Ernest H. Brooks II (Ernie to all who know him) is one of the legends of underwater photography. The son of Ernest H. Brooks, who was the founder of Brooks Institute of Photography, Ernie grew up in Santa Barbara with the ocean as his playground. Long recognized as one of the premiere underwater photographers in the world, Brooks’ specialty is distinctive black and white images that are timeless in their appeal. His coffee table book, Silver Seas, features an amazing collection of his photographs and is highly desired.

To honor Ernie’s contributions to the science and art of underwater photography, the Santa Barbara Underwater Film Festival will be presenting a Tribute to Ernie Brooks at the beautiful Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara on Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 7:00 PM. The program will be a benefit to raise funds for the Historical Diving Society USA and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

Confirmed presentations at this time include the following:

• Zale Parry (actress) – Retrospective on the “Sea Hunt” television program
• Stan Waterman & Rodney Fox – Sharks: Blue Water, White Death
• David Doubilet – National Geographic Underwater
• Howard & Michele Hall – The World’s Best Diving
• Chuck Davis, Louis Prezelin, Ralph Clevenger, Richard Salas, Tim Anguelo – The Crew of the “Just Love”
• Mike deGruy – Remembering Our Friend
• Ernie Brooks – Silver Seas

Special introductions for the evening will be provided by Wyland, Dan Orr, Bret Gilliam, and Doug Cummings, as well as a few surprise guests. The master of ceremonies for the evening will be Leslie Leaney of the Historical Diving Society USA.

A special VIP reception will be held on Friday evening at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, September 13 at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum at the Santa Barbara Harbor. Space for this opportunity to mingle with the presenters will be very limited, so be sure to sign up for this event early. Hotel information can be obtained through www.santabarbaraca.com.

Tickets for the VIP Reception with Film Festival Reserved Seating are $150.00 (plus ticketing fees) and are in short supply. General admission tickets with open seating are $38.00, plus ticketing fees. To order tickets, call the Arlington Ticket Agency at 805-963-4408. Tickets can also be ordered through Ticketmaster.

Both the Historical Diving Society USA and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum are public 501(c)3 charities and work together to preserve diving history. For more information on the Historical Diving Society USA visit www.hds.org. To learn about the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum visit their facility in Santa Barbara or go to www.sbmm.org.

Come spend a weekend in beautiful Santa Barbara and see the best in underwater photography and films at this very special event!