrounded by eagle rays. I was terrified of the ocean, as I grew up in the bush, not the ocean. I watched Jaws, not Blue Planet. But in that moment, I felt calm, present, alive, then I was hooked.
That dive pulled me out of the dark. I went on to get my scuba tickets. Then my free diving certificate. Soon after I met Tony Scott, a legend in our dive community. He mentored me, taught me the ropes, and got me into underwater photography. That lit the creative fire I hadn’t felt in years.
I started with a Canon M50 and flooded it. Learned the hard way. Now I shoot with a Canon R5 Mark II, and I’m proud to be the first official Sea & Sea ambassador in Australia.
These days, I sell prints online and at the Urangan Pier Park Market I’ve done brand work, events and tourism, and I co-founded Sirens Dive — a boutique brand creating custom dive masks (and soon, swimwear) with my partner.

The ocean gave me peace. The camera gave me purpose. And now, I just want to pass that on.

What is your most memorable moment in diving?

Easy — that first solo dive at Lady Elliot. Eighteen metres deep. Just me, the blue, and a squadron of eagle rays. That one dive changed everything.

But the ocean always finds ways to top itself.

Like the time a humpback whale swam right up to me and stopped — just hovered there, eye to eye. You can’t explain that kind of moment. It doesn’t feel real.

There’s no way to capture those moments fully — not even with a camera. You have to be there. You have to feel it.

Which destination would you most like to visit?

I’ve got a big list — but right now, it’s French Polynesia.

It’s got it all: whales, reef systems, surf, incredible dive sites, hiking, culture — everything I love in one place. I want to dive it, film it, hike it, and get lost in it.

I think a place like that would push me — creatively and personally. I’m not chasing a location. I’m chasing a full-body experience.

What does the future hold for Aqua Dan?

Aqua Dan started as a way to stay afloat — now it’s how I move forward.

I want to lead a new wave of ocean storytelling in Australia — raw, cinematic, emotional stuff that actually means something.

I’ll keep shooting freelance work, building Sirens Dive with my partner, and helping people connect with the ocean — especially those struggling like I was. I’ve since realised I’ve been living with PTSD, and I know what it’s like to feel stuck in your own head. But the ocean helped me out of that. Now I want to help others find that same healing.

The dream though? To live aboard a catamaran, diving and filming every day from the Great Barrier Reef to French Polynesia and beyond with my partner.

But for now, I’m here — creating, breathing, diving. One day at a time.