Brandi learned how to dive when she was 15 and went to college to study marine biology. After graduating, she became a scuba instructor and worked on liveaboards before returning to graduate school to complete an M.S. degree at the University of Hawaii. She obtained her Merchant Mariners Captains license in 2008 and has continued to work as a scuba instructor and/or boat captain. Over time, she became interested in underwater photography and freelance writing, hoping to share the underwater world and ocean conservation with the general public. She recently published a book called The Airplane Graveyard. She will use her WDHOF grant to continue technical training so she can reach new places under water, including deep wrecks, to photograph and tell their stories to a wider audience.