These local photographers are passionate about our planet. They spend their days on land, in water, even traipsing through swamps to document the wonders of nature. Their images shine a light on the magic happening all around us, and they work with various research organizations to help protect that magic.
Jeff Biege
The Wave Catcher
Jeff Biege was 10 when he got his first glimpse of the wonders of the ocean. “My first time in the water snorkeling was at Catalina Island [in California],” recalls the Hobe Sound resident. “We saw a school of leopard sharks—I was terrified.” Despite his initial fear, Biege soon became an avid snorkeler and surfer, moving to Florida at age 18 to take advantage of the warmer ocean waters.
He spent some time in the surfing industry before eventually founding his own kiteboarding company in 2002. That’s when he got the bug to learn photography. He bought a good camera, took a few classes, and started shooting. “I was mainly shooting empty breaking waves,” he says. “Being a surfer, that really called me.” Today, he sells his stunning wave photographs both on his website and at art shows.
He also lends his photographic talent to InWater Research Group (inwater.org), a group of local scientists who collect data on sea turtles and share that data worldwide. “I’ve spent 1,000 hours in the water with sea turtles, but to actually be involved in the science is really cool,” Biege says. He also volunteers regularly for beach cleanups and is passionate about removing plastics from the ocean. “Every time I get out of the water, my board shorts are covered in plastics,” he says. “I have even taken a piece of plastic away from a sea turtle who was about to eat it.”
Asked to name his favorite underwater subject, Biege is quick to reply: “I love shooting manatees!” he says. “There are very few animals you can have that kind of interaction with, that genuinely like, and want to be around, people.” @jeffbiegephotography
Biege spends many mornings and evenings photographing waves during sunrise and sunset in Hobe Sound, Stuart, Juno Beach, and other local areas. In addition to photographing aquatic animals such as manatees and turtles, Biege is passionate about ocean conservation. He regularly participates in beach cleanups and contributes photography to InWater Research Group, which aims to foster marine and coastal conservation through integrated research and education.
Leah Voss
The Swamp Doc
On any given day, Leah Voss can be found thigh deep in swamp water in the middle of the Florida Everglades, armed only with her camera. In areas where many Floridians wouldn’t dare venture, the Stuart resident and multimedia producer for Friends of the Everglades has found her passion for telling stories of the unique water world right in our backyard.
Originally from Ohio, Voss grew up hiking nature trails amid gorges and waterfalls. “I always had a love of nature,” she says. After graduating from Western Kentucky University with a degree in photojournalism in 2014, she moved to Stuart and spent 10 years working as a photojournalist for Treasure Coast Newspapers (TC Palm). “I had a pretty cool story in 2019 in Big Cypress where I went out with federal biologists who track pythons,” recalls Voss of one of her first introductions to the Florida Everglades. “That was a pretty intense day.” Her images landed on the cover of USA Today.
In 2022, she was recruited by the nonprofit Friends of the Everglades (everglades.org) as a multimedia producer. Today, she designs graphics, manages social media, produces video stories, and shoots nature photos in an effort to educate the public about Florida’s unique ecosystems.
Voss hopes that through her visual storytelling, people will get to experience places like the Everglades for themselves and, in turn, learn more about these precious areas and their inhabitants. “Photographing the wildlife shows people how alive these areas are and how it’s a home for so many species,” says Voss. “We are all part of the earth. Go outside and appreciate it—then fight to protect it.” @vossvisuals
Dr. Mark Cook
The Birdman
Dr. Mark Cook says that some of the best times of his life were spent on a remote island in Scotland, living in a lighthouse surrounded by puffins and guillemots. “One of the most memorable wildlife moments I’ve had in my life was watching hundreds of thousands of baby guillemots being called by their fathers and launching themselves off cliffs to meet them,” says Cook. The guillemot, a species of seabird, is common in the United Kingdom, where Cook grew up and went to school, earning a bachelor’s degree in marine zoology, a master’s in ecology, and a PhD in avian behavioral ecology.
Cook, who resides in Hobe Sound, has worked with the South Florida Water Management District (sfwmd.gov) for more than two decades, conducting restoration-related research in the Florida Everglades. Much of his work entails studying (and photographing) birds. “Wading birds are an excellent indicator species because they are very sensitive to hydrology,” he says. By studying the birds’ behavior, his team can gauge whether the agency’s efforts to restore the water in the Everglades are headed in the right direction. “The reason we are spending billions on Everglades restoration is that we’ve really messed things up,” says Cook. “We need to undo the damage we have done.”
Cook took up photography in 2013 to better explain his science. “I noticed that when I presented my science with photos, people actually listened to me and were far more engaged,” he says. He regularly posts his photos on social media to tell the story of the work he does. “I’m using the photos to tell a story of what is going on in the Everglades and to educate people on what we are doing and why,” he says. “It’s all about impact. Nature itself is critical to our survival.” @lightswitchaddict
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