146 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 0
ASON BRADLEY WAS 19 WHEN HE BECAME, IN HIS
OWN WORDS,
"OBSESSED WITH OCEAN STUFF." IT
WAS PERHAPS AN ODD FIXATION FOR A YOUNG MAN
FROM THE
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, ONE WHO WAS
MORE INTO SKATEBOARDS THAN SURFBOARDS.
BUT
BRADLEY IS LIKE THAT, GIVEN TO IMPULSIVE AND DRAMATIC
LIFE DECISIONS.
HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO WORK WITH
DOLPHINS,
SO HE MOVED TO SANTA BARBARA, STARTED
SCUBA DIVING AND GOT INVOLVED WITH A MARINE MAM-
MAL REHABILITATION ORGANIZATION.
"I JUMPED IN AS A VOLUNTEER AND STAYED EIGHT
YEARS,"
HE SAYS.
BRADLEY HAD HIS SIGHTS SET ON A MUSIC C AREER,
BUT HIS EXPERIENCES ON AND UNDER THE WATER PUT
AN END TO THAT DREAM.
"I CUT MY HAIR AND STOPPED
PLAYING GUITAR COLD TURKEY,"
HE REC ALLS. HE
ENTERED
SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE TO STUDY
MARINE BIOLOGY.
ONCE AGAIN, ON IMPULSE, HE SAYS, "I DECIDED OUT OF
THE BLUE THAT
I WANTED TO BE A PHOTOGRAPHER. AND
FURTHER,
THAT I COULD USE PHOTOGRAPHY AS A VEHICLE
TO BE OUTSIDE AND WORK WITH ANIMALS."
BRADLEY ENROLLED AT THE (NOW DEFUNCT) BROOKS
INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
"BUT AN INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME, 'YOU SHOULD DROP
OUT OF SCHOOL AND GO TO WORK,'
" HE SAYS. HE DID
JUST THAT.
THESE IMAGES ARE CHOSEN FROM HUNDREDS
THAT HE HAS CAPTURED ABOVE AND UNDER THE WATER
IN TRAVELS AROUND THE WORLD.
J
