Being the son of a U.S. Marine allowed Shawn Miller to travel the world as a child and a teenager. One of the places where he lived was the island of Okinawa, situated in the Ryukyu Islands that stretch from southern Japan to Taiwan. Okinawa is subtropical in climate, green and lush, and known for some of the best diving in the world. Shawn would return to Okinawa as a young adult (1998), and would make the island his home. Currently, his professional pursuit is wildlife photography, along with being a naturalist and an environmentalist. His value on preserving the environment in its natural state is a direct result of witnessing the abuses in the ocean and on the land, of an island that is particularly known for its beauty.

Shawn’s photography captures the wildlife and the abundant species of this island in the Pacific Ocean with precision and exquisite detail. Likewise, his extraordinary skills as a photographer have recently been highlighted in several articles and publications, which include his photograph of a hermit crab who made a home of plastic in the June, 2018 issue of the National Geographic Magazine. And, in World Wildlife Magazine’s summer issue, 2017, where Shawn features a hermit crab in a stunning photo while describing the photo shoot itself. In addition, Shawn’s spectacular photos of coral life have been featured in underwater fluorescence photography in the book Blue Planet 11.

Equally at home on land and underwater, Shawn has documented rare and endemic species from birds and reptiles to nudibranchs and shells. What drives Shawn as a photographer and a naturalist is to be able to capture animal behavior that has never been seen before, or documented. Along with the above publications, Shawn’s work has been displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. as part of “Portraits of Planet Ocean.” His hard work has been instrumental in him having three species of gastropods named after him (Calliostoma shawni), (Sinezona milleri), (Hemilienardia shawnmilleri)

Following this introduction, I invite you to explore and take in Shawn Miller’s photography on this website, as well as his Flickr account photos and Instagram shots. Be prepared to step into the beauty and the mystery of animals and creatures, of all sizes, and all colors. Also, be sure to view and listen closely to his Ted Talk from September 29, 2017, which is on his home page. Shawn eloquently speaks to the topic of “Adapting to our Changing Environment.” You will witness the passion and the commitment of this steward of our planet.

Mission: To Protect and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands for Future Generations

 Help me make a difference https://www.patreon.com/MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Shawn Miller – Crabs with beach trash homes. Photographed by David Orr