WILD WATERS - A RETROSPECTIVE
Michael Patrick O'Neill
SFUPS as our February guest speaker.
Michael has been traveling the globe for the past 27 years capturing some of the world’s most famous and exhilarating underwater images, resulting in numerous national presentations and seven non-fiction marine life books designed to encourage school children to read, write and become involved in science and conservation. Because of this, Michael has presented to over 500,000 kids in more than 400 schools in the US during the last 16 years.
While his images have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide including BBC Wildlife, Journal NATURE, National Geographic Magazine, Smithsonian, The Washington Post and The New York Times, Michael has a lot of new material to show us since his prior visit presenting. Michael is also part of an elite group of professionals who can claim the prize in having placed prominently in multiple Wildlife Photographer of the Year photo competitions.
Michaels presentation will feature some of his latest adventures in photography.
As an added bonus, Michael will be bringing a few books to sell /sign and will donate one book for the raffle (kids’ book, Let’s Explore Coral Reefs).
Social hour starts at 6:20 with the meeting starting promptly at 7:20. See you there!
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Michael is an award-winning photographer, author and FAA Certified (Part 107) drone pilot specializing in marine wildlife and environmental issues. He lives in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and for the last 27 years has traveled extensively worldwide photographing diverse aquatic animals, habitats and man’s impact on them.
He has written and photographed seven non-fiction marine life books designed to encourage school children to read, write and become involved in science and conservation. They have received outstanding reviews from School Library Journal and are distributed nationally in the educational system. To learn more about his books, please visit Batfish Books.
When not making photographs or writing, he is on the lecture circuit promoting a greater appreciation for the natural world, especially the oceans and their inhabitants. He has presented to over 500,000 kids in more than 400 schools in the US in the last 16 years.
His images have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide including BBC Wildlife, Journal NATURE, National Geographic Magazine, Smithsonian, The Washington Post and The New York Times, among many others, and have won in the most prestigious competitions, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Pictures of the Year (POYi), Nature’s Best and National Wildlife Federation.