Misplaced Pages

Bill Curtsinger
Curtsinger, c. 2021
Born	1946 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names	William R. Curtsinger
Citizenship	American
Education	Northern Arizona University Arizona State University
Occupations	Photographer Author
Years active	1967 (1967)–Present
Employers	National Geographic (1970 (1970)–2003 (2003)) Freelance (1967 (1967)–Present)
Known for	Underwater photography
Awards	NSTA recognition (2002) NOGI Award (2006)
Military career
Branch	United States Navy
years	1967 (1967)–1970 (1970)
Rank	Petty officer second class
Unit	Combat Camera Group Atlantic Fleet
Known for	First color cover page in Naval Aviation News
Assignments	Fighter Squadron VF-11 Operation Deep Freeze
Awards	National Defense Service Medal Antarctica Service Medal
Website	www.billcurtsinger.com

Bill Curtsinger is an American photographer and writer who publishes on underwater photography and natural history subjects. Curtsinger has photographed thirty-five articles, including six cover stories for National Geographic and a cover story for Life. His photos have also appeared in Smithsonian, Natural History, various scientific journals, and a number of books worldwide.

Early life and education

Curtsinger was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1946 and grew up in Mount Holly, New Jersey near the Pine Barrens region. In later life, he provided photographic images for a book about the sprawling ecosystem at the barrens.

As a teenager, Curtsinger was inspired to photograph the underwater arena by reading Jacques Cousteau's book The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure. Cousteau was an award-winning underwater diver who captured exotic underwater videos and photos. Curtsinger also read his grandfather's National Geographic magazines for additional inspiration.

Further inspiration as a teenager would come in the form of a poem by Robinson Jeffers.

...Integrity is wholeness, the greatest beauty is organic wholeness, the wholeness of life and things, the divine beauty of the universe. Love that...

— Robinson Jeffers, The Answer

At the age of 16, Curtsinger bought his first camera, a Kodak Retinette 1A 35mm rangefinder. The first image he took was a Northern red-bellied turtle at Pine Barrens.

U.S. Navy career

During the Vietnam War, in 1967 after graduating high school at 18, Curtsinger attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. After a year he transferred to Arizona State University in Tempe to join their photography program. During the transfer of schools he lost course credits and was deemed a second-year freshman. Because of this, the draft board reclassified him, making him eligible to be drafted into the Vietnam War effort. Curtsinger preemptively joined the United States Navy to circumvent being drafted into the United States Army.

Due to his interest in photography, the Navy excepted Curtsinger into the elite Navy Photo Unit, Atlantic Fleet Combat Camera Group based at Naval Station Norfolk. The camera unit was disestablished in 2018.

After graduating from U.S. Navy Dive School in Key West, Florida, curtsinger earned his Jump Wings in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and attended various U.S. Navy Flight Crew training units around Norfolk, Virginia. He traveled the world on special assignments for the United States Fleet Forces Command of the Atlantic Fleet, including the Navy's research and development department photographing new launches of submarines, such as the USS Narwhal (SSN-671).

Curtsinger spent most of his Navy career covering the United States Navy carrier air operations. He qualified to fly in the F-4 Phantom and A-6 Intruder to carry out his photo missions. He was made an honorary member of the Red Rippers, U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron VF-11, and is credited as having the first color front and back covers in Naval Aviation News (1968).

As a Petty officer third class in 1968 Curtsinger was sent to Antarctica to photograph the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs at McMurdo Station as part of Operation Deep Freeze, and in 1969 to Palmer Station, for which he was awarded the Antarctica Service Medal.

After six months in the Antarctic, Curtsinger approached Admiral George J. Dufek (Ret.), who at the time was the director of the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Virginia, and knew of his work with Naval Aviation News and Antarctic Science. Dufek led the first U.S. science effort in the Antarctic during Operation Highjump. Curtsinger has stated that during a conversation with Dufek, he made a call to Gilbert M. Grosvenor, President of the National Geographic Society to set up a meeting to meet with Curtsinger.

In 1970 Curtsinger was transferred to the United States Navy Reserve as a Petty officer second class, where he served until 1973, resigning to pursue freelance photography for National Geographic.

Freelance career

Curtsinger is one of the first underwater photographers to capture extensive images of marine life under the polar ice in Antarctica. He had been a freelance photographer since leaving the U.S. Navy with his photographic imagery focusing on underwater, natural history, maritime archaeology, people, culture, environments and wildlife. He has photographed thirty-three articles, including six cover stories, for National Geographic. Curtsinger's photos have also appeared on the cover of Orion, Life and Natural History magazines with stories in a number of other magazines such as BBC Wildlife and Smithsonian.

The subjects of Curtsinger's photographs have included species and natural systems such as whales, walruses, penguins, dolphins, seals, sea turtles and sharks. His stories have featured locations such as Antarctica, Canada, Argentina, Africa and The Caroline Islands of the tropical Pacific.

Curtsinger's work also includes numerous textbooks, journals and aquarium displays and he has been a contributor to Gulf of Maine Research Institute publications and website. He has eight titled published books including Extreme Nature: Images from the World's Edge, a four hundred page retrospective of his career, published in 2005 by White Star Publishers in nine languages.

Curtsinger has stated that he pitched his first assignment with National Geographic to Bob Gilka because he knew the magazine had not published any articles about the peninsula. Having spent six months in the cold barren landscape of Antarctica he knew that the peninsula was more interesting and more biological diverse than what was previously published in the Geographic. His very first article was a cover story in the November 1971 issue of National Geographic, "Antarctica's Nearer Side" by Samuel W. Matthews.

With his crisp, clean photos of whales, seals, penguins, and dolphins, ex-Navy photographer Bill Curtsinger helped the National Geographic Society pioneer the field of underwater marine life photography with stunning pictures such as this shot of an Emperor penguin gliding through the waters of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.

— National Geographic Society

Grey reef shark

In January 1995 National Geographic published an article photographed and written by Curtsinger about grey reef sharks. In a subsection of the story, he reminisces about a 1973 encounter with the same species of sharks in the Micronesian lagoon in the Caroline Islands.

The shark came at me like a rocket. I had time only to lift my hand...(The shark then) raked my right shoulder. At that moment a friend rescued me in a dingy.

— Curtsinger, Bill National Geographic

After this encounter he only needed minor reconstructive surgery to his hand and shoulder. He has stated that grey reef sharks are extremely territorial, suspect in many attacks on indigenous islanders throughout Oceania and was most likely driving away a perceived competitor or predator.

Shipwrecks

Curtsinger has also photographed many shipwrecks throughout his career, like the Mary Rose at Portsmouth Harbour, which was active during the reign of Henry the VIII. He has also photographed the 16th century Basque whaling ship off the coast of Labrador, the 17th century Swedish warship Kronan that sank in the Baltic Sea off the Swedish island of Öland and a 14th-century Bronze Age merchant ship, which was the oldest known shipwreck at that time (1987).

In 1991 he captured the sunken fleet of Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Operation Crossroads was a classified undertaking by the U.S. military to test nuclear weapons underwater in 1946. National Geographic ran a story about the underwater wreckage in their June 1992 issue authored by John L. Elliot and photographed by Curtsinger. Also, a scientific journal was published for the United States Department of the Interior, The Archeology of the Atomic Bomb, featuring select images from Curtsinger.

Firsts

• First colored photographs published in the Naval Aviation News (1968)
• First published underwater photographs of right whales (1972) Argentina
• First published underwater photographs of narwhal whales
• First underwater photograph of leopard seals (1971)
• First photojournalist to cover the Mary Rose shipwreck.
• First photographs of emperor penguins (flying) swimming underwater
• First photograph (1984) of a Blainville's beaked whale mother and calf.

Inspiring others

As new generations of photographers enter the field of photography, some have been inspired by Curtsinger's work, such as Brian Skerry. In a 2021 article in The Maine Magazine, Skerry recalls Curtsinger turning down a National Geographic photo shoot of the 1717 pirate shipwreck Whydah Gally, buried in the sand off Cape Cod. Curtsinger turned down the job due to scheduling issues, but put in a good word for Skerry, who in turn, took the job. Skerry had his photos published in the May 1999 issue of National Geographic.

Personal life

In 1972, during Curtsinger's second photo assignment with National Geographic about salt marshes, he moved to Maine, where in 1974 he married Kate Mahoney. They had two children together, Justin and Owen. In June 2003, Mahoney passed away from a seven-year battle with breast cancer. Curtsinger and Mahoney were married for twenty-nine years and during that time, Mahoney was responsible for the organization and sales of Curtsinger's stock photos business, which she created. Mahoney was a founding member of Peregrine Press located in Portland, Maine.

With the advance of the internet and declining stock photo sales, Curtsinger left Maine and moved to Port Townsend, Washington in 2006. He became the co-owner, along with his second wife Sue Ohlson, of Sunrise Coffee Company.

Even though Curtsinger in no longer a freelancer in the field of photography, he continues to photograph and in 2021 collaborated with Kenneth Brower on the book Curtsinger: Reflections on the Life and Adventures of Bill Curtsinger.

Awards and recognition

• (1970) National Defense Service Medal
• (1970) Antarctica Service Medal
• (2001) National Geographic 100 Best wildlife photos
• (2002) "Outstanding Science Trade Book" National Science Teachers Association recognition for the book Sea Soup: Zooplankton
• (2006) NOGI Award Arts, Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences
• (2022) Associate member of the Boston Sea Rovers
• (2022) Honorary member of Peregrine Press

Exhibitions

• (1990) "Underwater Nudes" – Evans Gallery, Portland, Maine
• (2000) "Photographing Maine: 1840 to 2000" – Maine Coast Artists, Rockport, Maine.
• (2005) "Extreme Nature: Images from the World's Edge" University of New England, Westbrook, ME.
• (2006) "Oceans Expo II: A world to discover" – Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano (ICPNA), Peru.
• (2007) "Underwater" Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Frankfurt, Germany

Bibliography

Cover stories

Magazine covers that have featured Curtsinger's photos.

Cover stories

Title	Year	Publication	Author	Location	Ref
Our Crowded Skies	1970	Proceedings	Cdr. R. J. Koch, Jr., USN	Sky
R/V Hero: Assignment Antarctic	1971	Proceedings	Curtsinger, Bill	Antarctica
Antarctica's Nearer Side	1971	National Geographic	Mathews, Samuel W.	Antarctica
Life or Death for the Harp Seal	1976	National Geographic	Lavigne, David M.	Canada
Will We Kill the Last Whale?	1979	Life	Fadiman, Anne	Global
16th Century Basque Whaling in America	1985	National Geographic	Robert, Grenier Tuck, James	Canada
Oldest Known Shipwreck	1987	National Geographic	Bass, George	Aegean Sea
The bottom of the bottom of the world	1992	Natural History	Campbell, David G.	Global
Sea Turtles: In a Race for Survival	1994	National Geographic	Rudloe, Anne Rudloe, Jack	Bahamas
Gray Reef Sharks	1995	National Geographic	Curtsinger, Bill	Marshall Islands
Generation to Generation	1995	Orion	Sobel, David Et al.	Costa Rica

Books

Film and video

Journals

References

1. ^ "Bill Curtsinger Navy Record". U.S. Navy. November 2, 1970. Retrieved October 17, 2011 – via Internet Archive.
2. ^ "An interview with Bill Curtsinger, a National Geographic photographer". Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. January 1, 2006. pp. 66–67.
3. Curtsinger, Bill (December 20, 2005). "Extreme Nature" (Transcript) (Video (On Air)). Interviewed by Daryn Kagan. CNN. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
4. "Jacques Cousteau | French ocean explorer and engineer". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
5. Robinson Jeffers. "The Answer". poetrynook.com. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
6. ^ "Bill Curtsinger – Arts". Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
7. ^ Routhier, Ray (November 20, 2005). "Life in the Lens". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved October 16, 2022 – via newspapers.com. (subscription required)
8. "National Geographic photographer at Rice Public Library". December 1, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
9. "Expeditionary Combat Camera Completes Final Mission". United States Navy. 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
10. Jacobs, Tom (2008). Sons of God. Pau Pono Publishing. ISBN 978-0-97863-052-2.
11. ^ Wilbur, (CDR) Ted (October 1968). "Editors Corner" (PDF). Naval Aviation News. p. 2. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
12. "On Assignment". National Geographic. Vol. 177, no. 5. Malawi. May 1990. p. D1.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
13. ^ A Night with Bill Curtsinger & Kenneth Brower (Video). Port Townsend, Washington: Northwind Art. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2022 – via YouTube.
14. Kearns, David A. (2005). "Operation Highjump: Task Force 68". Where Hell Freezes Over: A Story of Amazing Bravery and Survival. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-34205-5.
15. ^ Anderson, Ross (August 26, 2021). "Bill Curtsinger's Voyage: Camera to Coffee". Rainshadow Journal. Port Townsend, Washington. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
16. Urbani de la Paz, Diane (September 3, 2021). "Undersea photographer's show open in Port Townsend". Peninsula Daily News. Port Townsend, Washington. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
17. Curtsinger, Bill (2005). Extreme Nature: Images from the World's Edge. White Star Publishers. ISBN 978-8-85440-078-8 – via Google Books.
18. ^ Matthews, Samuel W. (November 1971). "Antarctica's Nearer Side". National Geographic. Vol. 140, no. 5. Antarctica. pp. 622–655.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
19. ^ "Milestones in Underwater Photography". National Geographic. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2022. – Slide 6
20. ^ Curtsinger, Bill (January 1995). "Survivor's Tale of a Shark Attack". National Geographic. Vol. 187, no. 1. p. 56. Retrieved December 26, 2022.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
21. ^ Rule, Margaret (May 1983). "Henry VIII's Lost Warship". National Geographic. Vol. 163, no. 5. Mary Rose, Portsmouth, England. pp. 646–675.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
22. ^ Grenier, Robert & Tuck, James A. (July 1985). "16th Century Basque Whaling In America". National Geographic. Vol. 148, no. 1. Labrador. pp. 40–71.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
23. Franzén, Anders (April 1989). "Remnants of a Mighty Warship". National Geographic. Vol. 175, no. 4. Kronan, Baltic Sea. pp. 438–465.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
24. ^ Bass, George F. (December 1987). "Oldest Known Shipwreck". National Geographic. Vol. 172, no. 6. Aegean Sea. pp. 692–733.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
25. Eliot, John L. (June 1992). "Bikini Islands Nuclear Graveyard". National Geographic. Vol. 181, no. 6. Marshall Islands. pp. 70–83.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
26. ^ Delgado, J.P.; Lenihan, D.; Murphy, L. (1991). "The Archeology of the Atomic Bomb: A Submerged Cultural Resources Assessment of the Sunken Fleet of Operation Crossroads at Bikini and Kwajalein Atoll Lagoons". Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers. Marshall Islands: United States Department of the Interior: xi, 101, 111, 114, 119, 120, 129, 130 – via Google Books.
27. Moir, Rob (October 29, 2021). "Remember the right whales with a special day". commonwealthmagazine.org. MassINC. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
28. Kwok, Roberta (2018). "Click". The Southern Review. 54 (4). Louisiana State University Press: 616–617. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
29. "National Geographic Magazine: 50 Years of Covers". National Geographic. April 14, 2017. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2022. Slide 13
30. Minasian, Stanley M.; Balcomb, Kenneth C.; Foster, Larry (1984). The World's Whales: The Complete Illustrated Guide. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-89599-014-3 – via Google Books. This remarkable photograph is the only known of a Blainville's beaked whale mother and calf.
31. Fiorentino, Anna (May 2021). "The Maine Man Capturing the World's Oceans". The Maine Magazine. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
32. Webster, Donovan (May 1999). "Pirates of the Whydah". National Geographic. Vol. 195, no. 5. pp. 64–77.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
33. ^ Connerty-Marin, David (November 20, 2001). "One of the 100". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved October 30, 2022 – via newspapers.com. (subscription required)
34. "Obituary: Kate Mahoney Curtsinger, 52". Portland Press Herald. June 11, 2003 – via newspapers.com. (subscription required)
35. "The Kate Mahoney Memorial Fund". peregrinepress.com. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
36. Brower, Kenneth (2021). Reflections on the Life and Adventures of Bill Curtsinger. Northwind Art. ISBN 978-0-98835-508-8.
37. "Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12". Science and Children. 39 (6). National Science Teachers Association. March 2022.
38. "Recipient(s)". Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
39. "Associate members". October 1, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
40. "Artist's statement". Portland, Maine. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
41. "Public reception". Evening Press. December 6, 1990. p. 14. Retrieved December 11, 2022 – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
42. "Artist's Statement: Selected Exhibitions". peregrinepress.com. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
43. "Excellent UW Photo Exhibit". scubaboard.com. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
44. "Oceans Expo II: A world to discover". Retrieved October 19, 2022.
45. "Underwater". January 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2022 – via Internet Archive.
46. Koch, R. J. (September 1970). "Our Crowded Skies". Proceedings. Vol. 96, no. 9. United States Naval Institute.
47. Curtsinger, Bill (February 1971). "R/V Hero: Assignment Antarctic". Proceedings. Vol. 97, no. 2. United States Naval Institute.
48. Lavigne, David M. (January 1976). "Life or Death for the Harp Seal". National Geographic. Vol. 149, no. 1. Gulf of St. Lawrence. pp. 128–142.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
49. Fadiman, Anne (July 1979). "Will We Kill the Last Whale?". Life. Vol. 2, no. 7. pp. 18–28.
50. Campbell, David G. (November 1992). "The bottom of the bottom of the world". Natural History. Vol. 101, no. 11.
51. Rudloe, Anne & Rudloe, Jack (February 1994). "Sea Turtles: In a Race for Survival". National Geographic. Vol. 185, no. 2. pp. 94–122.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
52. Curtsinger, Bill (January 1995). "Gray Reef Sharks". National Geographic. Vol. 187, no. 1. Bikini Atoll. pp. 44–67.  – via National Geographic archive (subscription required)
53. Sobel, David; Rogers, Pattiann; Williams, Lorraine; Pyle, Robert Michael (Autumn 1995). "Beyond Ecophobia". Orion Magazine. Generation to Generation. Vol. 14, no. 4. p. 10.
54. McCall, Samantha (June 23, 2022). "Photographer's Work Featured in Special on Sharks". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via newspapers.com. (subscription required)
55. Curtsinger, Bill (Self) (June 25, 1995). Grey Reef Sharks. National Geographic Explorer (Documentary). Aired on TBS
56. "The Life of a Tiger Shark". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. December 28, 2000. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via newspapers.com. (subscription required)
57. Curtsinger, Bill (Self) (December 29, 2000). The Life of a Tiger Shark. National Geographic Explorer (Documentary). Aired on CNBC
58. Curtsinger, Bill (Archival footage) (2005). The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie. Paramount (Documentary).
59. Gore, Al (Writer, Host); Curtsinger, Bill (Archival footage) (2006). An Inconvenient Truth. Paramount (Documentary). Event occurs at 53:56. Credited through Getty Images, see book by the same name.
60. Curtsinger, Bill (Archival footage) (2019). Cannibal Sharks. National Geographic channel (Documentary).
61. Erickson, Albert W.; Cline, David R.; Hopman, Robert J. (July 1969). "Population Study of Seals in the Weddell Sea" (PDF). Antarctic Journal of the United States. 4 (4). Antarctica: National Science Foundation: 99–100.
62. Devries, A.L. (July 1969). "Freezing Resistance in Fishes of the Antarctic Peninsula" (PDF). Antarctic Journal of the United States. 4 (4). Antarctica: National Science Foundation: 104.
63. Schreiber, Ralf W.; Woolfenden, Glen E.; Curtsinger, William R. (October 1975). "Prey Capture by the Brown Pelican" (PDF). The Auk. 92 (4). Florida: American Ornithological Society: 649–654. doi:10.2307/4084778. JSTOR 4084778.
64. Mulcary, Michael (May 1975). "Research ship Hero is 7 years old" (PDF). Antarctic Journal of the United States. 10 (3). Antarctica: National Science Foundation.
65. Merdsoy, Bora R.; Curtsinger, Bill; Renouf, Deane (February 17, 1978). "Preliminary Underwater Observations of the Breeding Behavior of the Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus)". Journal of Mammalogy. 59 (1). Oxford University: 181–185. doi:10.2307/1379887. JSTOR 1379887.
66. Govoni, John J.; Olney, John E.; Markle, Douglas F.; Curtsinger, William (1984). "Observations on Structure and Evaluation of Possible Functions of the Vexillum in Larval Carapidae (Ophidiiformes)". Bulletin of Marine Science. 34 (1). Maine: 60–70.

External links

• National Geographic photographer's page (UK)
• Official website

v t e National Geographic Society
Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman Emeritus (since 2010) Jean Case, Chairman (since 2016) Tracy Wolstencroft, president and CEO (since 2018) Michael Ulica, president and COO (since 2018)
People	Stephen Alvarez Alexander Graham Bell Barry Bishop Susan Goldberg Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor Gilbert M. Grosvenor Melville Bell Grosvenor Gardiner Greene Hubbard Chris Johns John G. Mitchell Mark Shelley John Verano Tim T. Kelly John M. Fahey Jr.
Media assets	v t e National Geographic Partners A joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27%) Magazines National Geographic National Geographic Adventure (defunct) National Geographic Traveler National Geographic Kids Television channels Brands National Geographic Nat Geo Kids Nat Geo Music Nat Geo People Nat Geo Wild Channels National Geographic Abu Dhabi Asia Australia and New Zealand Canada France Germany Netherlands Portugal Scandinavia UK and Ireland United States Latin America Nat Geo Wild Canada Europe Defunct National Geographic Farsi Nat Geo Kids Abu Dhabi Latin America
Other	Bee (geography competition) Endeavour (ship) Greenberg v. National Geographic Hubbard Medal Image Collection Maps Palomar Observatory Sky Survey World Championship (geography competition; on hiatus)

• Underwater diving
• Visual arts
• Biography

• Living people
• 1946 births
• National Geographic photographers
• 20th-century American photographers
• American male divers
• 20th-century American sportsmen