annaphillips
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Great white shark
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annaphillips
August 10, 2013
Thanks for the comment Beth, such a nice surprise to be on the main page :D
annaphillips
August 10, 2013
Hi Susan, thanks for the comment. Not at all, at that split second it is exhilarating more than anything and you are completely in awe of the power it possesses.
annaphillips
August 10, 2013
Thanks Gaz! It was taken on the Marine Dynamics boat in Gansbaai, South Africa.
akhtarkhan
August 10, 2013
Wow!! that's a very fine catch you have got here. Its a real Shark....awesome razor sharp looking teeth and incredible Jaws. Fantastic colours and amazing emerge from the sea water. Stunning capture. Congrats on the feature.
annaphillips
August 10, 2013
Thanks David. It's worth the trip. If you do make sure it's at the shark capital of the world, Gansbaai, South Africa!
barbarabrock
August 10, 2013
Well, I would have been so excited I couldn't have snapped the picture....
annaphillips
August 10, 2013
I worked for a company that took out clients on shark diving trips so was able to go on quite a few photo trips while I was there, I was awful for capturing the moment though. I waited and waited and always gave up just before the shark jumped, this shot was pure luck :D
annaphillips
August 10, 2013
They are beautiful when viewed from a boat :p Such misunderstood animals!
FredGramoso
August 10, 2013
Wow... What an experience!! Perfectly caught! I just can imagine the excitement!!
annaphillips
August 10, 2013
The excitement for me was to finally get the "jaws" shot. I've done quite a few trips to see them and always give up waiting just before or have used up my frames per second way too soon. Finally! :D
SusiStroud
August 10, 2013
OMG, I hope you hade a giant zoom lens. Excellent capture! Congratulations on your Feature!
annaphillips
August 10, 2013
Hi Susi, thanks so much! This shark was really close to the boat, it was taken from a cage diving boat and the shark was really close to the cage at the time.
annaphillips
August 10, 2013
Haha yep! Up close (from a boat) they are not scary at all though. Thanks so much for the comment :D
tammyswarek
August 27, 2013
Yikes!!! Great shot!!! Can't believe you were calm enough to shoot that clear with that face coming at you!!! Congrats!
nicolaprojecteurddb
September 14, 2013
Super capture, reminds me of jaws, the music just popped into my head when i saw this :D
lindabonskowski
December 15, 2014
YIKES!!!! Great shot, but ............I would have had a heart attack!!!
ronzaccardi
January 15, 2015
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
leslie57
March 09, 2020
Congrats on taking the time to capture this amazing photo,have a great day and keep shooting !!!
TxSunshine
May 04, 2020
Excellent shot....the gentle waters against the razor like beast .... the excitement !
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Gansbaai, South Africa - The great white shark capital of the world.Time
Midday, I was restricted by boat times which went out up to 3 times a day.Lighting
It helps when it isn't too overcast outside but at the same time it is hard to photograph at sea when the sun is too bright, due to glare. I use spot metering to make sure that the shark is correctly exposed as there is sometimes quite a contrast between the shark and the water.Equipment
Nikon D800 and 28-300mm lens with UV filter. Polarising filters are good when you want to see beneath the waters surface, I prefer without as it cuts out light requiring an even higher ISO. This image was with ISO 500 but it's best to go much higher.Inspiration
I spent 4 years in South Africa working at first as a photographers assistant and then as a photographer/videographer/editor with a marine conservation trust (Dyer Island Conservation Trust). I was frustrated by my lack of shark and wildlife photos despite working in such an amazing country and decided to fix this when I moved to Gansbaai. I tried to go out to sea at least once a week. Photographing sharks can take a lot of determination, patience and practice so I was determined to get at least one shot of a shark bursting through the waters surface. They are quite unpredictable and you sometimes have to hold the camera to your eye for several hours, finger trembling on the shutter release, before you get the shot. Many times the shark has appeared when I have taken a break from the camera but this time I was determined not to miss it.Editing
I always load my images into Lightroom to adjust the histogram and add a small amount of clarity. I used to like to use auto tone but felt that it added far too much contrast so preferred to do that manually instead. I usually open my favourite shots in Photoshop as well, apply a high pass filter and an overlay to increase the detail a little bit more, and then adjust the curves slightly. It may sound like a long process but I only use minimal adjustments in each of these steps and only do it to my favourite shots. I shoot in RAW so I feel like I need to make the image feel less flat before I am happy with it.In my camera bag
D800 and Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens. At least 48gb of memory cards, I prefer to use smaller cards incase they become corrupt. Cleaning cloth and spare battery.Feedback
I would recommend going with Marine Dynamics in Gansbaai, South Africa for one :D Also don't be an ISO snob, as I used to be. A slightly pixelated image is much better than a blurry one. Patience, patience, patience - don't give up unless you are bursting for the toilet. Also spend a bit for time watching these magnificent animals through your eyes rather than your camera, you wont regret it.