
Christophe Bailhache
SVII lead photographer, VR film director
Christophe is an underwater photographer, cinematographer, VR film director and Co-Founder of Underwater Earth, an innovative Not-For-Profit based in Australia that specializes in technology-driven disruptive ideas.
Christophe co-invented and led the development and build of the revolutionary SVII camera – a camera that takes underwater 360-degree panoramic images for both Google Street View and scientific monitoring purposes. This unique camera developed for the XL Catlin Seaview Survey has allowed him and his team to do surveys of large areas, collecting significant amounts of critical imagery on a scale never done before. He has seen more of the Great Barrier Reef than anyone, surveying 150km underwater from south to north.
The invention was claimed by Time Magazine to be one of the top 100 new scientific discoveries in 2015.
As SVII lead photographer, Christophe heads up Special Operations collecting 360° underwater imagery around the world for outreach programs such a Google Earth Oceans. He also directs and produces VR Films.
His respected work, associated with successful marine conservation work, allows him to be granted access to some of the most preserved and unique areas in the world including the Chagos Archipelago, Florida’s Aquarius Reef Base, Rose Atoll in American Samoa, Palmyra Atoll ; and even Loch Ness.
Christophe’s work has been featured in CNN, NBC, BBC, National Geographic, TIME and in the recent award winning documentary feature Chasing Coral and Chasing Coral VR. His 360 VR films and photos have been exhibited in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, the Natural History Museum, London; and the United Nations, New York