Chris Newbert Biography
When Life Magazine published their Anniversary Edition entitled, ``150 Years of Photography, Pictures That Made a Difference", featured were the world's greatest names in the history of photography, such as Louis Daguerre, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, Alfred Stieglitz, Cartier Bresson, Richard Avedon, Philippe Halsman, Eugene Smith, Mary Ellen Mark, and Ansel Adams. Life included only one underwater photographer in this elite group, and gave Chris Newbert more page space in this issue than any of the above illuminaries.
Since taking up underwater photography in 1972, Chris Newbert, age 48, has won over 30 awards in international underwater photographic competitions. His photos have appeared in over 300 books and magazines world-wide. In 1985 he published his first underwater photographic book, Within a Rainbowed Sea. Now in its 10th printing, this classic volume continues to gather critical acclaim as one of the most beautiful photographic books of all time. Within a Rainbowed Sea remains one of the most award-winning photographic book ever published and, with sales of over 100,000, is one of the largest selling books in its price range ($85 mean) ever printed. Within a Rainbowed Sea is available in four editions, including a hand-bound Limited Edition, an autographed Authors Edition, the standard Trade Edition and a newly released Soft-bound Edition.
Praise has come from all quarters of the publishing world. Publishers Weekly has called Within a Rainbowed Sea "one of the most remarkable photographic books ever published.", while Playboy Magazine referred to it as "the ultimate coffee table book." The LA Times claims that Within a Rainbowed Sea has "exhausted critics' superlatives...(it) has won more gold medals than Edwin Moses." The German magazine Stern devoted its largest non-news photo spread ever to a 16 page portfolio of selected images from Within a Rainbowed Sea. The Tenth Anniversary Issue of Islands Magazine has included Chris Newbert's work in a portfolio of photographs from those who they consider ten of the world's great contemporary photographers.
Receiving perhaps the ultimate honor, the Limited Edition of Within a Rainbowed Sea was selected by the White House as an official Presidential Gift of State to be used by the President as a gift to visiting dignitaries. On May 4th, 1986, President Reagan gave copy number 85 to Emperor Hirohito of Japan, on the occasion of his 85th birthday and the 60th anniversary of his reign.
Presently, Mr. Newbert conducts international dive tours for Rainbowed Sea Tours, Inc., a company founded by he and his wife, Birgitte Wilms, to provide small groups of traveling divers and photographers with rewarding underwater experiences on the finest reefs in the world. Chris and Birgitte presently live in New Hampshire where they manage their stock marine life photography business from their horse farm adjoining the White Mountain National Forest.
In late 1994, the much anticipated sequel to Within a Rainbowed Sea was released. In a Sea of Dreams features the photography of both Chris and Birgitte, and text by Chris. In a Sea of Dreams is destined to become the new standard for excellence in underwater photography. In its first few months of release, In a Sea of Dreams won the World Grand Prize for Best Book of Underwater Photography, awarded in Antibes, France.
Most recently, Birgitte and Chris had a two-person, four month long print exhibit at the Mariners' Museum, in Newport News, Virginia. They also had two person exhibit at Warner Brothers / Reprise Records headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. Birgitte and Chris were featured in the premier segment of Discovery Channel's new show, Go For It, and were most recently featured on the Outdoor Channel's series on the top nature photographers, Nature's Best.
Chris and Birgitte's photographs have been selected for the 16 page feature portfolio in the prestigious 1998 Photography Yearbook. The Yearbook publishes work from the world's finest photographers, and this is the first time ever that underwater photographers will have been showcased in this distinguished British publication.
Chris became the first recipient of the Wyland Foundation Award for Underwater Still Photography at the First Annual Wyland Foundation Awards Ceremony in Hollywood. This nationally televised extravaganza featured celebrity presenters from the entertainment and sports industry. Chris not only received this prestigious award, but his photographs were selected for the big screen background stills for this gala event. Other honored personalities included posthumous awards to Jacques Yves Cousteau and Lloyd Bridges. Living recipients in addition to Chris included Jimmy Buffet, Sting, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Ted Danson, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Talbot and Al Gore among others.
Chris and Birgitte currently live on their horse farm in New Hampshire.
Career Highlights
Within a Rainbowed Sea: Major awards and honors
*Presidential Gift of State
*Gold Medal for Best Photography Art Directors Club of New York
*Gold Medal for Best Book Design Art Directors Club of New York
*Best Book of the Year Printing Industries of America
*STA 100 Award Society of Typographic Arts
*10th Anniversary Gift Book Selection International Center for Photography
*Gold Award for Photography Art Direction Magazine
*Featured Book Soviet-American Book Fair, Moscow
*Carey Thomas Award Nominee
