"No Blue, No Green"
- Dr. Sylvia Earle
Welcome to No Ordinary Life (NOL)
Inspired by water. Driven by conservation.
No Ordinary Life (NOL)
Water connects ecosystems, economies, and identity.
NOL exists to tell those stories with depth and precision.
Founded by Ocean & Water Storyteller Nola, NOL blends visual storytelling, journalism, and marine conservation expertise to create work that is compelling and credible.
With a Master’s in Marine Conservation and 1,000+ dives worldwide as a SCUBA professional and freediver, Nola brings field-based insight to every project from documenting sharks alongside research teams or developing campaigns for water-aligned brands.
Each collaboration sits at the intersection of ecology, culture, and strategy.
Based in Miami. Available anywhere there is water.
Work With Me
Photography
Underwater and water-centered imagery grounded in lived experience from conservation documentation and dive travel to brand campaigns and editorial portraits.
Storytelling
Journalistic features and narrative development that translate complex environmental and cultural themes into accessible, engaging stories.
Content Creation
Campaign development, video production, and content packages for brands and destinations whose work intersects with water. Every deliverable is built with clarity, intention, and environmental awareness.
Why Water Matters
Water shapes ecosystems, economies, cultures, and livelihoods.
From coral reefs that sustain tourism to freshwater sources that power industry and agriculture, water connects environmental health to human experience. Brands, destinations, and communities whose work touches water carry both opportunity and responsibility.
NOL was built on the belief that water-centered stories deserve depth.
Whether documenting marine research, dive travel, sustainable fashion, or coastal products, the throughline remains the same: honor the systems behind the story.
Because when we understand water, we protect what depends on it.
Past collaborations include:
DeeperBlue.com, University of Miami, Shark Research & Conservation, Diver's Paradise Miami, Baja California Sur Tourism, La Martinique, Golden Rock Dive & Nature Resort, We Said Go Travel, NOAA’s Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Ocean Conservancy, CBS Miami, NewsNation, Reef Smart Guides, Ladies Empowerment and Action Program, Florida's Sport Coast, Pharaoun Jewelry, Blue Scholars, and several localized lifestyle magazines.
Ready to dive in?
Whether it’s conservation storytelling, a brand campaign, or an underwater portrait, let’s create something extraordinary together.
Let's Chat!
Photo by Joshua Asel
About the founder & artist behind NOL:
Nola Schoder
Ocean & Water Storyteller
Marine Conservationist
Awards & Recognition
- Ocean Conservancy 2022 Calendar - Featured Photographer (February)
- University of Miami Rosenstiel School (2021) – 1st Place, Macro / Fish & Animal Portrait / Marine Conservation categories
- Beneath The Sea 2019 - Honorable Mention, Marine Conservation
- San Diego County Fair (2018 & 2019) – 2nd Place and multiple Honorable Mentions
- 2021 Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer of the Year
Talent
- Appeared in PADI SCUBA Diving Training videos (Deep Diver, Wreck Diver – 2022)
- Featured in SCUBAPRO Cold Water promotion (2018)
- Ocean Ambassador, Blue Scholars & ArtSail (2024)
Bio
Nola is an Ocean & Water Storyteller, marine conservationist, and award-winning photographer whose work lives at the intersection of ecology, culture, and commerce.
With over 1,000 dives worldwide and a Master’s in Marine Conservation, her storytelling is grounded in lived field experience. From documenting sharks and manta rays alongside research teams to partnering with water-aligned brands, Nola translates the science, spirit, and strategy of water into compelling visual narratives.
As the founder of NOL Media, she collaborates with dive operators, tourism boards, sustainable fashion labels, and purpose-driven companies whose work connects to water, whether through ocean ecosystems, coastal communities, or cultural heritage.
Her projects have included work with NOAA’s Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, the University of Miami’s Shark Research & Conservation Program, and the Manta Caribbean Project. At the same time, she partners with brands shaping a more conscious relationship with travel, lifestyle, and natural resources.
Rooted in her Guatemalan Maya heritage and global field experience, Nola approaches storytelling as both witness and strategist, creating work that honors the ecosystems and cultures shaped by water.
