One of the Great Hammerheads of Bimini. It takes a while for them to let their guard down but if you sit still on the bottom long enough, not breathing then eve...
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One of the Great Hammerheads of Bimini. It takes a while for them to let their guard down but if you sit still on the bottom long enough, not breathing then eventually they begin to trust you enough to come in for a closer look. This was the first pass, very confidently swimming head on then turning away with a powerful flick of the tail at the last second.
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Awards
Contest Finalist in The Wonders of the World Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 4
Contest Finalist in Wildlife And Water Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Our Natural Planet Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Animals And Water Photo Contest
Peer Choice Award
Runner Up in Covers Photo Contest Vol 38
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 38
Featured
Contest Finalist in The Animal Kingdom Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Genius
Virtuoso
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Merbert
March 16, 2017
Impressive!! Love to be there one day and see them for myself.
thanks for sharing.
Norbert
thanks for sharing.
Norbert
Michael_Higgins
May 19, 2017
Perfect contrast going on here, and you can almost see the tail paddling back and forth. great movement with your composition.
rhiannyn
August 04, 2017
Brilliant! Outstanding capture! Such an amazing experience! (am now suffering from *green gills syndrome* ;) maybe one day :) )
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Behind The Lens
Location
Bimini, Bahamas, one of the world's best shark diving destinations.Time
It was early afternoon on a mostly clear sunny day. This was about 8-9m underwater at a time when the sun was out so the white sand reflects a lot of light that you would otherwise lose as you go deeper.Lighting
Bahamas is great for shooting with natural light. The clear water and sun reflecting off the white sandy bottom gave me all the light I needed for the Great Hammerheads.Equipment
Shot with my Sony A6000, 16mm lens in a Nauticam housing. Shutter 1/200, ISO 100. Natural light.Inspiration
I love taking photos while freediving. It allows you to get much closer to marine life and interact with them in a totally different way to scuba. Sharks especially are a lot less intimidated when you remove the noise and bulk of scuba gear and dive slowly on a single breath. The Great Hammerhead is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and all sharks are a vital part of the marine ecosystem. Sharing photos like this one will hopefully allow people to see that they're not mindless killers that should be feared, rather they are a highly evolved predator that deserves respect and help from humans.Editing
Using Lightroom and Photoshop to remove the blue tint that happens in underwater photography. The sand provided the perfect white balance.In my camera bag
For the photos I like to take I prefer to keep it simple - freediving gear to get underwater and then a camera and housing to get the shot. The A6000 is great for freediving as it is light and compact.Feedback
Bahamas is one of the best shark diving destinations in the world - the water is warm and the conditions and visibility can be amazing. It should still be kept in mind that these are wild animals in their natural environment, and anyone looking for this kind of experience should go with an experienced and responsible guide/operation, who respects the animals and has a conservation focus. And ALWAYS freedive with a trained buddy.