fiona mcqueen
Fiona McQueen's underwater photography is a blend of art, education, and advocacy. Her curiosity drives her to explore, and her images start conversations, often surprising viewers with the local species' beauty. Her love for simplicity extends to her diving equipment, often opting for breath-hold diving over scuba. The freedom of fins, mask, and weight belt allows her to explore remote locations and create stunning images that reflect her personal connection with the marine world. Fiona's imagery and advocacy play a crucial role in drawing attention to this unique marine environment, highlighting both its beauty and its vulnerability.
Embracing Natural Light and Shallow Water
Fiona's journey into underwater photography began 13 years ago, but it was her introduction to scuba diving six years ago that truly ignited her passion. Her initial exploration with a second-hand compact camera evolved into a unique style that embraced natural light and shallow water photography. "I enjoy the simplicity of being able to compose an image without having to consider extra settings or adjustments for a camera flash," she explains. Her gravitation towards shallow water photography thanks to her preference for natural light adds a unique touch to her work. This approach, born from necessity and a student budget, has become her signature and reflects her authenticity as a photographer.
It’s Fiona’s curiosity that fuels her: "What species will I see today? What will the fish be doing? How will the light look?" she muses. The opportunity to observe marine life up close, from tiny details and patterns to dynamic animal behaviours, is like "underwater bird watching," she says, with the added thrill of flying around in the water with the animals.
Local Surprises
Fiona's work often reveals the unexpected beauty of local species. Her images spark curiosity and surprise, leading to deeper conversations about marine life. Her ability to capture the tiny details and dynamic animal behaviours brings the underwater world to life, making it accessible and engaging. Her fascination with the incredible colours and patterns, particularly in the invertebrates and algae, adds a unique perspective to her work, allowing her to share the otherworldly beauty of the underwater world.
Conversation Starters
Fiona's images are conversation starters. She enjoys sharing vibrant scenes from temperate reefs, surprising many with the richness found in their local waters. "Wow! That’s just out there?!" is a common reaction. Her curiosity leads her to explore, and her images become a way to share her discoveries. Her passion for sharing extends to her contributions to citizen-science initiatives, showcasing the beauty and fragility of local marine life. She feels particularly driven to show people what's on their 'doorstep,' challenging perceptions that local oceans are boring compared to popular tropical coral reef destinations.
Motivated by Curiosity and Conservation
Fiona's motivation transcends aesthetics; it's about conservation and connection. "I am motivated by my own curiosity, and desire to explore and learn," she says. Her imagery aims to foster appreciation for the marine environment, often undervalued and underfunded. "Like many other underwater photographers, I am motivated to bring this unseen environment to the forefront of peoples' minds," she adds. Her belief that people protect what they love drives her to share the beauty of the temperate marine environment, hoping to assist in fostering greater appreciation and conservation.
Exploring the Great Southern Reef
Kangaroo Island, her favourite part of the Great Southern Reef, reflects her love for diversity and exploration. The island's diverse coastline offers breathtaking seascapes and underwater topography. Fiona's experience of healthy, thriving reefs brimming with biodiversity is a testament to her passion for exploration. The island's unique geography, from steep cliffs to rugged coastlines, provides a rich habitat for marine life, including the charismatic Harlequin fish and Western Blue Grouper. The western end's seasonal upwellings of cold, nutrient-rich water make it a hotspot of productivity, and the island's inaccessibility ensures a lack of pollution and low fishing pressure.
Rich Biodiversity at Risk
Fiona's home state of South Australia boasts a unique marine environment, lying on the longest stretch of south-facing coast in the southern hemisphere. This geographical feature, coupled with a wide range of latitudes and land formations, gives rise to many different physical environments. Seasonal upwellings of cold, nutrient-rich water, most notably the Bonney upwelling in the state's South-East, contribute to the highest levels of species richness and endemism of marine algae in the world.
However, Fiona is well aware that this rich biodiversity is at risk. "With climate change looming, along with a raft of other human-induced threats to the marine environment, I fear we will lose much of this biodiversity before we've even begun to understand it," Fiona warns. Her concern is not unfounded. A great deal of work was undertaken in the field of Phycology (the study of seaweed) in Southern Australia in the 20th century, but this area of research appears to have been left behind somewhat in the 21st century.
Drawing Awareness to Seaweed
Fiona's future focus includes drawing awareness to seaweed, the foundational element of many temperate marine ecosystems. She wants to share seaweed's beauty in its full glory. "I want to use my eye for detail and fascination with seaweed to share the beauty with others through my imagery, to help people reconsider their concept of seaweed," she concludes. Her home state of South Australia boasts the highest levels of species richness and endemism of marine algae in the world, and she fears the loss of this biodiversity due to climate change and other human-induced threats.
Commitment to Conservation and Research
Fiona's commitment to conservation extends to her support for scientific research.She is a proud volunteer diver for Reef Life Survey, where photography has played a big part in developing her knowledge of local marine species. Fiona also contributes fresh collections of seaweed to the State Herbarium of South Australia, collected while out exploring her home state. Accompanied by photos of the seaweeds in-situ, location and habitat data, her collections capture valuable information about species distributions. It is her hope that in-situ images of herbarium specimens could make algae taxonomy more accessible, reflecting her belief in the power of imagery as an education and research tool. Her work is a call to action, inspiring others to protect local waters and feel passionate about conservation. Her imagery is also motivated by the notion that research is a fundamental part of conservation, and she recognises the need for funding in this area.
A Voice for the GSR
Through her lens and now also seaweed presses, Fiona is building connections, sparking awareness, and igniting passion for marine conservation. Her images and art pieces are a visual dialogue, a way for her to communicate her love for the ocean and inspire others to feel the same. Her passion for conservation, desire to connect people with the ocean, and her commitment to research make her work not just visually stunning but also profoundly meaningful. Her evolution as a photographer, and her dedication to local marine life make Fiona McQueen a voice for the Great Southern Reef, speaking through her captivating images and artwork.
Learn about more passionate photographers and artists inspired by the Great Southern Reef.
