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Tom Campbell started his diving career at age 18 in the cold water lakes and rivers of Alberta and British Columbia. He moved to California with the goal of becoming involved in professional military diving. After completing the rigorous physical and mental demands required for volunteers into the Marine Corps First Force Recon Company, Tom was sent to the US Naval School of Underwater Swimmers in Key West, Florida, where he graduated as a qualified Navy diver. In 1964-1965, Tom was part of a select Force Recon unit that was assigned to Seal Team One in Vietnam to conduct covert operations. After his discharge in 1966, he became a NAUI diving instructor and has introduced hundreds of people to the ocean realm.
After graduating from college in 1970 with a degree in business and law enforcement, he attended the California Highway Patrol Academy and started his career in one of the world's top law enforcement agencies. Tom spent twenty years with the CHP and received numerous commendations for his service, one of which was given by President Reagan. Throughout his professional years Tom was an avid photographer and filmmaker shooting wildlife, both underwater and topside. His hobby became fine tuned and focused more on a film and video career. The rest is history, Tom's photographs have appeared in hundreds of popular publications worldwide. He has completed assignments for a wide range of corporations such as the BBC, Continental Airlines, National Geographic, Time Life Books, New York and LA Times magazine. He has written dozens of articles and won several photographic awards, including International Wildlife's Annual Competition and recognition in the BBC's Wildlife Photographer of the Year publication. Tom has been a featured speaker internationally including Antibe, France and Norway at the Antibe and Lofoton film festivals. His successful line of notecards and posters, titled "It's Our World Too", are marketed worldwide. Tom's assignments have taken him from the frigid waters of Norway to the tropics of the world. Recent assignments include shooting Discovery's High-Definition film documentary on the Lost Civilization of Yanaguni, venomous fish in Papua New Guinea, Great White Sharks in South Africa, and Giant Mantas in Mexico. Tom's production company and crew hosts a complete line of High-Definition equipment realizing that no other acquisition can match the quality of this digital format. Tom feels that the most important contribution any wildlife photographer or filmmaker can make is: "To create an awareness that will protect and preserve our environment for future generations." |
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