Constellations of the Sea was inspired by the cosmic forces that influence the creatures of the ocean depths. This exhibition was born from a moody, overcast day on the reef, when the water darkened to a deep electric blue. I watched as a Whale Shark approached from the distance, its spots glowing so brightly that they reminded me of stars drifting through the night sky. In that moment, I felt that profound sense of awe and wonder one gets when gazing at the constellations above.

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For as long as we have existed, humans have woven myth and folklore around the patterns in the night sky, drawing inspiration from the stars. Cosmic forces have shaped ancient religions, civilizations, and even our everyday lives. We wake and sleep by the Earth's rotation, we eat food planted and harvested through changing seasons, and we swim in oceans that ebb and flow with the moon's pull. It wasn’t until spending so much time on Ningaloo Reef that I realized how deeply connected the lunar cycles are to animal behaviour. Upwellings coinciding with the third full moon of every year trigger a mass coral spawning event, filling the water with nutrients that set in motion a cascade up the food chain, ultimately attracting Whale Sharks to the reef. There are countless other ways that the moon and seas interact, but it would require more than a single page to explain them all.

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The photos are named after folklore from many shores, you can read more about the individual stories on each photo's page following the link below.

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We hope this exhibition inspires some of that wonder and awe within you, and reminds you of how we are all inextricably linked by the stars.