Over more than a decade, Brett’s underwater portrait and commercial work has been featured in award-winning ad campaigns, a Netflix documentary series, international magazines, national news outlets, and a growing string of podcast and video interviews. Below is a selection of that coverage.
Award-Winning Commercial Work
Brett’s underwater photography and cinematography has been commissioned for major brand campaigns, several of which have gone on to win industry recognition.
- Glaukos / iDose TR – “They Built The Sets. Then They Flooded Them.” Produced by Ocean Front Entertainment; winner of a Bronze Telly Award 2026 (Craft, Production Design) for the behind-the-scenes film documenting the underwater production.
- Polaris – brand campaign with creative agency BLVR, repositioning Polaris pool robotics as a premium, identity-driven brand.
- Lenovo – lead subject (“Video #1”) of a 12-film Small Business Series; surpassed 5 million views and won an SF Addy Award.
- Boot Barn – “Wonderwest by Boot Barn” underwater campaign.
- Bromelia Swimwear – underwater swimwear campaign.
Netflix & Streaming
- MerPeople (Netflix, 2023) – Brett’s footage and still images were licensed and featured throughout all four episodes of this docuseries exploring the world of professional mermaiding.
Music & Album Art
In 2018, Weyes Blood’s Natalie Mering enlisted Brett to bring the underwater cover art for her acclaimed album Titanic Rising to life, building and submerging a full bedroom set in his Long Beach studio pool.
- Stereogum – full interview with Natalie Mering on the making of the cover
- Fstoppers – behind-the-scenes feature from Brett’s perspective
- Credited directly on the album’s Wikipedia page
- Titanic Rising was released April 5, 2019 on Sub Pop Records
Underwater Pole Dance Series (2014-2015)
In late 2014, Brett’s groundbreaking Underwater Pole Dance/Fitness series – the first of its kind – went viral internationally, leading to coverage across television, print, and online media in the US, UK, Germany, Mexico, Australia, Greece, and Japan.
- New York Post – “These Women Just Took Pole Dancing to Another Level”
- ABC News – Lifestyle photo feature
- Cosmopolitan – “Amazing Photos of Pole Dancers Underwater”
- Brigitte (Germany) – fitness/pole dance feature
- Telemundo (Mexico) – video feature
- Yahoo Australia – “13 Spectacular Underwater Fashion Photos”
- Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany)
- Design Taxi – “Stunning Photo Series of Pole Dance Shot Underwater”
- Elite Daily
- News Bomb (Greece)
- Sekai no Hate made Itte Q! (Japan, TV)
Ocean Conservation Work
Brett has collaborated on several underwater conservation imagery projects with artist and activist Christine Ren, addressing themes of overfishing and ocean plastic pollution.
- Fstoppers – “Jellyfish Soup: Combining Photography and Conservation”
Creative Collaborations
The Diver & The Mermaid – a collaborative project with professional mermaid and ocean conservation activist Hannah Fraser, commercial diver Joshua Myers, and documentary maker Justin Lutsky, photographing a WWII-era brass-helmet dive suit near California’s Catalina Island.
Interviews & Features
- Fstoppers – “The Guy Who Builds Whole Sets Underwater”
- LensRentals.com – “Exploring Underwater Photography with Brett Stanley”
- DivePhotoGuide – “Photographer of the Week”
- Voyage LA Magazine – “Meet South Pasadena Underwater Portrait Photographer: Brett Stanley”
- SHOUTOUT LA – “Meet Brett Stanley: Underwater Portrait Photographer”
- Palos Verdes Pulse – “Water World: The Art of Underwater Photography by Brett Stanley”
- Outex – photographer profile and interview
- F11 Magazine (New Zealand) – August issue cover image and multi-page interview spread
Podcast Appearances
- Behind The Shot / This Week in Photo – “Immersion Therapy: The Art of Underwater Photography with Brett Stanley” (2017)
- The PRO EDU Photography Podcast – Season 5, Episode 65 (2018)
- The Phoblographer – featured twice in 2022 given reader interest in the first piece:
- PhotoBizX Podcast – Episode #332, “How to Build a Successful Underwater Portrait Photography Business”
Video Interviews
- Live Interview with Underwater Photographer Brett Stanley
- Underwater Lighting Secrets Revealed by Award-Winning Photographer Brett Stanley; Strobes, Triggers+
- Doing What Scares You: Interview with Underwater Photographer Brett Stanley
- Underwater Studio Behind The Scenes with Professional Photographer Brett Stanley of Waterproof Mag.
Hosting Credit
Since 2020, Brett has hosted The Underwater Podcast, interviewing underwater photographers, cinematographers, freedivers, and models from around the world. With 60+ episodes and counting, it’s become a hub for the underwater imaging community.