JÜRGEN FREUND was born in Dortmund, Germany in 1959. He is fondly called Yogi as Jürgen can be pronounced a million different ways causing him some shivers. He studied mechanical engineering and found out it wasn’t creative enough for his inventive mind. Instead of designing machines, he worked as an industrial photographer in Munich for 7 years. Lured by the challenge of marine wildlife photography, he acquired an underwater camera even before learning how to scuba-dive in 1981 in the cold lakes of Germany. Finally, he answered "the call of the sea" and became a full-time international freelance marine photographer in 1995. He traveled all over the world, taking acclaimed pictures published in numerous international magazines.

Yogi’s engineering background comes in handy whenever he has to make his own lenses & photo equipment to suit his needs when there are none available in the market. He is innovative in his photographic style and count a lot in his engineering abilities to answer creative requirements. A constant for him is change as he now ventures into land and marine photography using panoramic format cameras - making underwater housings himself. He specializes in wildlife and nature subjects and prefers working on a project tackling photo shoots in a photojournalistic manner. A storyteller at heart, he likes showing photo stories about animals and people, working slow and letting nature or events unfold and capturing these in its natural manner.

After years of wandering, Yogi has finally found a home base in Australia and now lives in North Queensland with his wife, Stella. He works closely with World Wide Fund for Nature, and the organization uses his photographs in many of its conservation campaigns.

Jürgen Freund immigrated to Australia under a Special Migration Category Distinguished Talent in June 2003

Some of Jürgen’s most important International Photo Awards and Exhibitions:

NATURE'S BEST WINDLAND SMITH RICE INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD / Nature’s Best Magazine USA, 2007 First Price in the "Oceans" category with a picture of a Minke Whale's eye.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION / BBC Wildlife Magazine & Natural History Museum UK, 2007 Specially Commanded in category "Animal Portraits " with a picture of Pavlova the Minke Whale in the Great Barrier Reef.

2 x NATURE'S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION / Nature’s Best Magazine USA, 2004 Highly honored in the "Oceans" category with a picture of displaying cuttlefish pair and a whale shark picture.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL SEA PICTURE FESTIVAL - PHOTODEMER / Vannes, FRANCE 13th September - 13th October, 2003 Picture exhibition of 18 images of whale sharks and the whale shark hunters of Pamilacan in the Philippines.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION / BBC Wildlife Magazine & Natural History Museum UK, 2003 Highly Commanded in category "The World in our hands" with a picture of a Philippine fisherman catching a thresher shark.

COLORS OF THE SEA / Manila, PHILIPPINES, 2001 Solo Exhibition

WORLD PRESS PHOTO AWARD / for Photojournalism NETHERLANDS, 1999 3rd Price in category: "Nature and Environment Story" on the Pamilacan Whale Shark Hunters.

British Gas WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION / BBC Wildlife Magazine & Natural History Museum UK, 1999 Highly Commended in category "Animal Bahaviour: All other animals" with a picture of a Group of Mating Cuttlefish.

British Gas WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION / BBC Wildlife Magazine & Natural History Museum UK, 1997 Highly Commended in category "Underwater World" with a picture of a Whale Shark.

FESTIVAL MONDIAL DE L'IMAGES SOUS-MARINE ANTIBES / FRANCE, 1996 Silver Price

British Gas WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION / BBC Wildlife Magazine & Natural History Museum UK, 1995 Highly Commended in the category "Gerald Durrall Award for endangered species" with a split image of a Manatee.

2 x British Gas WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION / BBC Wildlife Magazine & Natural History Museum UK 1994 Highly Commended in the category "Underwater World" with a picture of an Arrow Crab and Specially Commanded in the category "Praise of Plants" with a split image of a Mangrove Tree.

British Gas WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION / BBC Wildlife Magazine & Natural History Museum UK, 1993 Highly Commended in the category "Underwater World" with a picture in the Giant Kelp Forest in California.

NIKON PHOTO CONTEST INTERNATIONAL / JAPAN, 1991/92
1st Price in category: "Underwater Photography"

Jürgen Freund pictures and stories have been published in the following international magazines:

Action Asia / Hong Kong
Asian Diver / Singapore
Abenteuer & Reisen / Germany
Abenteuer Natur / Germany
Animan / Switzerland
Aquanaut / Germany
Austalian Geographic / Australia
Diver / England
Geolino / Germany
Geo / Germany
Esquire / UK
Focus / UK
Focus / Italy
Geomundo / Mexico
Globo / Germany
Hörzu / Germany
International Wildlife / USA
L'Express/France
Mare / Germany
Muy Interessante / Spain
National Geographic World / USA
Natur / Germany
Ocean Realm Magazine / USA
Oceans / France
Ranger Rick/USA
Readers Digest / Germany
Sinra / Japan
Scuba Diver / Austalia
Sub / Italy
Tauchen / Germany
VSD / France
Wildlife Conservation Magazine / USA

STELLA CHIU-FREUND was born in Manila, Philippines in 1965. She studied anthropology but ended up in advertising, producing radio and TV commercials for 7 years. After quitting advertising, she ventured into the freelance world in Manila producing video documentaries for a publishing house, government agencies, non govenmental organisations, and the academe. She moved on to producing books and had a stint at working with foreign production companies visiting Manila. Stella, now based in Cairns, produces photo stories with her husband Jürgen Freund.

Documentary & TVC Producer – Freelance, Manila
• Forest King (animation) – Bookmark, 2000
• Resource at Risk : Philippine Marshlands – Bookmark, 2000
• Wildlife Wonders Series - 60 second TV Commercials on the following animals : whale sharks; tarsier; purple heron; dugong; manta ray; whales & dolphins; Chinese egrets; fruit bats; coconut crabs; Phil. Crocodile – PLDT, 1999
• Mindanao : Peace documentary – Philippine Government, 1999
• Dreamweavers : Weavers of Lake Sebu – Bookmark, 1999
• Whale Sharks : The Donsol Experience – WWF Philippines, 1998
• Quiet Places : Ecotourism in the Philippines – Bookmark, 1998
• Resource at Risk : Philippine Coral Reefs – Bookmark, 1997
• Kuwaresma : Philippine Lenten Rituals – Bookmark, 1997
• Jose Rizal : A Heroe’s Life – Bookmark & Ateneo de Manila University, 1996
• Peace Documentary – UNDP, 1995
• Punla : Poverty Alleviation – Philippine Government, 1995

Coffeetable Book Project Director / Manager – Freelance, Manila
• Hua Fei – Chinese Filipinos – Ateneo de Manila University, 2003
• Sulu Sulawesi Seas by Jürgen Freund – Bookmark & WWF, 2001
• Dreamweavers - T’nalak Book – Bookmark, 2000
• History of Philippine Television – ABS/CBN, 1998
• 50 years of DBP – Development Bank of the Philippines, 1997

Philippine Fixer / Location Manager / Production Manager for Foreign Productions, Manila
• Child Labor – BBC Comic Relief / UK, 2002
• Roots – Channel 5 / UK, 2002
• The Last Surrender: Lt. Onoda Story – BBC Timewatch / UK, 2001
• State of the Planet – BBC Natural History Unit / UK, 2000